Cats, Critters and a Beautiful Summer Day

The garden is so beautiful right now.

We don't have to water much.

Everything is new and beautiful.

The heat isn't so intense that flowers wither from it.
Even the angry little Gerbera Daisy is happily planted with some friends. He has survived the other companion flower, the prettier one, possibly because he was a conjoined twin and has the strength of two. Two stems... one flower. He seems very happy now.

All is good in the garden.

All is right with the world.
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Then, you look across the driveway and you see Annabel, the cat, playing with .....
OH NO! That can't be a small Rattlesnake!
Not yet. It's too early.
This can't be happening.
You grab the shovel and run through the gate and across the driveway... yelling at the cat to stop.
She ignores you.
You pick up a small piece of gravel and throw it at the cat to make her back away.
As you get closer, throwing another stone above the cat, you can see the snake tail twitching and the cat pawing at the critter as if it was a moving cat toy.You throw one more piece of gravel. This time you hit dead center in the conflict and Annabel backs away.

Yelling and getting between the cat and the critter, you close in on what you have to do.... but wait.
This is not a baby Rattler.... this is not what you thought was the end of the best  "mouser" you ever had.
Maybe you need new glasses...This is a very good sized Alligator Lizard...

and it's mad....

"You better keep that Cat away from me or I will give her a bite that will make her wish she was never born."
He was on the defensive. He lifted his head up and stared at me.
I said, " I'm sorry little guy. Annie's gone." (She wasn't really. She was sitting on the hillside watching us, but I continued the deception....) "You need to run and hide somewhere."
I reached out and touched his back. He didn't move.
"Go on now. I know the sun feels good and you're a bit shook up but you need to go somewhere else. PLEASE."
He looked at me for the longest time.

"Don't get any closer, lady."

He didn't move. He was really on the defensive and , I suspect, a bit tired from his wrestling match with Annie.
Finally I reached down and started to touch his back again. This time he was ready.

He'd had enough of this inhospitable farm. He gave me one more tough expression and then ran. I don't think he even touched the ground. He ran across the road and disappeared into a pile of  dry garden clippings. He was like GREASED LIGHTENING.... he was gone.
Annie was watching the whole thing.... switching her tail. She was waiting for me to finish off this poor creature and hand it to her, on a plate, for lunch.
"Oh Annie. Why do you do this? Next time it will be a Rattlesnake and I guarantee that you won't win."
She looked at me and walked away.....