Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. ~Rainer Maria Rilke

Friday, July 11, 2008

7:00 a.m. in the morning

I was eating breakfast this morning and I heard the dogs barking. When Maggie barks it's usually the buzzards. She hates them and when they fly low over the house she has a fit. Moke, on the other hand hardly ever barks, unless it's something really bad. Well they were both behind the house and they started barking. I call it the "fear bark". It's different than any other. It's sporatic and in between barks they whine or growl.
I went over to the sliding door and listened to them. That's when I heard the rattle. I don't move very fast, anymore, but I think I broke my own land speed record . I ran out out the door and saw the dogs moving back and forth, barking ferociously. I couldn't see the snake but I sure could hear it. I screamed at Moke a few times and thanks to the training he got before we found him, he came to me. I grabbed his collar and took him into the house.
Then I flew back outside to get Maggie. All this time, in between calling the dogs, I'm screaming "SNAKE" to the Prospector( who was in the chicken house). " Snake..., get the gun." I got close enough to Maggie and she backed away at the same time. I was able to grab her collar and pull her away. As I came around to the front of the house, the Prospector comes out with my hand gun and says, of all things, "Stop yelling." I save the dogs and he says "Stop yelling"? Men.....
He killed the Rattler. It was over 4 feet long and had 12 rattles on it's tail. That's one big snake. The good news is that neither of the dogs got bit. Thank God! No horrendous vet bill this time and the dogs are ok.
I wish they wouldn't come into the yard but they do; looking for water and rodents. "I'm sorry you beautiful creature. I respect your being and your death will not be forgotten."

(All these photos were taken after the snakes demise. )
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3 comments:

  1. to quote Indiana Jones "snakes,I hate snakes"

    Hugs and Blessings. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my God.
    Who needs coffee after a morning like that!
    I'm with Indiana Jones.
    Terry

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good grief Charlie Brown.... That is a humdinger of a rattler there. I am going to have to share these pictures with J.D. When he was digging around the well to sart a foundation he found himself a rattler too. His only had one button on the rattle though so it was pretty young. It is the first encounter we have had with rattlers though usually it has been black snakes or copperheads. Someone bought the property next door and have been mowing so I imagine the poor little critter wandered over here to get away from the mowers. That was a mistake because it met up with J.D. and got it's little head chopped off with a shovel.

    Glad the dogs and you and the prospector are ok.

    ReplyDelete

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