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. )