It was bound to happen. We have been on high snake alert since the first one in June. This past week marked rattlesnake five so far for the summer of 2011. This one had nine buttons on his rattle. Harland's mother was here visiting when it was spotted and killed, and she was none too pleased.
We actually were not here when Harland shot the thing with the Judge. I had taken the kids and all of our company to the park for the afternoon when I got a text from my husband warning me to not let my guard down. The picture he had sent that would make that message make more sense, did not come through up on the mountain, so I wasn't sure how to interpret the message---especially since I was with my in-laws. The picture was of the snake in the backyard.
He had been out for a little bit and drove into the driveway to hear the dogs barking. He went to see them over the fence and tell them it was just him. They did not stop barking which was highly unusual. Ranger then began to bark and point his head toward the back of the yard and then shudder his body. He did the same dance over and over again. Harland looked and looked and finally spotted the snake right where Ranger was looking-- at the back fence line of the dogs' yard. He quickly got his gun and loaded it and leashed the dogs and got them out of the yard. They would normally highly object to being taken out and tied to a post-- not that day. They cooperated and were completely silent. He shot the snake and buried the head out in the field, then hung the ugly thing over the fence belly-up.
We checked the puppies over and found no evidence of bites. The little dance that Ranger was doing might have been an imitation of sorts of the snake rattling or perhaps just a shiver of the willies like I get when I see a snake. I am just so thankful that he recognized it as a foe and alerted us. That is a far cry from rattler number one just about six or seven short weeks ago. He never even saw that one, and it was about six inches from his nose. Whew.
I am pleased to say that that was the only snake we found during our latest week of company. I continue my mantra every time the door is opened," Watch for snakes." Honey will have her final rattlesnake booster this Friday. I sure wish they made one of those for humans. Since they don't, I will continue with my paranoia and will wait for the next one. I hope I am here when we find it because I would like to shoot it. I have been practicing.
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
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