A Bad Start

Don't you hate it when you are awakened from a dead sleep with something alarming-- like a fire alarm, security alarm, tornado siren, rattlesnake rattling? That's right-- a rattlesnake rattling woke me up this morning before dawn at 5. I actually heard the dogs first. The barking was not normal. It was constant and loud. I went to the window in the bedroom to see if I could see a coyote or something in the yard. As I stumbled to the window, I heard the rattle. It was easily heard above the dogs barking. Now what do I do?

Harland and Ben are out of town, by the way. This one was all me. I tried to process what to do and in what order as I was waking up. The two little kids were in bed with me and awake from the noise. I told them what was going on and that they would have to listen to me. Isabel came with me to the laundry room and Nathanael opted to stay in the bedroom. We threw on our boots, and I turned on the back porch light. Honey was at the door waiting for it to open. Her eyes said, "Help." Ranger was just off the porch with the snake cornered by the fence. I leashed up Honey and brought her in and gave her to Isabel. I had her take her to the front porch while I tried to get Ranger. He never responds to his name, but this time he did. He came right to me after making sure I saw where he had the snake. I took him to Isabel, and she held both dogs on the front porch. I told her and Nathanael that I was headed out to shoot it. They were not to come out and they needed to be prepared for five shots.

I then loaded the gun in the kitchen as I repeated over and over, "Lord Jesus, help me." I opened the screen door and I heard it still rattling. It never stopped since I first heard the dogs barking. It was coiled up with head up in the air. It was on the concrete next to the fence, by some old hot tub wires (which are not live), and I was concerned about the possibility of catching the house on fire. I had the fire extinguisher and telephone right inside the door.

I cocked the gun and steadied my hands and aimed and shot. I hit it right in the head. It dropped to the ground and the tail dropped. Dark blood ran on the concrete. It continued to move (as snakes do). I hollered out for the kids to hear me that it was dead and I was fine, but I was going to keep shooting. I shot four more times, hitting it each time.

I took a deep breath and headed out to get a shovel. The dogs checked on me when I came on the front porch. They had been perfectly silent since I got them out of the backyard. It is as if they know that barking would make the situation worse for me. I assured them I was fine, and realized the shovel was out by the barn. I was not walking in the dark to the barn, so I grabbed our mouse killing hoe. I went back to the snake to hopefully just fling it over the fence for now so the dogs could go back in. It was still moving and the head was still slowly striking. I went back in and told the kids to prepare themselves for some more noise because I was going to shoot it again. I reloaded and shot it one more time. This time I stood a little closer and the snake was thrown across the concrete slab by the force of the shot. He wasn't moving anymore. I threw him over the fence.

The dogs were sweet and very loving, and they were glad to see it was gone when I took them back to their yard. Ranger is licking his paw so he may have gotten bitten. I am taking him to the vet as soon as they open this morning to get it checked. Both dogs have been vaccinated but could still get a raging infection from a bite.

When I came back in, Nathanael was tearful and said that he had heard me praying so he decided to pray too. He told me he was sorry he was too scared to help Isabel with the dogs, but he did pray. I told him that was the best thing he could have done for me and Isabel.

After the sun came up, I went out with the shovel and chopped the head off. I flung it out into the field, cut the rattle off, and hung the body over the fence. The rattle is eight buttons. It looks like seven because I blew a portion of the eighth off with one of my hits.

It has been three and a half hours since the early morning ordeal, but my adrenaline is still pumping. I truly hope this is all of the excitement I will encounter while Harland is out of town. I would be fine if I never have to do that again. I now know, however, that I can do it.

Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."