Monday, September 2, 2019

HOUSE FOR SALE!!!

You want to hear me scream like a little girl?  Just come to Arizona they said.  Yes there might be the occasional humongous spider on your bathroom wall, or maybe scorpions in your washing machine, but hey ... the desert is beautiful, even in the morning sunrise.
The trouble with that is you can't SEE in the early morning hours when you let the dogs out and walk barefoot across the patio.  Later on when it's light and you let them out again ..... THAT'S when you hear the screams!!!

I suppose everyone knew it was going to happen but me.  I thought my defenses, meaning wire on the  bottom of the gates was enough to deter even the smallest of snakes.  Of course I was WRONG!!  Here I was, minding my own business making sure the dogs did theirs, when I looked over to the access hole on the far side.  

WAIT .. WHAT????  Is that what I think it is????  HOLY CRAP IT'S A SNAKE!!!  I got within fifteen feet to discover it was a rattler.  At least I thought it was ... I didn't see any rattles.
I screamed at the puppies to get inside and ran for my phone.  I screamed at Miss Patty who thankfully answered and then I screamed at Dan to PLEASE come kill a snake in my back yard.  Thank goodness they are early risers!!  I waited on the patio, my heart in my throat.

I know I've told you about my mother making sure us kids had a deathly fear of snakes.  When we were in the mountains at Cow Camp, there were HUGE rattlers everywhere.  One day she caught my brother and his friend throwing a snake back and forth at each other.  She did such a good job of convincing me, that for about ten years, I wouldn't even touch a magazine that had a PICTURE of a snake in it.  Yes, it's a viper ... poisionous for sure ... just look at the shape of that head.
I ran to get my shovel, my heart still racing like I was running a marathon.  Thank goodness when I returned, it was still there.  It's relatively small, about the thickness of my thumb and maybe 18 inches long.  I didn't care one whit.  He's got to go!!!
I'm not the least bit sorry to say he went over the rainbow to Snake Heaven.  He put up a good fight, striking many times while slithering underneath a patio stone.  NOT SORRY, especially since now I'm scared to let my puppies outside.  I now go out first with shovel in hand!!!

My mom taught lessons well.  I couldn't calm down.  I finally took a big shot of Baileys in my coffee.  
That didn't help one bit.  Maybe ice cream will work!!!  At long last six hours later I calmed down.
For those following the hurricane, here it is bearing down on Florida.  The last I heard it was going to be a category 5.  That's HUGE with 200 mph winds.  The red dot on the left is our friends Nick and Terry.  I'm sending them lots of good luck and love.
Here's what the rest of my day looked like.  Alert after alert came through as a huge lightning storm passed over.  No pictures this time, it was too big, too close and too wet to be outside.
If you will excuse me now, I'm headed out to the back yard with my Mag flashlight and a shovel.  No the house really isn't for sale, YET, but it did cross my mind.  I'm brave when it comes to spiders and scorpions, but SNAKES??  Not so much!!



16 comments:

  1. Nothing like some early morning excitement, looks like you took care of that snake, quite nicely in no time.

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    1. Maybe next time I won't be in quite as much shock!!

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  2. Oh my God!!! I'd be just like you, freaking out. You are so brave, I don't know that I could kill it just because I'd be afraid I'd miss and it would disappear from view. LOL

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    1. You and I think alike Patsy ... that's why I called Dan, although now I'm rather sad about the whole affair.

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  3. Like you I have this huge fear of snakes. When did you say you are going back under your house? Did I hear never LOL?
    JWM

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    1. Don't say that Jim!!! There are NONE under my house! LOL

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  4. What you got there is a little Mojave rattlesnake
    They could be somewhat aggressive their venom is a neurotoxin which is considered the most potent of the rattlesnake population
    When I lived in Phoenix I used to go out in the desert and specifically hunt and catch the Mojave for the herpetology lab at ASU
    During the early 80s they were making a anti-venom for that particular species
    Their biggest problem was the anti-venom had a very short shelf life
    The Mojave venom will attack your nervous system where a rattlesnake will attack your respiratory system
    They also have an anti-venom shot for dogs check with A local veterinarian

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    1. I'm considering the anti-venom for the puppies, that's for sure.

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  5. Oh my goodness. I was thinking of spending some time in Tucson in October. My nephew says he has room for us on his property. But he lives a little out in the desert. I hate any type of snake. Now I have to rethink this....lol. I'm glad you had someone to help you. Elva Shannon

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    1. It's just my luck Elva ... some people have lived here for ten years and never seen even one. They really are not very prevalent.

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  6. One of the nice things about where we bought the house is that we're five minutes from the fire department. They will come out and get the snakes and gila monsters. My friend with dogs had a 22 pistol with snake shot in it.

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    1. I actually have two fire departments within five minutes ... I just didn't know they would come and get them. Now I know!!

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  7. Isn't it something that in all of our travels, we have yet to see a snake (except those squished on the roadways)? Whenever I take the dogs out, I look for snakes. Stopped at a few rest areas where they warn of snakes, but have not seen any. Now, think of this...just a couple of days ago it was under your house, and then this big, white monster came under the house and scared the snake out onto the patio....lol

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    1. Hahahaha Dave ... you are probably right!!!! Too funny. Yup I was just saying how I wanted a picture of a snake and couldn't find any. I'll never say THAT again!!

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  8. Thank God you had Baileys and Ice Cream on hand!

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    1. Hahahahaha Peter!! What would I have done without it???

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