Rattlesnakes!

A few minutes ago, I killed my SECOND rattlesnake of the new season, although it was the first one actually on our property. THe first one I killed was on the road about 1/2 mile from the house on Monday. Coincidentally I was on my way to the vet with Robin, and it scared me enough to have Dr Bolen give her the first rattlesnake vaccine, with a second to follow in 4 weeks. Then, he says, in this climate, she should have them every six months because we can encounter rattlers just about year round in this climate. So I was feeling better about snakes, because after all, she IS growing.

She was 9 lbs, 9 ozs. on that day's weigh in.

The snake this morning was coiled up under a dog crate that we had left to air near a tree. I picked it up and walked away with it, and it was just luck I saw the snake. He didn't make a sound, or move. I ran to get the shovel, and then I couldn't find him when I came back. I looked and looked, and I was afraid he had crawled under the straw strewn around the tree. I practically had hysterics calling Robin away from the tree, but she figured out there was something wrong with me, and came right away. 4 mos old.

I finally found the snake, right where he had been, and chopped him up in little pieces right there, all the while yelling NO! at Robin as she jumped around wanting to attack the shovel.

I do tend to , some say, overreact to rattlers, but the memory of spending the night crying with Etta Mae after she was bitten has never left me. And she was 5 mos old and probably 25 lbs.

Now I am doubly determined to have her snakeproofed as well as get the booster vaccination. I found a place in Cave Creek that seems good, but they won't do it until the dog is 5 months old. If I had waited for that, she could have been bitten and died.

My main problem is my active imagination. I can always imagine so many more bad outcomes than good ones.