I was indoors, checking out BYC
, when I heard my normally quiet puppy barking and growling right outside my window. Went to check, and there's a four-foot chicken snake across the front walk! Badger and I circled it while I thought frantically. I had to get it out of there before it found the coop and the setting hens. I could kill it with a shovel, but I'm too squeamish.
So I ran inside to get my keys, and nerved myself to grab it up. I went back out mentally rehearsing, "I'll snatch it right behind the neck, throw it in the car, and race over to my FIL's barn. He loves snakes! Just snatch it and run - ooops!" I'd forgotten, my husband had the car! Oh, yeah, that's why I was handling this alone... Good thing I remembered that before snatching up the snake and running with it.
So what now? My FIL would come get it, but he's stone deaf. Maybe my MIL was still home... Raced back inside, made a brief call: "Send Taylor quick, big snake!" Then back outside, where Badger was tracking the moving target and barking. Good puppy! We kept it in sight until the cavalry arrived with a shotgun. Since it wasn't poisonous, he put the gun down (which I grabbed up when the puppy tried to jump on it) and we bagged the snake for his trip to barn life.
Yow. What was I supposed to be doing this morning? Laundry. Between trips down to the pen, to check for snakes...
So I ran inside to get my keys, and nerved myself to grab it up. I went back out mentally rehearsing, "I'll snatch it right behind the neck, throw it in the car, and race over to my FIL's barn. He loves snakes! Just snatch it and run - ooops!" I'd forgotten, my husband had the car! Oh, yeah, that's why I was handling this alone... Good thing I remembered that before snatching up the snake and running with it.
So what now? My FIL would come get it, but he's stone deaf. Maybe my MIL was still home... Raced back inside, made a brief call: "Send Taylor quick, big snake!" Then back outside, where Badger was tracking the moving target and barking. Good puppy! We kept it in sight until the cavalry arrived with a shotgun. Since it wasn't poisonous, he put the gun down (which I grabbed up when the puppy tried to jump on it) and we bagged the snake for his trip to barn life.
Yow. What was I supposed to be doing this morning? Laundry. Between trips down to the pen, to check for snakes...
