Rattlesnake!

Oh my goodness! Get a load of this. Sunday, I let the dogs outside and then decided to join them with my book. I slipped on my flip-flops, grabbed my book, stepped outside and a rattlesnake started slithering across the yard in front of me. Mylo had run straight out in the yard and was in mid-pee-stream when I saw it, but Annie and Stuart hadn't seen it, and had hopped right over it to get to the lounge chair on the patio. I completely panicked. I was standing right by the sliding glass door, and I should have banged on it to alert Brian, but all I could think of was getting in between the snake and the dogs because I was afraid they would see it and try to go sniff it.

So, I'm standing outside screaming BRIAN! BRIAN! at the top of my lungs, and he was camped out asleep on the couch and didn't hear me. Three of my nightmares were coming true right before my eyes: snakes (ugh!); screaming for help and nobody coming; and needing to protect the dogs and not being able to.

I finally realized screaming for help wasn't getting me anywhere so I had to leave the dogs on the lounge chair next to the snake, run around the patio and bang on window to wake Brian up. One of the neighbors happened to be outside and said yelled over the wall "what is it?" and I started screaming "RATTLESNAKE!" I don't know how he got in the gate so fast, but before Brian got outside, Glen was in the yard with a shovel. Then Brian came barreling out the house and almost stepped right on the stupid thing.

All I could think of was "I've got to get the dogs through the garage door" but it was locked. I was still afraid to leave them near the snake, but now that Glenn and Brian were dealing with it, I couldn't force myself to get any closer to rescue the dogs.

Instead, I stood all the way across the yard and hyperventilated for all of the neighbors who had peeked their heads over the brick walls to see. How embarassing.

Next time this happens, I'll be prepared. I hope I'll have enough sense to grab the dogs and rush them inside, then run around the side of the house and grab a shovel. I didn't realize Brian kept them outside next to the trash can.

Mom asked me if I would have been brave enough to kill it if I'd been by myself. You bet your sweet tootie I could have.