Colin caught the rattlesnake!!!

This afternoon as I was leaving the house (thankfully I had already put the dogs in the garage), I stepped outside and heard a buzzing/hissing...ok, RATTLING noise. I wasn't paying attention because I was fumbling with my purse and my cell phone. It took a couple seconds for me to take note that it was an unusual noise and I looked down and lo and behold there he was, little guy. He was trying to give me the mighty rattlesnake staredown, combined with the warning of the rattle, and so I left him alone and went in the house to get something to cover him up with. I came back outside and he was slithering away into the bushes. I wasn't about to go after him at that point.

So I called Colin, who was on his way home from playing hockey, and told him to be careful because the snake was back and was in the bushes.

When I got home, Colin came out to greet me to say he caught the snake after trimming...actually demolishing...the bush that the snake lived in. We went for a walk down the ditch and relocated the snake to his new home off our property but under cover of great brush ,and under the watchful eye of some neighborhood vultures.

So that made today a Good Day. Hopefully he won't be back to bother the dogs. He wasn't really a bother for me and Colin because we like snakes and think they're pretty. But the dogs don't know any better (obviously - refer to previous posts if you need a reminder).

On a horsie-note, I was entered in a local horse last weekend. I entered Paddy in the show, but he hurt himself the week prior and wasn't healed enough in time to compete. So I thought I'd take Miles instead. I had a lesson with our neighbor, and he was really good, despite not having brakes. We jumped for the first time since last summer and had a lot of fun. So while I wasn't expecting to actually do well at the show, I though we could go in and participate and get some experience.

Well, I thought wrong. I took him to the showgrounds a day earlier than we were scheduled to compete and at first everything was great. We went for a walk around the showgrounds and despite being bombarded by screaming kids riding bikes up his butt, he was a perfect gentleman. He didn't flinch, didn't spook, didn't care. So then we headed to the warm-up arena. Walking around, again he was fine. But when it came time to work and go forward and do some flat work, he EXPLODED!!! Buck, buck, buck. Not one series of bucks, but three or four (I lost count). Mothers were swearing at me under their breath, as their children scattered in fear of being trampled or kicked or otherwise assaulted by the Cutest Pony Ever. In the spirit of safety for all competitors, I excused myself from the area and spent another half an hour walking around, trying to mentally cool down and then we left. Forget it. I decided not to show. It was too much, too exciting, too ... something. So the following day we went for a 2-hour trail ride. And of course he was perfect. Go figure.

I just sent my entry in for a show in Woodside later this summer. I'm going to bring Paddy to compete and Miles to "school" for experience. Should be fun!
- posted by Susan @ 8:54 PM