Sneaky Snake Stole My Happy

I have a dozen projects in the pipeline to share but I wanted to share this one first.

I have literally been in the yard from sunup to sundown for weeks now.  I have enjoyed it so much.  From mowing to weeding to creating more work for myself by tearing out all the landscaping.  I have learned to slow down and enjoy the process and not just rush to the results and it has been wonderful.  I can definitely say working outside has been my happy.

All that changed last Saturday.  Wonder Hubby and I were working to unload the last load of mulch for the new landscape in the front of our home.   It was a great day, lots of work, hot weather and the promise of a Memorial Day cookout to look forward to.  We had unloaded one load and were 1/2 done with the last load when Wonder Hubby needed to move the truck to make unloading a little more efficient.

He moved the truck but sits inside once he turns it off.  He had a weird look on his face that I couldn't quite make out.  Suddenly he comes flying around the truck telling me to get in the house. When I say telling, I mean yelling.  At this point I am totally wearing my perplexed look, but when he says NOW, HURRY....I just knew why.

 Of course, I never follow instructions, so I ran up the porch steps and immediately started looking in the yard because I just knew there was a snake that he didn't want me to see.  We had killed a baby snake of some sort  swimming about in the fish pond on Tuesday and I was already on high alert.

 Have I ever mentioned my insane fear of snakes?   I can't stand to even see them on tv.  I begin to scream and cannot seem to stop.  It is quite annoying to anyone around but I just can't help it.  It is strange I can't stand to see them but can't look away....kinda weird huh?  I had been so proud of myself on Tuesday because when I realized Wonder Hubby had cornered a snake in the pond I managed to not scream!  Now mind you I was still cowering on top of a bench on top of the deck, far, far away but I didn't scream.  Maybe I have had a breakthrough of some sort I thought. Fast forward to Saturday and I just know there is a snake and feeling confident I have conquered my scream mechanism I start to look for it.   It didn't take long to see why Wonder Hubby wanted me to scram.  It was hard to miss this buy guy.

Now you need to know I didn't have my camera when I first saw this guy, this is after about 10 minutes of dancing,hopping, spinning in place, saying oh my gosh deep breathing  Wonder Hubby had seen this monster when he pulled the truck up.  The weird look he had was him trying to figure out how to rid the yard of this and not let me know.   He knew once I saw this I was going to be done with yard work for a while...he was right!

He noticed the snake only because its head was off the ground a couple of feet...why you ask?  Well because it had a whole squirrel in it's mouth!  That is what I saw when I first spotted him but I couldn't keep it together to squeeze off any pictures.  Can you see the large lump to the front of the snake?  That is Harvey the squirrel....ewwwww I am shivering just reliving this. 

If you can't tell what this snake is let me share with you that it is a RATTLESNAKE!  That's right folks a big ole rattler 20 feet off my front porch.  I am completely freaked out.  My little ankle biter could have been lunch, for that matter Wonder Hubby or I could have been too.  This guy measured 51 inches long and 4 inches around....ewwww again.

Sorry the last pic is a bit graphic since he had met with his demise by this time.

Nine rattles and a button.  This is the first time I have ever seen a snake this size except at a zoo and it was a bit overwhelming.  Not to mention the whole squirrel was like an episode of wild kingdom in my front yard!  Now here is the amazing part y'all......I NEVER SCREAMED.  I really think this thing was so big I just didn't want him to know I existed and survival instincts kicked in and made me shut up....or it could be that I just couldn't get a scream out....either way I was quiet.

It didn't take long for a crowd to gather, even the mail carrier stopped and got out to take a look.  Bless her heart, she shared that she had had a couple of encounters with snakes in mailboxes and I think she wanted to be clear on what a rattlesnake looked like.

The rest of the day was shot.  Neither Wonder Hubby or I wanted to finish the mulching or do any yard work for that matter.  We were very surprised to learn another rattlesnake almost as large had been killed in the neighbor across the street's driveway 10 hours before...yikes!  So now we think the baby we found in the pond was a baby rattler sans the rattle.

We are just over a week out now and I have yet to mow, or do yard work.  I won't even water unless I have a spotter!  I am not sure which I am more worried about....another snake this size or the worry of  there being more babies?   So this big ole snake took my happy and I am wondering if it will ever come back :( 

 I will leave you with this.... I have a stock tip for you.....buy stock in moth balls.   At the rate I am covering my yard with them you will be rich way before I comfortably return to the yard.