It started out just as any other afternoon stroll. The shadows were long and in the sharper curves of the path a bit menacing. The left over puddles from the rain were a bit hazy and wreaked of spoiled vegetations. The song birds were serenading the dog and I as we encountered and greeted new people and dogs. An occasional squirrel or rabbit made cameo appearances to test the will of the dog to follow command. A black snake slithered across the path to stalk prey of the baritone bull frog in the distance.
The dog, as is her nature, found an enchanting scent that she could not resist. Probably that of a deer, but all the same her nose was to the ground and her eyes for all purposes may as well have been closed. The thumping of a Labrador is characteristic when they’re enthralled with a scent, and today her thumping was rhythmic from her intoxication of this scent. I then saw an immanent danger to her and called out, yanking on her lead. It was to no avail, her blindness to the obvious was equally as deaf. She rammed directly into a timber rattler with her over zealous snout. The serpent was picked up upon the bridge of her nose and both the snake and the dog were equally startled and mystified.
With a start, she jerked her head up as if to ask “What the ____?”and the serpent recoiled into the air as a finely tuned gymnast body upon the parallel bars. It seemed the serpent had a better game plan for the situation as it landed poised into a tight coil with its head held high hissing and ready to strike when the crescendo of the rattlers came. The dog although blond, understood there was danger and fell to her true nature and cowered… behind me. At the retreat of the dog, the snake decided it was interested in pursuing the game and followed. By this time, I had enough time to grab a stout stick and sweep the slithering beast from the ground and cast it into the wood where it remained.
It seems that lately, I’ve had snakes upon a lot of paths that I’ve had to remove. I suppose to everything there is a season. I’m just ready for the next one to come along and bring about a sense of peace and calm without so much going on about me. I’m ready to let my guard down, relax and get a good night’s sleep for a change. I’m not certain when, or how that’ll happen, but soon I hope for that part of life to reveal itself.
Thank heavens both you and the dog are alright.
To every thing there is a season and seasons don’t last forever. The peace and calm will come, they may take their own sweet time, but they will come.
Yikes, I woulda peed my pants.
Seems you are one who is fast to respond just like the snake. You were of competition that was no match to him. “I’m ready to let my guard down, relax and get a good night’s sleep for a change.” Here’s to sooner rather than later!!
Good thing you take your “walks” with your eyes open, as opposed to leading with your nose like the dog !
Love ya,
Susan