Birthday Walk

21 minutes - 1.00 miles - Luppy

Luppy wanted to go for a walk this morning.  Sounded like a splendid way to start the morning so I grabbed a leash and off we went.  Saw lots of snake tracks today, even a sidewinder track.  Fortunately, none of the tracks were near the house and we didn't see any live ones. 

First Snake of the Season

46 minutes - 1.73 miles - Rhulain

It rained last night, and I cannot resist putting the "first" footfalls in the open desert.  I invited Luppy along and she never stopped grinning!  We wandered down some paths we hadn't been on for a while and were merrily strolling along until we saw this ...

The snake was coiled but not moving.  Rhu and I stopped in tandem.  While I was pondering if the snake might be dead, it's head turned in our direction.  Rhu and I started backing up while I fished around for my phone to take a picture.  Just then Luppy came trotting down the road towards the snake  ... fortunately she stopped when I gave the command, but she looked hurt.

I took a picture and three of us gave the snake a wide berth as we continued on our walk.  It was nearly 60 degrees, barely drizzling, and we'd only walked half a mile ... I don't think any of us were ready to head home just yet.

We avoided this path on the way home and no one was worse for the snake sighting.

Snakes in the Hen House, Mice in the Bathroom. Again.

In non-horse related news, the speckled hens laid their first (brown) eggs on September 20th!  It's such a delight to get a variety of eggs!

Heard the cats "talking" in the master bathroom and opened the door to find them batting a terrified field mouse between them.  I got a dustpan and the mouse hopped right in and stayed perfectly still as I carried him out of the house and let him go in the desert behind our yard.

Since I was up, I went to feed the chickens.  Tipped over their water bowl and a little snake slithered out.  I yelped.  Once I realized it was a gopher snake, I explained that it was welcome to stay as long as it ate mice.  30 minutes later, the hens were harassing the poor snake so much that I grabbed the dustpan and relocated the snake.  Rural living at it's finest. 

Another Snake Tale

Driving home, I noticed something slithering on the side of the road.  Bill turned on his flashlight and caught pictures of this "darling" diamondback rattlesnake.

Look at the bottom of the flashlight circle ... you'll see it's head

More centered, but fuzzy

And this is the snake deciding we weren't all that much fun to hang out with, so he slithered away

Ah crap. A rattler.

Monday, August 18th  20 minute ride  90° - Thunderstorm earlier in the day
Solo

Headed off the property and wasn't gone 25 feet from the driveway when I heard a noise I thought was a cicada, looked to my right and saw this about 3 feet from Morgan's right hip ...

Tail facing me ... heading around a bush in a hurry ... my first thought? Rattler. Craptastic.

Rattlesnakes

We moved away in a hurry and stuck to the roads after that!  When I got home, I looked up what kind of snake it was, and I'm glad to say it was probably just a gopher snake.  Harmless, but still not something Morgan or I wanted to see.

Pictures were not taken by me, so links to their original websites have been included.

April 2013

April 1, 2013
Morgan

April 2, 2013
Morgan

April 7, 2013
Mochie & Majesty
A snake slithered under Mochie as we were stopped on a plateau. She had been acting strangely but didn't spook. I did though.  First time I'd seen a snake while riding. Yuck.
Also, both horses started acting stupid on the way back to the house.  Came over a sand dune to see some sort of carcass in our path.  Looks like it had been there a while. Double Yuck.

Note to self, when Mochie tries to tell you something, listen. Sheesh. 

April 10, 2013
Morgan

April 11, 2013
Morgan (Bill rode her), Mochie (I rode)

April 12, 2013
Came home to find our goat Rail's head hanging limply through the fencing.  Thought she was dead.  Turned out she was still alive.  Let Luppy nuzzle her while I went to the house and grabbed my gun. 

Sang you are my sunshine to her then had to shoot her in the head.  Stayed with her until she stopped breathing.  So hard.  That's the fourth goat we've lost in a year.  Not sure I'm cut out for this rancher type life. Sorry Rail ... hope you're frolicking with Benny, Joon, and Lucy now.