Just a little east of the four corners Last year, there was a rattlesnake sitting in the sun by our gray water pond. Not a big one. Maybe two feet long. Cool. Rattlesnakes are defensive, not aggressive and we’re OK with them. You just have to be conscious of where you’re putting body parts – like feet and hands.
Then we saw him a couple of times along the patio near the bird feeders. That was okay cuz there are mice along there and my husband wants to trap them, which I don’t like. Having a snake is a better way.
And then the snake – which we named Howie – was in the carport one day in April 2025. And there was the night that I let our old dog out to do his duties and, despite snake training a decade ago, he almost stepped on Howie. Howie didn’t react, didn’t go into strike position and, fortunately, when I yelled at Ben, he pivoted in the right direction and all was well. It was interesting that, when I gave Howie a name (or discovered his name), he became much less frightening – more of a pet than a threat.
But then came the evening a few months ago that I went down the patio to close the gate. It was almost dark, but I could see where I was going, so I didn’t turn on the lights. I could see our stuff, but, apparently, not Howie. When I did see him, he was pulled back in full strike position and rattling to beat the band – and I was about four feet away, having jumped back with remarkable speed for an old lady. I think I came really close to kicking him in the face. I backed up and he proceeded to go down under the pavers where critters hang out. We haven’t seen him since.Â
I kind of miss Howie. We had an understanding: We weren’t a threat so he wasn’t a threat. I hope he comes back. Otherwise, we’ll probably have to housebreak a new buzzworm. So sad.