I know, I know, you are all thinking I’m going all religious on you, perhaps lecturing on the old Adam and Eve thing but no folks, sorry….I’m here today to tell you that my dog has become, how shall we say…my hero….I love that dog….yep, she is simply amazing (when she isn’t being a pain in the you know what). Picture the scene, a very long day shopping for room stuff, paint, then back for a paint pan, then painting the entire room in one fell swoop. Well lets just say my aches had aches and I sat down with a nice glass of ice with a shot of Cabernet Sauvignon and diet ginger ale. The sun was setting, the fan was fanning and all was nice and calm at the Paradise hotel. The dogs were out cavorting and chasing the same squirrel that day after day crosses the power line above their heads as they run back and forth with tongues hanging out, waiting for the poor little Walenda squirrel to lose its footing and become a light snack…actually there are a few squirrels who do this non stop all day, I suppose they run high for a reason….but I will get to that, and no the reason wouldn’t be the dogs, or the cat I suppose but something a bit more sinister.
To anyone new to my blog, I should say that Apple is my dog….now my hero, but one of two nitwits that reside here at the Paradise….this is Apple:
Her name is Apple because of the Big Apple where she came from. And she’s the Apple of our eye (also affectionately known as happy Appy, or simple App-the other dog was a non-stop crazy thing and we thought she needed a friend so we got an App for that 🙂 ) Anyway, where was I, oh yeah….Well the two beasts were running around the yard and the sun was beginning to set on the one side of the house and Appy began coming towards her doggy door to park her butt under the fan to cool down and all of a sudden stopped and began to bark. Now it wasn’t the “hey I see you walking past my yard and I don’t like it” bark, nor was it the “I see you stupid squirrel up there in the tree staring at me” bark, it was slow and consistent and close. So being the Mom I am and being able to differentiate between my babies noises, I stood up and went to see what all the hullabaloo was about and she stood close to the house, woof….woof….and looked at me and then looked down with tail pointed out straight. So I stumble out with my aching back and get to where Miss Apple stood and looked down to see what the fuss was….and saw this….
Okay, I copped this from the internet because of course I wasn’t going to stand in sandals and snap a pic of the cute monster snake coiled up below the downspout hissing at us…after all, I couldn’t see its butt to know if a rattle was attached so I grabbed Apple and hustled her in, called the other beast (which is notorious for killing snakes and any small game she can get….but not cats…she has one and loves her) and of course they’re looking at me like I’m starkers and I’m yelling at them because this could be one of the venomous ten feet long slithery things and See the chick at the top, yep, that could be me but it wasn’t. So I did what any sensible woman would do, I went in to the garage to get the five foot snake stick….and no, I’m not like the Hilda cartoon from Haggar the horrible, I don’t beat snakes with sticks….I just wanted to give it a little poke to send it on its way to the neighbor’s house. Now I know you’re thinking I’m all mean and stuff sending it that-a-way but the neighbor loves his black snakes…was quite devastated because he thought his died as he hadn’t seen it for a while. Well that’s because it took us a year to move here, so in the mean time, Sunny the snake moved into our yard and took up residence. Now just so you know, I hate snakes….but I was told the black ones are good as they eat lots of things…and not dogs or cats…..or people for that matter. But a snake should be polite I think and if I surprise them, they should just scoot off yonder out of my way, not hiss at me like they’re gonna go all kamikaze on my butt just because. So Sunny isn’t venomous, the dogs didn’t get Sunny…Apple merely alerted me to the fact that something just wasn’t quite right….Chi would have killed the poor thing and not thought twice. So Apple saves the day, the snake moved off slithering into the back corner….although I would have been happier to see him scale the fence and go visit Mickey for awhile. (Mickey the neighbor…not the mouse). In my research I see these snakes can grow to be 70 inches long….lets pray it doesn’t get to that….I may not be so forgiving and kind.
The answer…..not if it wants to live.
I saw another one this morning on our walk, but it was a smudgy little thing, hubby almost stepped on it. Black,with one red stripe on the back, looked like a red collar….thought it was dead…till it moved…..dogs didn’t even notice it…but Apple likes to be petted, and fed biscuits and bones…..
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App is awesome! I shall pet her, I think. I also like the snake, you know.
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She’s an awesome girl, and snake savior too😊 thanks so much,
Peace and blessings,
Kim
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Happy Appy saves the day (and the snake)! I absolutely loved your story, and gentle Appy is lovely.
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What a good App you got!
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Slow and steady is good….
I needed that reminder my friend,
Peace and slow? But never steady….
That’s why I’m on the meds…
At least till Thursday…
If they keep me on them all,
Then I cry….
Peace and love
Me
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😀
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Nah, nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide…morphing music tonight…my apologies,,,,🙃
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Snakes yikes
There isn’t much no a days that weird me out
I’m pretty good mouse catcher these day
but you
I remember being down there and the crabs walking all over the place
As always Sheldon
Better late than never
Slow and steady wins the race
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I probably would have moved house.
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Trust me, I would have been standing on a chair screaming.
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Summer camp, do they have horses? Just kidding….saw the email but haven’t opened it up yet….will check it out and thanks my friend….all snakes look ten ft. Long…..true…..eeek.
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Cold slows them down. No such thing as a short snake, huh?
Btw, I emailed you an incorrect link to a writing camp. Here’s the correct one:
http://thewordsflowing.blogspot.com/p/twaf-week-of-writing-summer-camp.html
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At least, this one was over three feet long,,kind of hard to tell, they move so damn fast, just like the mosquitos and lizards, you’d think the heat would slow ’em down but nope…..slows me down….I like happy naps now, the heat just zaps you….or I’m getting old, could be both…..
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Yeah, that old adage about them being more afraid of you… is little comfort. One of the lowest profiles in the animal kingdom, but they all look ten feet tall.
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I jumped a mile…then regained composure….I just hope he went next door…and only visits at night when I can’t see him…..😬
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You can have him…gotta come down and catch it first…the snake….can’t have the dog😊
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She got extra hugs and biscuits too….she’s a good watch dog for sure. We rescued her, now she rescues us💜 glad you enjoyed😊
Peace and dogs rule, Kim
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Yuk, doesn’t sound like a good time, we have four venomous ones down here that I know if….I just treat em all like they’re out to kill….man or beast…..scary things indeed. Peace and overcoming fear….albeit slowly….K
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Great story – good dog, App! I have a love/hate relationship with snakes. I love the work they do by eating the annoying things, but I hate it when they startle me – I always shriek!
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Hey Michael,
Yeah, not a fan of snakes…any of them…but it’s the first live one I’ve seen since getting here…hopefully the last one too😊🐍 now I know why I’m always staring at the ground when I walk around, now I have to do it in my own yard too😬
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Welcome to the southern U.S. where critters crawl and ancient phobias animate.
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I hate snakes to. We have a black snake in this part of Australia and although they are venomous they are not deadly to Humans but they can kill dogs. The other common ones – the copper head, brown, and tiger snakes are all deadly..
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YIKES! I’m terrified of snakes…but love dogs, and now Apple is my hero too. 🙂
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I love snakes and dogs!
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Love dog, hate scary snakes…..😬
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Beautiful Apple. Nice story.
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