A is for AAAAAAAGH!

So we've got this crazy six-month-old puppy, Belle. She's a beautiful Husky with two different colored eyes. On a side note, is it odd that only one of her eyes shines in the dark?

It's kind of hard to think of her as a puppy since when we got her last fall she was a 4 pound ball of fur. Now she's lean, speedy, energetic and nearly 50 pounds. One thing I do appreciate about her is that she's not a barker.

Yippy dogs drive me nuts. But when Belle barks it's just to tell us that someone drove on to the property or that the neighbor dogs have come to check out our chickens.

So when Belle started barking angrily last Thursday, we all paid attention. I started to look out the front window when one of the kids yelled, "There's a big snake in Belle's yard!"

Oh, for the days when I lived in ignorant bliss in the northern half of the United States. I've seen more snakes in the wild in the past two years of Texas living, then in my entire life. No exaggeration.

But this one beat all the records.

I'm actually not that scared of snakes. Rats? Yes. But snakes, while they make me cautious, don't really scare me that badly.

However, a six foot angry snake racing through the yard with its mouth wide open did frighten me a smidge. It was really riled up and I can't even describe how fast it was moving. It was darting back and forth with its gaping mouth aimed at us. Then suddenly it raced toward the house and got through a hole and up under the siding.

Now, in the midst of our many projects, John finished the siding on most of the house, but this particular corner is still waiting for its completion.

I was already on the phone with John who was at work and who is probably considering ignoring his ringer when I'm the incoming caller. He told me to have the boys rip up the old siding on that corner (perhaps he was deviously thinking that he could have them get some work done for him done they were snake-hunting) and get the snake out.

I kid you not - that snake was longer than my oldest son. Scary stuff. It was definitely a Texas rat snake, and although they're quite aggressive, they are non-venomous. John was fairly certain that it was the same one he spotted up in our attic several months ago.

By that point, we weren't worried about Belle anymore. We dragged her into the house (at which time, she immediately forgot her guard dog duties and changed into "clean the floor under the high chair" dog).

Our neighbors must seriously think we're nuts. You probably feel the same way. But John really didn't want the snake back up in the attic, or, even worse to die in some out-of-the-way part of the attic where it would smell horrendous. The boys had already injured it when they were trying to stop it from getting  under the siding.

I'm rather proud of my sons. 

They managed to get that enormous snake out from under the siding and kill it.

I'd like to point out that my son who is holding the snake in his right hand is 5 ft. 3 inches, and that's a yardstick in his left hand. Just in case you think I exaggerate these stories. Which I wouldn't. Never in a bazillion million years would I ever consider exaggerating anything.

When John got home, he did what all good Texans do. Skin the snake and threaten to cook it up for supper. He did the former, but thankfully, not the latter.

Why tan the skin, you ask! It's because my three beautiful oldest girls are jealous that their brothers have a five-foot rattlesnake skin in their room, and they want this one for their own bedroom. They can be sweet and ladylike, but they also know a good conversation starter/decoration when they see one.

So the snake is dead. Belle has earned her guard dog credentials. And everyone is happy.

My one concern is this: what has that snake been living on in our attic that caused it to grow so big?

Tell the truth: If you were me (and right now you're probably rejoicing that you're not) would you have:

a. Let the snake go wherever it wanted to go because snakes have rights too.
b. Let your boys kill the snake in a quick, humane fashion.
c. Called the Animal Control people.
d. Moved back to Illinois.


Head on over to Marcy's blog - Ben And Me - to see what other bloggers are blogging for "A" week on Blogging Through the Alphabet. Most likely, some of them will have some truly helpful advice and thoughts that don't involve snake hunting.