Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Snake!

I opened the front door. Juno was on the front porch locked in a life-and-death struggle with a snake. Granted, it was a baby snake, but it wasn't going down without a fight.
"Juno! Get away from that snake," I yelled.
Juno, being a cat, didn't even look up from the task at hand. The baby snake, mouth opened wide was advancing toward her at sinuous speed.
"Juno!" I clapped my hands to shoo her away. Juno's one-track mind kept her focused on her prey.
The snake struck. Juno batted back then retreated an inch. The snake advanced.
"Juno!" I yelled again. Ray, who had been snoring peacefully on his spot on the couch, raced to the dog door and shot through it into the back yard. Yelling ensued.
Pursued by Juno, the snake made it to the patch of soil and plants next to the front door. Juno batted. The snake turned and advanced again, mouth open. I tried to scoop up my combative girl but she scooted out of reach, determined to teach that snake a lesson.
I ducked into the house and yelled out the back door, "Ray, come here! Get her, Ray!"
Ray raced back into the house, flailing this way and that, trying to find the "her" I was talking about.
I opened the front door, "This way, Ray!"
Still at high speed, Ray ran out the door and down the walkway, yelling.
"This way, Ray," I said to Wrong Way Corrigan, walking in the opposite direction.
Ray corrected his flight path and still yelling ran back past the front door and to the back gate.
"Over here, Ray," I said urgently as the cat was trying to pick up the striking snake in her mouth.
Ray raced back to me, yelling. I turned him towards the patch of dirt and pushed him towards Juno.
Ray, confused that I should want him to chase his favorite cat, resisted for a moment, then, went for her, nudging her with his nose and yelling in her face. Juno, withstood the first doghorn* blast but was unable to withstand the second. The cat retreated. The blind dog, ears deployed in ultra-Dumbo mode, listened as the snake slithered away under the fence.

*Many thanks to Jez Murray, Ray's Number 2 British Fan, for this oh-so-accurate description of Ray's noise. I will use it forever after.

4 comments:

  1. Yikes! Any idea what kind of snake it was? Can't imagine a run of the mill snake behaving that aggressively :(

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    1. In the snakes defense, it was under attack. I have no idea what it was though.

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  2. that my friend was funny.. i laughed out loud and almost spit out the wine.

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