I thought I was going to add something to the "sweet" column of my "EST" listings. I had added a few after getting home from the er and getting my electric back on and of course the snake round up. Then I glance over as I hear Sweet Pea coming into the office. I spot Oscar scampering in behind her.
Sweet Pea stopped just before coming through the door. She lowered her long gray hound snout to the floor. Oscar jumped on and scampered up her nose to the top of her head then Sweet Pea came in the door. Oscar then settled in to ride on Sweet Pea's back. I had seen them riding together before but had never witnessed the mounting so to speak. Sweet Pea is so gentle it is amazing. Sweet Pea comes further into the room and nudges me at my computer chair. Oscar is now standing on Sweet Pea's back waving his hands at me chatting up a storm. This means.... "get up and do something Marshall Dillion... we need you." I learned a long time ago that the dear heaven father sometimes communicates with fur people when he needs to get our attention.
I get up and wave my hands towards the door which is sign language for ''Show me." Sweet Pea turns and guides me through the door. Oscar is riding sitting up with his tail flickering. We get to the doggy door. Sweet Peas stops, lowers her head. Oscar scampers down her nose to the floor. They go through the doggy door one at a time. You would think Sweet Pea was born with a squirrel on her back. I decided it would be okay if I used the Marshall's door.
am scared because I think it might be another snake so I stop and grabbed a pillow case on the way past the dryer. Then I thought I might need a weapon so I stop again to snatched the hammer on the tool shelf. I opened the back door. My two guides are waiting for me at the base of the steps. Oscar is jumping up and down chattering... "What took you so long?" I am sure I got that right... it seemed to fit. Anyway, I continue to follow them.
They were headed for the fallen tree trunk. This is the one that was on my power line. The electric company had sawed off the branches that had held it there and it had fallen here in the yard. The power line was working and all looked fine. I continued to follow. Oscar suddenly jumped from Sweet Pea's back to the sawed off branch. He scampers towards the end and starts chattering and waving his hands. I can't see at first then I hear squeals. I look and the branch had fallen and another branch that was on it had broken and landed just right to block off the hole in the fallen trunk. From what I could see it looked like three little squirrels were trapped inside. Marshall Dillon went to work. It is my job to protect Dodge City... also known as Jane's backyard. I do not own a saw. I find a large flat headed screw driver.
I start chipping away at the broken branch with the screw driver and the hammer. Just as I start getting to the point where I can finish the brake and pull the branch out I spotted the body of a dead snake. I gasp.. when I first saw it then sighed when I realized it was dead. I snapped the last piece of the broken branch and out they came. It was like watching the tiny car at the circus... the one with all the clowns in it. Squirrels kept coming out.
On my way back into the house I thought again about the snake. The tree had fallen on the snake that means it was out here after the snake round up earlier that day. The snake's mouth was open which means it was about to bite something or had bitten something when it died. The tree was not freed from the power line until almost midnight when I had returned from the ER. I had the dogs closed up inside the house until after the power was restored. I wonder if the guy from the electric company had a problem? I thought it would be a good idea to just check. I called the electric company. It took me over an hour to track down the name of the guy who came out that night to cut the tree down and restore my power. I asked if he was on duty anywhere and was told he was in the hospital. I asked it he was being treated for a snake bite?
A lot of phone conversations later I was able to talk to a nurse working on his case. I told her that a rattle snake was found where the man had been around midnight that night. She gasp. He had been very sick and his organs were shutting down but they had no known reason why. I told her it was a diamond back rattle snake. They checked his ankles and found the bite marks. They gave him snake bite treatments and his improvement started within the hour. He was going to live. I also notified the game and wildlife people to let them know we needed another round up. I think back on the What If story and decided I could add this to one of the what if's. If I had not listened to Oscar.... Did you read what I said... listened to Oscar. Oscar is a squirrel!! One of these days I will have to tell him that. This still has to be on my EST listing. I wonder if I should tell the man he was actually saved by a squirrel riding an old gray hound... nah. No one will believe that one but me.
I look down now, rescue complete, to find Oscar curled atop and Sweet Pea napping together and think... I have been through several "sad-est", "funni-est", "long-est", "short-est" and even "crazi-est" times in my "est" listing. What I am looking at right now has to be at the top of my "Oscar-est". Sweet Pea-est? Cutest?'' Take your pick. I know I have been through one of my: "Scari-est" times to get to one of the "Sweet-est". What is at the top of your "EST" listing?
Tags: Memories Fun Animals
