Yesterday afternoon just as the sun was going down we had a visit from Patsy and Ernest who live a few houses up the creek from us. Linda was in the living room watching TV and I was upstairs working on the computer. Linda heard them approaching the house and got up and went out to greet them. I started down from my studio upstairs, came out
of the front door and started down the few steps. Moose ran towards me barking and
acting a little crazier than usual. About that time Patsy screamed out,
"Look out Tommy, there's a snake on your steps." I looked down and
there was indeed a snake on the steps, a copperhead coiling up as I first saw him.
Moose lunged at him and quickly darted back as fast as lightening. I yelled at
Moose to get back, which he did. I picked up a small rake used for the removal
of dog droppings from the driveway when they occasionally leave some there.
After missing the snake the first time I hit the him directly on the head and he was finished.
After a couple of secondary hits (just to be sure) I carried him down to the
creek and threw him in. He immediately disappeared down the creek.
Coming back to the house I offered Patsy and Ernest a drink. He accepted, she declined. I went into the house and made drinks for Ernest, Linda and me, gin and tonics, my favorite summertime drink. We had a nice visit and after an hour or so they left to go back to their house. Linda and I picked up things and headed back into the house. Coming in Linda said, "Oh my gosh look at Moose; he's been bitten by that snake!" I looked closer and sure enough Moose's face was rapidly swelling up on the left side of his muzzle. In the melee of killing the snake and the aftermath somehow Moose was tagged by the copperhead. It must have been a glancing hit because the swelling was relatively minimal compared to other snake bites we have experienced with the dogs here in the past. Copperheads here at Big Creek are not so deadly as you might think but we seem to run across them frequently. The vet recommended long ago giving the dogs four benadryl pills and keeping them quiet for 24 hours when they have been bitten. That's what we did, except for the "keeping him quiet part!" Moose is much better this morning and seems to be recovering without a problem. This is his second copperhead bite. Poor puppy!
I do not really believe in killing snakes but the grandchildren are coming day after tomorrow and poisonous snakes are not allowed to hang around during the time we have the grands here. So there!
