West TX Wind, Mysterious Trucks, Rattlesnakes & Spewing Water

     I'm runnin' so hot right now I could blow flames out my eyeballs. First, I blame the unrelenting west Texas wind. Does it ever stop? Then, I'm blaming a mysterious white pickup driving through the property. Then, the rattlesnake that came way too close to Teresa. And then, the gun shot that really put a hitch in my get-along.

     I can't do anything about the never ending wind, but suffice it to say... It really chaps my fanny. It blows and blows and blows. As for the other stuff, here's what happened. By the end of it, I didn't know whether to laugh, cry or just go to bed.

    A mysterious white pickup drove north through the property along our 'main street.' It happens all the time. Nosey Parkers drive through the ranch. We chase after them every time we see them. Sometimes, we catch 'em. Sometimes, we don't. The times when we do they usually say something like; "Just wanted to see what you had here."

    We didn't find the white truck. So, we decided to check and make sure the gates we kept locked were indeed still locked. They were. So we returned to the pavilion and this is when my anger meter due to the wind escalated from DEFCON 3(ish) to DEFCON 5+.

     We got out of the truck. Teresa headed for our kitchen. I was walking around the back of the truck. Then, "BILL!!!! OH NO!!!"
     "There he is. See him?"
     "What?"
     "By the kitchen door!!!"

     Wouldn't you know it, the absolute first time in about a year that we haven't told each other to 'watch for snakes,' there's a big rattler stretched out on the threshold into our kitchen.
     "Get the gun!!"
     "Okay, okay. Just stay there."

     I get the 20-gauge and load up two shells. The snake at this point has turned around and is headed back toward a hole in the deck. But, he's still up against the kitchen wall.
     I have a safe shot. I take it. But believe it or not.... I MISSED! How in the world do you miss a rattlesnake's head from less than 10-feet with a 20-gauge shotgun. I dunno, but I did.
     Strangely, snakes don't zoom off when being shot at with a 20-gauge. They kind of dare you to try again all the while rattling like crazy.

     This is the point of a gun safety story that would include something like... Always know what is behind your target. No, I didn't shoot Teresa.
     The snake was slithering back into its hole. It's head was already out of sight, but I had a good shot at its fat body.

     I took the shot and within seconds I knew I'd made matters not just a lot worse, but a likely very expensive a lot worse.
     I did hit the snake, but I also hit the MAIN WATER LINE into the kitchen that was behind the snake.

    Water began spewing everywhere. The snake, as you know if you've ever shot a rattler, just kept on rattling at me and moving more and more into its hole.

    So now, I have either a dead or semi-dead four foot rattler in a hole and by the looks of it, he's only a matter of inches from the shot up water line that now needs professional repair.
    I can't ask a plumber to work on the repair knowing full well there's a big dead or almost dead snake next to the work area. So now, we're called out a snake removal service to cut open the decking to get to that snake plus others that may be under the wood.

    I blame it all on the wind and the mysterious pick up truck.

Bill Robertson