Close call - Scared silly - Did everything right

Yesterday we had a scary situation come up, but everyone handled it exactly as they should, and so it all turned out okay in the end. I start this blog with the end of the story, because it has to do with a rattlesnake and a 3 year old girl.

We were in Auberry, at Kevin's parents' house, and the kids were playing outside after dinner. We have told the kids countless times what to do if they see a rattlesnake while they are walking around on the property, because it is such a serious possibility. Laura and Stone had already walked over the bridge that Dad built over the gully on the north side of the house. Now Katrina was going for a walk with Papa over the bridge. She got to the far side where the boards extend past the end of the bridge. Here there is a two foot gap between the edge of the boards and the rocks. Katrina saw ants in the dirt at the end of the boards and turned around (she has recently been bit several times by red ants and does NOT like to get near them). When she did, she heard the rattle of a rattlesnake and screamed, "snake!". It was only a foot and a half away from her. Papa couldn't see the snake as from his vantage point it was obscured by a rock, but he heard the rattle too. He went running by it and grabbed Katrina up.

Laura was still outside, so Dad yelled to her to bring a shovel. This was the point that Kevin and I (we were inside the house) realized what was happening. We saw Laura running (in that way that you instantly know it is an urgent run, not a run for exercise or anything) and then heard Katrina crying. When I got to the bridge, Laura was holding Katrina and Dad was whacking the head off the snake with the shovel. I took Katrina in my arms and she cried, "the snake almost bit me!". We watched to know that Papa had taken care of the snake, then as we walked back to the house I praised Katrina for doing exactly what she was supposed to do and we talked about how this is why we ask Heavenly Father every day to keep us safe.

Dad brought the headless snake up from the gully and Katrina was very brave and wanted to feel the snake. She felt it's skin and shook it's rattles. I made a little video of her talking about what happened. She said, "Papa saved me.". Thank you Dad, and thank you Heavenly Father!

Dad and Kevin measured the snake. It was 44" long and had 13 buttons on it's tail. It had a big bulge in it's side, so we could tell it had recently eaten, and Kevin thinks that is why it didn't strike immediately. Whatever the reason, we are just very grateful it didn't!