Sometimes you have to kill a snake before dinner......

Tonight our faithful Golden Retriever, River,  alerted us to a rattle snake that was in the yard.  After turning off the burners to the stove, (I was in the middle of making dinner) I went outside to rid our yard of the rattler.   After coming back in and restarting dinner it made me think......Sometimes you have to kill a snake before dinner. That is the story of life on the prairie.   

Living in the middle of the Nebraska prairie among wildlife, livestock, domestic animals and children, you never ever know what might come up or happen.  When those little emergencies do happen, you have to stop whatever you are doing  and take care of it.  

I have been summoned out of the shower suds in hair to deal with livestock emergencies.  I have been known to run around outside in the middle of the night with jammies on and cowboy boots.  When livestock gets out and is running down the road, you don't have time to put together a matching outfit.   I have gone out in said jammies and boots with a loaded gun to shoot a predator who was attacking our chickens.  

 

We have even had to put Christmas morning on hold because we woke up to a seriously ill horse that needed our attention.  See, Christmas is not even immune to  life on the Prairie. 

I have had to stop milking goats mid herd to rush a child to the emergency room.   The child was fine the goats were annoyed and the milk had spoiled. This by the way happened  on my wedding anniversary.  At least it was memorable. 

I have had to call and cancel appointments in town several times  throughout the years. I had to stay home and be a midwife to goats,  or round up cattle that got out. 

You just never know what each day will hold for you on the prairie when you have a farm and a family.  There are always lives that need to be saved and cared for.  You never know when you will have to help deliver a baby goat, horse or calf. Or help something or someone that has gotten caught or stuck.  You never know when you will be called upon to provide care to a sick animal or child.   But you take each day in stride and praise God for helping you get through everyday. 

By the way, I killed the rattler in our yard with flip flops and a farm girl dress on.  Of course, as I am in the middle of slaying the beast, I think to myself, " You should at least have boots on!" 

Sometimes you have to kill a snake before dinner.



Nebraska Prairie Girl

Prairie Girl disclaimer:  I would prefer to never, ever, kill a living thing.  However,  when they are in my yard around my children, pets and livestock..... I have to put their safety first.