Oh my gosh – what an experience it was!  A Western Diamondback rattlesnake was in my house and we miraculously escaped harm.  Here’s the story.

Yesterday, after showing property, I went to pick up Quintana, my granddaughter, for a sleepover.  We met Robert at Harkins Shea 14 Theater  to watch the “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”.  Quin is almost 3 and about half way through the movie she said ” I want to go to your house because this movie is a little bit scary”.  So we left.  Robert went to get “The Little Mermaid” at Blockbuster and Quin and I drove home and went immediately to the sand box in our courtyard.  As the sun set, I scooped her up and we went  to the shower to wash off all the sand.  Robert came home and we watched the movie and ate pizza.

The house was dark when the movie ended and it was time for Quin to go to bed.  I got up and went in to prepare her bed.  As I walked into the hall the underside of my heel brushed against something. Immediately I heard a rattle.  I screamed, turned on the light, and saw a rattlesnake who had slithered about 3 feet away and coiled up underneath the bar stool. He was rattling his tail like crazy.  Robert told me to take Quin and go into the bedroom – which we did.

Robert then went out to the garage, got a garbage can and a long hook, extracted the demon and threw him down the ravine across the street.  While this was going on, the sound of the rattles reverberated through our house.  I have never heard such a loud and scary noise.

Apparently, I had left the screen door open after I carried Quin in to the shower.  I never leave doors open!!  We’ve lived in this house 8 years and have only seen 2 rattlesnakes and the one night I leave a screen door open and have my precious granddaughter with me, a rattlesnake comes into our home.  HOW DARE HE!!

I didn’t sleep very well last night.  I woke up numerous times and every time the crazy thoughts encroached upon my consciousness. What if Quin had been walking with me?  What if I had stepped on the snake?   What if  the snake had hid until a later time?

We had the hebejebes!   After Robert captured the snake and he was in the garbage can, Quin and I came out to inspect but he was still so noisy. Robert went through our house thoroughly, looking under every bed, in every closet, and in every nook and cranny, to make sure that there were no more snakes in our house.

Robert took a video but it’s too dark – all you can hear is the sound of the rattle. And of course, I had to research the darned snake.  Our unwanted visitor was a Western

Diamondback rattlesnake, which is not only the largest rattlesnake in the west, but is responsible for more bites and deaths to humans than any other rattlesnake species in U.S. Want more info about these native neighbors? YIKES!