Close call

At 5:26pm I started my 3.7-mile walk with all four dogs along the dirt road near the Coronado National Forest Maintenance shop off SR92.  This is an approved walk for Minnie, since only half of it is on pavement.  It's flat and rather nondescript, along an abandoned housing area owned by Castle and Cook.  Desert Broom, mesquite, prickly pear, sotol and other common Chihuahua desert flora are found here.

Minnie does fine for the first two miles, then tires and slows down.  This, in turn, slows me down. I'm starting to wonder if she is suffering from something more detrimental than weight gain, like perhaps Cushing's Disease, an endocrine disorder that shows itself via panting, obesity, increased thirst and lack of sleep.  These are all symptoms that Minnie has shown over the years.  She will be seven years old on November 10, so she qualifies as a geriatric dog.  Of our four remaining dogs, she is the least healthy.

There was nothing exciting on today's walk.  The waning full moon hadn't risen yet, there were no other walkers nearby, and no signs of wildlife like in owls or coyotes.   Even the sunset was rather dull due to lack of cloud cover. The young coyotes we heard earlier this week were silent tonight (I hope they weren't killed off; they were still pups!).  The sky was clear of any clouds and the temperatures were in the mild 60s. It was eerily quiet tonight.

But just .1 mile from the end, nearing the truck, a pissed-off rattler began its loud hiss. I recognized the sound immediately and screamed at Sweetie to back away.  She was walking near the edge of the dirt road along the grass line. The rattler was well-hidden but that loud warning hiss was an indisputable rattler. It didn't even phase Sweetie that she was near danger.  Minnie was about 20 feet behind Sweetie along the edge of the road and she, too, didn't seem to notice.  Luckily neither dog was attacked by the snake that I never saw but loudly heard.

Tonight was just a reminder that most rattlers I've encountered have been in the fall and I must not let my guard down. The dogs' snake vaccine expire next March and April (the latter for Minnie and Sweetie), but the vaccine is only guaranteed to slow down the venom; it is not a 100% preventative.
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The walk took us 58 minutes.  It was dark when we got back home.  The dogs did not realize how close to danger two of them got.  I shared the news with Kevin and went on to my nightly chore of reading, relieved that one more day was guaranteed for us all.  In another month the rattlers will go into hibernation and I will be able to enjoy the upcoming colder months for another reason beside my own comfort.