Rattlesnake Adventures/Horrors....

Old town Albuquerque...such a quaint Western town like the old days.

Gorgeous weather.

Lots of sidewalk vendors selling really neat jewelry and corny souvenirs.

We walked, we chatted, we bought.

Why did we not stop at that?  Why did we have to go in the rattlesnake museum?

And why did we have to be "funny" about getting bit by a rattler?

There's something about them that repels and draws me at the same time.  So cool, yet so creepily evil.   These desert rattlers are huge!  Huge triangular heads.  Charcoal/black colored.  Enormous rattles.  The guy that runs the museum catches them himself.  He had several huge, live ones in tanks.  I looked, I shuddered, and I looked some more.  It sure felt good to walk out into the daylight and fresh air.  I kept feeling the need to watch my step, though.  Every shadow and every bush could have harbored a rattler just waiting for some good, fresh, Eastern meat to walk by.

Later that day, Conni found a rattler beside the road that had been partially run over.  She talked Tim into letting her rescue it!  I was horrified!  We put it in a box.  The next morning, we woke up to 7 rattlers...it had babies!  Horror doesn't quite describe my reaction!  I was so mad at Tim.  Furious, to be exact.

Conni was in animal heaven.  The problem was, the babies were big and already had rattles!  I begged Tim to get rid of them.  I was so afraid of them.  Afraid Conni would be bit.  He refused.

I sobbed and sobbed and begged and begged....over and over and over....

And that's when I woke up.

Tim was trying to hold me and comfort me.  I was crying, but still mad at him.  He said I was talking to him.  (I don't think I was too ugly...)

I tried to clear my mind and go back to sleep.

Then Tim convinced me that we should take the snakes home and charge school kids to come see them.  Again, I was upset.  I said no.  He said yes.

He also said I had to conduct the "show & tell's".

The snakes were in a giant tank with a locking mesh lid.  We put tape on the floor for the kids to not go past.  No one was allowed to touch the tank...only look.  I was walking around the tank talking to the children.  One of them stuck out their foot, I stumbled, caught myself by putting my hand on the top of the tank, and ZAP!  One of the snakes got me through the lid!  I screamed...

...and woke up again.

That was it for the night.

And to think that I actually wanted to try to go to a rattlesnake roundup while we were in the West!  I know now that I wouldn't sleep for weeks if we did that!

Now, I know some people keep rattlesnakes for pets.  Fine.  I'm happy for you.

But don't try to convince me of their goodness, their cuteness, their friendliness, or their usefulness.

I don't even want to hear it.

I think I'll look for a cute little bunny rabbit museum to go into this afternoon.  Then for a good night's sleep.

Wishing you all pleasant dreams!