Now what.

I think we have a snake. Like a real honest-to-god-I'm-gonna-scream-like-a-girl-if-I-see-it-snake. A couple of weeks ago, Tony comes in from the yard. He'd been talking to Jean, our next door neighbor. While he was talking to her, Ruby "got into something" along the fence line. When he came in, he said Jean swore it was a snake.

Me: "Did she see a snake?
Tony: "Well, no, I don't think so."
Me: "Do you think it was a snake?
Tony: "I dunno. But Jean sure thought it was a snake."

I was a bit concerned. We live definitely in town, but in an old neighborhood with lots of huge old trees and very large lots. There's always brush around. Dead stuff pulled from trees that gets piled up, stuff in the neighbor's yard (you know, the ones with the ducks) that has sat there a while and now has weeds growing up around it. But I wasn't terribly concerned. We've lived there for close to 30 years, and while I've seen plenty of grass snakes, and the occasional Texas Night Snake, I've never seen a real snake - a rattlesnake, copperhead, coral snake, etc. Large lizards don't count. But, over the weekend Emily was out in the back yard, and I just happened to stop and look out the back window. She was intently staring at something along the fence line of the fenced-off garden area. Then she suddenly jerked back 2 or 3 times - just like you've seen in the movies when a snake strikes at a dog. I immediately ran outside, grabbed a shovel. When I got out there, though, there was nothing. Emily was fine, no bites or marks. So, I guess, it could have been anything, right?

But, for now, I'm not letting them outside without me and the shovel. And I'm gonna learn to use that pellet gun.