Rattlesnakes for Breakfast?

It’s been a weird start to the day.

Got up early to get work done before the Zoom calls started…

Went outside to check on all the chickens, and did my usual quick glance around the coop when I spotted it.

Coiled up and asleep - a small western diamondback rattlesnake.

After veeeeeery carefully sneaking past it back out of the coop and into the house, Mr. Black Flag Ranch and the shotgun re-established safe entry to the coop.

I’d snapped a photo (from a safe distance—used the Zoom!) to confirm the type of snake since we’ve got a variety out here, and my iphone successfully identified it as…

Yes, food.

So apparently it’s suggesting we have rattlesnake for breakfast today.

I opted for a very strong series of cups of black coffee instead.

On a positive note, I’m very awake now.

I’m grateful I’ve trained myself to stay aware.

I could have missed it and who knows how that might have gone. I could have been writing this post from the hospital. Or might have lost a chicken. Or got to see how well the rooster would actually do in a snake fight (if you’ve never seen roosters vs. snakes, just search it on YouTube—I was shocked!)

And if I put blind trust in AI, we might have had a very curious breakfast this morning.

Lesson for today: stay aware, and always use your brain.