Baby rattle

I don't usually try to get a close up of a rattlesnake but this one had met its demise on the road. I've seen them briefly before hightailing it in the opposite direction so it was nice to be able to stop and check out the rattles up close. Our friends with a large rope-haired poodle were hiking in the bush a couple of weeks ago and Buddy got bitten full fang by the biggest rattler his owner had ever seen. Normally on weekends the closest vet on call is 60 kms away. Just so happened one of our local vets happened to answer his phone and it turns out he is the only vet in the South Okanagan to carry anti-venom! Without him the dog would have been dead. A week in the hospital, drugs, TLC and many $$$s, the dog survived and they say he will be fine.

My daughter is in New Zealand at the moment and she says one of the greatest things about it is that you can hike anywhere without having to worry about rattlers, cougars, coyotes, bears, black widows and vicious deer! The biggest and most dangerous animal she's seen is a sheep and the most lovable animal she's met is Tussock! I want to move to Wanaka!