“Survived potential dangers…”
Although I’d be alone at the house, I’d brought my Australian cattle dog with me – a Blue Heeler – to keep me company. The men made such fun of the name I gave her – Fifi. But she was the only female dog of the five we had. So what if her name sounded a bit silly? It was feminine. And she was my dog. Besides, Fifi seemed to like her name.
A couple of days after we returned home, Fifi was barking like crazy. I figured she was probably at a stand-off with my
Fifi’s barking continued, so I grabbed a broom to protect her. Without the men at the homestead for the rooster to harass, he was probably fighting my dog.
Outside, I stared at what Fifi had found. A snake! Not just any snake. It was a brown one and it looked like a King Brown, one of the most deadly in Australia. I ran inside for the pistol. When I returned, it had coiled up, probably ready to strike at Fifi. I pulled the trigger, hitting it. It started to slither away. Two more shots and the snake seemed dead. Just to make sure, I shot it again.
The good thing is that it had not bitten Fifi.
The bad thing is that the safety of the homestead evaporated. And I thought I’d left the dangers of serpents behind at the muster camp!
When the men returned three days later, they saw the snake’s remains. One of them said it was definitely a King Brown. By now, I felt I’d been fully initiated into life in the Outback.
***
Next installment: More Adventures at the Homestead
Visit me at https://www.Kathryn-Lane.com I love hearing from readers. Ask questions or leave a comment about this month’s blog, or any of my previous blogs. All blogs are on my website.
This blog is based on my recollections of my life in Australia many years ago. My own photographs of Australia are not only limited, they are old 35mm film in dismal condition. To make the series more appealing to the reader, I supplement with photographs that are similar to the experiences and locations I’ve described in this series. I’m often dependent on pictures from the public domain, Visual Hunt, and Creative Commons. All photographs are used in an editorial or educational manner.
Dog: Photographer Unknown/Australian Cattle Dog Breed Pictures/Getty Images
King Brown snake and rooster: Public Domain
My Life in Australia blog – Installment 7 – brought to you by Tortuga Publishing, LLC