A snake is not a turtle

One day last year, when I was just a pup, Mom and I saw a turtle while we were out for a walk. It was pretty cool. Mom told me how when she was growing up she saw turtles all the time. Now - not so often.

Today, Mom looked out the window and told Dad to grab my collar and not let go. I didn't like the sound of that at all. Then Mom ran outside to see if she needed to put a bullet in the gun, and I liked the sound of that even less. 

It turns out Mom saw a big snake, and if it had been a Copperhead that near the house, she would have killed it. A Copperhead snake is poisonous and could kill me. (I don't think I'd like that.) Anyway, it was a Black snake and Mom took a picture of it and then chased it away. 

She said Black snakes eat mice and moles, and while it might bite me if I annoy it too badly, it won't kill me. (I don't like the idea of anything biting me, especially on the nose!)

Mom said it was ready to shed its skin and I should leave it be. Shed its skin? Really? Snakes are stranger than turtles! 

I'll be on the lookout for the snake this summer. Mom says if I see it, I should bark. I can do that. 

I'm Deuce. I have the loudest, biggest, badest bark on the mountain. Everyone WILL hear me.