“I sell land in Cochise County Arizona, so it is not unusual to be out with clients and see coyotes, birds of prey, javelinas, deer, etc. Ordinarily, if my clients are not used to such things, I suggest that instead of walking a property, we take an ATV or other four-wheel drive vehicle.

However, these particular clients did not feel the need to drive the property opting to walk this 40 acre parcel. Things were going fine until we ran across the first rattlesnake. Yes that’s right, I said “first rattlesnake.”

The wife screamed at her very first ever sighting of a live rattlesnake, running backwards into a thicket of mesquite where she was badly scratched. After what seemed like an eternity of myself and her husband calming her down and treating her mesquite thorn wounds (the snake having long since left the scene) she decided it was just a fluke and wanted to continue. I suggested strongly that we return for the ATVs I had left at the property for just such showings, but they were determined to continue on foot. Enter the second, much larger, snake.

Just as we rounded the corner, in the middle of the trail, there he was stretched out in the sun. Another, much louder scream accompanied this sighting of the much larger snake. At this point I suggested that perhaps it was not wise to continue, at least not on foot. The wife was clearly upset and not accustomed to being out in such a remote area and I really feared for her safety under those circumstances. The husband wanted to continue and suggested we accompany his wife back to the cars where she could wait in safety while he continued his inspection of the property.

However, on the way back to the car we saw a Gila monster. That was it. She would have no more. Eventually these folks did buy something, a four acre parcel with a house much closer to town. I see them from time to time but so far I have not been brave enough to ask if they’ve seen any snakes at their new place.”