Before I moved to Connecticut, I rented out a small shop that was actually just a metal storage container outfitted with power and a double-wide roll-up door. The pod, as it was affectionately called by my wife, was attached to several other similar units, each housing another craftsman of some kind. One neighbor — a questionable fellow — had a vicious junkyard dog named “B” that he kept tied up on a short leash just outside the entrance to my pod. The short leash did not suit B, and as a result the mut had quite a temper. There was many a day when I’d be afraid too work close to the door for fear of getting mauled.

I recalled this story after coming across the above photo in the Knots forum of a similar unwanted shop guest. It was taken by Morgan, a member of the Knots forum, who lives on the Phoenix Mt. Preserve, which is home to hundreds of acres of desert. The location he says, invites “a wide variety of wild life.” Here’s what Morgan had to say about his unwanted shop visitor:

This photo was taken a few years back, and was in the late spring. You won’t find a nice rattler out in January they are in hibernation. The Mountains that I live next too are very dark brown and black color, so this Western Diamondback, has adapted a color scheme to blend in. I have run across a few hiking and believe me if they don’t make noise, they blend right in. This is not a young rattler actually, they just don’t get as big right here for some reason, maybe the pickins are slim.

The rattler managed to crawl down the wash and up my driveway and somehow got into my garage/shop. First reaction is fear and kill, one second later, it was how to get him out without that. No need to kill them, they do a great job of keeping vermin at bay as well. We need them in the hood, like it or not, he was here long before I was. Still he just wasn’t going to work out like a”bench dog.”

Wondering how to remove a rattler from your shop. Long stick? Shovel? Nope. The best thing is a hose. I brought mine around and got behind him, and blasted away. Pretty hard for them to strike with a blast of water in the face. The goal is to float them on the concrete and wash them out the door, then down the driveway and back to where they belong. That keeps them 10 feet to 15 feet away, which is much better than a stick!

Amazingly he tolerated the abuse, and left with a few indignant feelings, and moi with a story to tell.

Post a comment and tell as about your unwanted shop visitors. Or, join the original discussion in Knots to post photos of your own.