who drove the snakes out of Missouri?

Another Spring, another snake tale.

This morning, to be brief, my hero cat Callie chased a black rat snake through my kitchen. I heard such a scramble and then she jumped up on the china cabinet... then the rattle began and her eyes were like saucers! 

After hearing several minutes of a hideous rattling, I determined (from a different room]  she had pinned down my latte frother. That was wrong, but it was my best guess.... It sounded like a battery toy stuck in a box... 

I rolled through this very door and heard the rattling above my head, looked up, and saw the tongue darting above me about 2 feet. I hit reverse!  And fast!   I called 911! I thought I had a rattlesnake in my kitchen! 

The Conservation agent and some sheriff deputies arrived in about 25 minutes while I waited, eyes glued to it and talking to a dear friend who sent her husband and brought lunch...and my sweet cousin who came and helped me later! ...

They don't kill anything any more, but I talked them into taking him to a far barn on my property rather than "walking him out" a few yards... I don't want him back, and I told him (the snake) that he better not come back because I had a sharp butcher knife or one of my son's Japanese swords...and Mr. SNAKE  wouldn't leave my kitchen in one piece again! 
Mercy.  Faith and Begorry! ANOTHER miracle on Meadow Lane!