Pistol Packin' Mama

I recently got a Smith & Wesson .38 SPL, a small 5-shot revolver that looks like this:

I've been practicing and I'm a better shot than I thought I'd be. I've never really liked guns, but way out here there's a need to protect me and my cats from getting bitten or attacked by:

1. rattlesnakes
2. javelinas
3. coyotes
4. mountain lions
5. black bears
6. deranged criminals

Actually, I don't think there are any deranged criminals around, but if there are, I'm now prepared.

I don't want to KILL anything, so I have my little gun loaded with shot so I can just scare the intruders off. The only exception is any rattlesnake that tries to live under my house; those I will not tolerate. Just don't tell my snake-loving friends, okay? There's thousands and thousands of uninhabited acres out there and if a rattler is unlucky enough to choose my house, then he's just bought a one-way ticket to rattlesnake heaven, if there is such a thing. (See how this gun is already making me talk tough? wow!)

After the holidays I'm taking a concealed weapons class, not because I want to conceal a weapon, but because I want to know how to correctly handle my firearm. I've learned to shoot it and clean it afterward, and I'm pretty sure I have it stored properly and in easy access. I'm taking my second amendment right seriously.