Kissing a snake

One of Emily's good friends had a birthday party at a nature center this week. It was a lovely party for me to watch - a whole gaggle of girls running around catching bugs and tadpoles and toads, looking at plants. We didn't get lucky enough to see a snake outside, but there was this lovely black snake inside the center. After a bit of cake, Emily went over to make friends with it.

Someone asked me if we were getting more chickens, and Emily, listening in said "Oh no, we're getting hermit crabs!" The choice of species was news to me, but I think getting a critter which can defend itself, even by hiding in a shell, is a great idea. I love chickens and do hope to have them again someday, but perhaps not just yet. If I win the lottery, I'll get more chickens again - along with one of those $1000 coops which I was scoffing at just a couple of months ago.

In the meanwhile, we'll be making the best of our resident bunnies and chipmunks - which are furry, cute *and* seem to be able to survive the resident foxes.