24 Hours Later -- Snake Dancing

Little did I know that less than 24 hour after her Houdini Act, Daniela would begin practicing the ancient art of snake dancing.  I'm almost afraid to see what she tops this last act with tomorrow, maybe we should stay in bed.

Grandpa went to run some errands, so Daniela, Danan the Dog & I went outside to play.  I threw the Frisbee and Danan chased it and Daniela chased Danan.  We walked up the hill to the neighbors and used their kiddie swing for awhile.  Daniela loves to be outside and almost always cries and throws a fit when she has to come back in.  I thought we'd pick strawberries out of my garden and then we'd have to wash them off before we could eat them and then we'd be inside with little or no fussing, so we headed to the garden.  I was in the lead and as I approached the garden I saw that someone had been there before us, a hoofed someone and they ate the leaves off my cucumbers and completely destroyed my eggplant.  As I'm surveying the damage, Daniela who is now right beside me starts screaming and jumping around.  I look down and she's hopping around on a snake.  The large brown & black striped snake was not a happy fellow I can tell you than with great certainty.  He was thrashing around wildly trying to get away between stomps.  I grabbed her up and off he went under one of the railroad ties.  Lordy, Lordy!  We picked our berries and went inside to wash them off.  I took off her sandals and surveyed her feet for snake bite marks, but didn't find any.  What on earth is going on?  Why oh why?  Snake dancing?  Dancing on snakes!  I don't have pictures, but I do have stories to tell.

This is what the snake looked like.  My husband said he's seen it several times when he's been out there hand watering our plants.  Now that I'm aware of his existence, I'll keep an eye out for it.  I've strictly forbidden Daniela to practice anymore snake dancing until her Mama gets back in the country.