Reptilian Refugee Camp, Now Open for Business.

Echidne, I hate to say this but you need to keep a closer eye out for some of your children. We got up this morning to find shed snake skin where the cats had deposited it in the night. This is good, I thought. Much better than their other recent deposits of a couple of actual, live garter snakes they'd made in the last couple of weeks. The skin is a sign from the gods of renewal and rebirth. Good luck!!!

But then when I get home tonight, I find the Kittlin terrorizing another one of your kids in the backyard. I rescued your progeny and confined the Kittlin to quarters for 30 minutes to give you kidlet time to escape. But then, THEN I head to the front yard and Ozzie is loudly announcing his capture of a pint sized sister to the snakelet I'd just rescued. I facilitated her escape to the half wild flower/weed bed in the middle of the yard which I really don't mind turning into a reptilian refugee camp. I know they've all been rudely displaced from the lovely lot next door which used to be a wondrous paradise until those nasty construction people showed up with their back hoe and destroyed all the knee high grass and snug underground warrens, where your kidlets could easily elude the ferocious felines of the neighborhood. They're welcome to all the slugs they can eat. The robins might take offense at their slithering in and helping themselves to the worms, but they're greedy gluttons anyway and I'm sure there are plenty for everyone. I doubt they'll find many frogs or salamanders, though. For those they may want to head *down* the hillside towards the river instead where I hear the amphibious population is booming. If it gets too crowded in there just let me know and I'll organize a relocation to another empty lot in the neighborhood a couple of blocks away that has a nice creek running alongside it.

But please, whatever they do tell them to stay out of sight when my mother comes to visit. It's very unfortunate but she's quite specist and doesn't take kindly to reptiles, even those as adorable as your children. She has this tendency to climb on the back of whomever is closest whenever she spies one, shrieking like a car alarm. She's not that heavy, but I'd like to save her that indignity if I can.

So please, I offer as many fruit, nuts & berries or small rodents as you'd like to please intercede on my behalf. Your children need you!