F
foetusized
Guest
My wife had to work today, but I have the day off and day care was closed as well. My four-year-old daughter and I watched a DVD then got out of the house once the sun came out. First a trip to our favorite used CD and book store (Mr. Ks in Johnson City, we both got something) then we went to Winged Deer Park, a large city park nearby. After some time on the slide, we went into the hilly wooded area with asphalt trails, where we've explored before. We met several folks walking there dogs, and she politely asked if she could pet them, and of course was able to pet several.
After a good long walk, it was getting to be lunch time, and I took over the selection of which way we would go when we got to trail junctions, to head us back toward the car. After our last turn, on our way up the last hill, I heard some rustling in the leaves in a sunny low spot next to the trail. Turned out to be a pile of garter snakes, green with yellow stripes, sunning themselves.
I called my daughter back, and we sat down on the trail with her in my lap to watch the snakes. Taught her if we gave them space and kept still, they'd stay where we could see them, and they wouldn't hurt us. Not sure how many there were, but at one point I counted nine heads. I'm guessing they were out of their hibernation hole and looking for some sun. One even came over to the edge of the leaves, took a good look at us, then went back to the rest. I'd been planning on taking her to the Knoxville Zoo (which has a good reptile collection) this summer, but having a good long quiet (no one came past in the 20 minutes we were there) look at some snakes in the wild was better, in its own way. She got to see how they moved on top of and under the leaves, stuck out their forked tongues, and popped their heads up to look around.
She's already learned from her mother and nana (by example) how to irrationally panic around bees and wasps, but I think she got a good lesson today on how to respect and keep one's distance from wild snakes, but not fear them.
Back home and full of lunch, she's taking a nap. Been a great day so far :thmbsp: -- Foe
After a good long walk, it was getting to be lunch time, and I took over the selection of which way we would go when we got to trail junctions, to head us back toward the car. After our last turn, on our way up the last hill, I heard some rustling in the leaves in a sunny low spot next to the trail. Turned out to be a pile of garter snakes, green with yellow stripes, sunning themselves.
I called my daughter back, and we sat down on the trail with her in my lap to watch the snakes. Taught her if we gave them space and kept still, they'd stay where we could see them, and they wouldn't hurt us. Not sure how many there were, but at one point I counted nine heads. I'm guessing they were out of their hibernation hole and looking for some sun. One even came over to the edge of the leaves, took a good look at us, then went back to the rest. I'd been planning on taking her to the Knoxville Zoo (which has a good reptile collection) this summer, but having a good long quiet (no one came past in the 20 minutes we were there) look at some snakes in the wild was better, in its own way. She got to see how they moved on top of and under the leaves, stuck out their forked tongues, and popped their heads up to look around.
She's already learned from her mother and nana (by example) how to irrationally panic around bees and wasps, but I think she got a good lesson today on how to respect and keep one's distance from wild snakes, but not fear them.
Back home and full of lunch, she's taking a nap. Been a great day so far :thmbsp: -- Foe
