A snake terrified Claire yesterday. She had gone out back to pick blueberries. The snake crossed her path and she came running back to the house crying.

This morning at breakfast as we ate pancakes, this was our conversation:

Claire: Mom, look outside! The snake is back!

Me: (looking outside at the snake sticking its teeny head out of a hole in our patio concrete) Yup. There it is. (resume eating pancakes)

Claire: We need some animals in our backyard that EAT snakes. Like some wild dingo dogs. Or some bald eagles.

Me: We don't have any of those.

Claire: We have coyotes around here.

Me: True. But I don't know if they eat snakes.

Claire: How 'bout if we get some vultures? Vultures eat snakes!

Me: I don't know how to get some vultures. But that's an idea.

Bryant: Are boa constrictors endangered?

Me: I have no idea.

Claire: Boa constrictors eat people whole.

Me: They do not.

Bryant: Well maybe not whole, but bits at a time. Like your foot and then your leg.

Me: They do not.

Bryant: They DO kill people, Mom. Somehow...

Me: Guess what. You're not helping.

Claire: I hate snakes. We definitely need some bald eagles or huge vultures. I don't want the snakes to eat me!

Me: I already told you that we don't have birds of prey hanging out in our backyard.

Suddenly as I said that, a HUGE brown hawk of some kind swooped down in our yard and snatched something off the ground. I couldn't believe it.

Me: Uh, Claire, did you see that bird?

Claire: What bird?

Me: That huge hawk like thing with giant talons that snatched a squirrel or mouse.

Claire: (running to the window) Where? Where is it?! Does it eat snakes?

-bm