Meet Brownie the Snake

The nature girls are at it again.  I left home early yesterday morning to run some errands and when I got home Anja ran up to the car excitedly and said she and Elise had something to show me.  I turned and saw Elise carefully carrying a bucket and knew there was something alive in there.  Anja said "this is Brownie!" and Elise lifted out a baby snake.  After I said "oh, wow!" the next thing I asked was "does Jason know you have this?"  He did.  Then I said "you have a plan to release this snake, right?" (Elise likes to keep all living things as "pets").  Elise, in a dejected voice, said "unfortunately, yes."

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Brownie.
Our neighbor, Tyler, assured the girls Brownie
is not venomous.  I really wish we could find
our Amphibians and Reptiles of Virginia book to
verify that opinion, but it is still packed
away somewhere.

Anja, either pointing something out, or going
to pet Brownie.

I was gone when the girls found Brownie, but Jason got some great video of the event.  It is hilarious, especially the girls' comments.

Yesterday evening as we were getting ready for bed I asked the girls if they'd released Brownie and they said "yes."  Then they exchanged a look and a minute later Elise said "Mom, we have something to tell you and you probably will get mad.  We didn't release Brownie."  Well, what a surprise.  So, Elise went off to release Brownie and Anja stayed with me,   wailing and crying "Brownie!  Brownie, I don't want you to go!  Brownie, I love you!  Oh, Brownie!"  It was an emotional night.