Please Don't Feed the Animals

No, my daughter is not in a "Brittany Spears Wannabe" contest, but she is holding a real snake. And look at that huge smile on her face. She's loving it!

Ever since she was little, I haven't been able to take her anywhere without her getting up close and personal with the animals. Once when she was 4, her daycare class took a trip to a petting zoo. There were baby goats to feed and rabbits to pet. But where was Hillary? Over by the barn, arm deep in the ONLY animal that was locked in a cage. I figured there was a reason that dog wasn't allowed out with the kids, but with Hillary's arms snaked around it's neck, it was wagging it's tail and...well...smiling.


Here she is at age 8, necking with a camel...and causing her poor Papaw T to have heart palpatations.

So I was not surprised when she was the first one of us to volunteer to hold wild animals at the reptile place we visited today. We happened to be with Papaw P this time. (You would think the grandparents would have learned by now.)

The "tour guide" was a teenaged girl who told us about each animal in a quiet, breathy voice...even as she threw chunks of bloody horse meat to the alligator, tiger, and lion. When we got to the inside reptiles, she walked into the pen of 60 various sized alligators and grabbed one for us to touch. (Hmm...Hillary needs a summer job...)
Of course Hillary wanted to be first. She finally convinced everyone to touch it. (I, of course, was busy taking pictures) She even got a reluctant Parker to hold the baby alligator.

Next came the Spiny Backed Something-or-Other Lizard.
Parker was having none of it this time.

Papaw had walked away and was watching the animals safely behind glass. I heard him say, "Well, who's ready to go?" Hillary ignored him and asked Miss Teen Crocodile Hunter "Can we hold a snake?"
As the girl was transferring the big boa from her body to Hillary's, I heard Papaw mutter "Sometimes those things strike." No one paid any attention to him.
We did finally get out of there. All limbs and eyeballs safe and accounted for. And we had lots of fun laughing together. I just hope Hillary's luck holds, and her charm with animals keeps her from someday being lunch.