Slinky the Snake (??? - 3/6/06)

The Downer household is mourning the loss of our resident snake, Slinky, who died suddenly yesterday of unknown causes. Slinky, an 18 inch long black racer, had moved into our newly mulched front yard recently. We always enjoyed looking for him on our way in and out and had decided over the weekend to name him. So we were heart-broken to discover he'd become ant food overnight Sunday. Slinky had joined the ducks on our pond and the occasional gecko that Esther likes to play with on the back patio as welcome critters around our little home (as opposed to the silver-dollar sized spider, cockroach and gaggle of fire ants that were most unwelcome).