Daily Dose of Gratitude...Three barking dogs and a snake, oh my!

 “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach

Yesterday, the rain gave way to sunshine and blue skies, so Archer and I decided to go for a walk.   

While walking I nearly stepped on a snake.  The snake measured approximately 12 inches in length and was no thicker than my pinky finger.  Normally terrified of snakes no matter how small, I actually felt sorry for this little guy.  He had been disturbed from his winter slumber by the construction of a new house being built.  He slithered groggily and I doubted he would survive the trek across the street.

As Archer and I continued on our journey we were met by two angry dogs protecting their side of the street and then a third joined the chorus of rabid barking.  Invisible to the naked eye, a fence protected us from their fury.  While the owners of the barking dogs never made an appearance to ensure their Cujoesque dogs were not making an appetizer out of my sweet puppy, another neighbor did show concern.  She could hear Archer’s terrified yappy barking, and despite her own fear of the dogs, she came outside to make sure we were not in need of stitches...or worse.

By the time we were done assuring the sweet neighbor lady that we were fine, the middle school bus had arrived.  We walked home with Teenage Mutant Son and had a nice, non-confrontational conversation...a lot to be grateful for in a thirty minute span of a single day!