I have to be more careful around these parts. there is a pond on the corner that I walk by with the doggies (one bichon, one golden). there is a hedge row that borders half the pond. Well tother evening, just before dark,,,, I get up to the end of the hedge row when my little Goober (bichon) takes one big leap across the sidewalk and nearly into the pond. I saw a big dark shape and a giant splash about the same time as Sugar (the golden) jumped on after Goober. By now I am all tangled up in the leashes (the kind that go in and out and they were out about 10 feet) and the dogs are jumpin' and barkin' - and then I see it was a big ole gator layin' at the end of the hedge row facing the pond...probably stalkin' his dinner. HOLEY MOLEY.... it all happened so fast. I was tryin' to reel the dogs back in but the leashes were wrapped around my ankles and in between my legs and feet - then my cell phone rings!! Oh pa-leeeeeese, you've got to be kidding. Well,,,, the dogs managed to knock me down half on the sidewalk half in the grass....and guess what....fire ants in the grass!!! Fire ants got on my left foot and began to sink their little fire ant teeth into me. Of course cars are going by but did anybody stop to help - noooooooooo! I'm sure people wondered why I was rollin' around like a crazy person with the dogs still barkin' and the phone ringin' and me hollerin' about the ants biting me. The gator never did come back out of the pond. I managed to somewhat get untangled from the dogs and hobbled towards home trying to pull the demon ants off my foot. Those things really hurt! seven ant bites.....gator didn't get eaten by dogs.....and the white coat guys haven't arrived yet. paula in sw fla usa.....beee booo beee booo beee booo dubba dubba dubba xoxoxo