Conversations with Elise: There's ants in them thar hills

So here we are in San Francisco, beauty as far as the eye can see. On our left we have the the slate-blue Pacific ocean. The sun glinting off the water's surface, sending a spray of diamonds into the air.

And on our right we have the magnificent towering mounds of dirt, filled to the brim with ants.

Wait... what?

It seems that Elise has some strange, unnatural fear of the beautiful hills that line the coast here in the north bay. Every time she sees one, she points and says, "no go over dere." Today I decided to get to finally the bottom of this fear.

Elise: No go dat way, no go over there (pointing towards the hills)

Me: Why not, beans? Why don't you like those hills?

Elise: I get ants on my shoes, and all dirty

Me: Wha'?

Elise: No step on hills because of ants

It suddenly dawned on me that in the state of Texas, the highest thing Elise has ever seen (at least where we live) are the fire ant hills I'm always telling her not to step on because of the ants.

There is something so sad about that.