Snails

Just about the time Sam was raising baby chicks at school, we had a snail visit.  He was on the outside of the house as we left for school one morning.  Sam moved him to our front flower pot and I spent the morning taking pictures of him with my macro lens.  (see the "Other Projects" tab above for photos of Mr. Snail)  We thought he was pretty cool.

Then that one snail turned into two snails which eventually turned into twenty-seven snails.  I think word got out that things were pretty good on the Straka's front porch!  Sam made a home for them in the big flower pot, then a hospital for sickly snails in a small pot, and finally a snail graveyard behind our largest pot.  Things got a little crazy - we'd leave for school in the morning and there would be snails crawling up the walls, snails on the ceiling and snails on the ground.  Slime trails everywhere.  They are funny little creatures to watch and photograph, especially since we've never seen them around before now.  Brian said he and Papa Emil used to step on them on their way out the door in the morning in California because there were so many.  Eew!

The Straka snail population seems to have decreased for now, I guess due to the dry, hot weather.  But they sure kept this boy here busy for a while!  Hopefully the Straka Snail Hotel will open for business again soon!