Sunday, December 8, 2019

All the snails are out tonight. Today, we’ve had the first steady rain since spring. It’s the first time I’ve seen more than a couple of tiny ones sneak out from under the bushes onto the walkways. The pedestrian street is now a minefield of mollusks. I have to be careful to step around them while trying not to slip on the wet stones. Occasional dogs and cats walk up to them, sniff, and wander off. Maybe they don’t like the scent. Maybe they’re looking for a snack that’s not quite so crunchy. If I stare at each snail for a while, I can tell that it’s moving, though not in any consistent direction. I know that by morning they’ll be gone. Hunkered down in the shadows, they'll wait for the next rain to summon them to patrol.