I was just checking my last blog entry, a mere few minutes ago, when I felt a tickle on my ankle.
I leaned down to scratch and then screamed like a girl when my searching fingers discovered that I had a snail crawling up my leg.
This was clearly part of a premeditated attack.
I have a bed of herbs in containers on the terrace and make frequent forrays out there to search and destroy snails.
This morning despite the obvious evidence of a snail attack on the Basil I couldn’t find one to kill so I retired inside for what has turned into a blogging marathon.
It must have been while I was searching for him that this creature attached himself to my person and then began his slow ascent from my shoe up my leg.
Despite my shock and horror I felt I could not reward such tenacious temerity with instant death.
Instead I scooped him up with a card I had on my sesk, Photographed him so I would know him the next time I saw him, and flicked him into the garden.
I reckon I had a very lucky escape.
Comments
Peter
on May 14, 2010Have been trying to identify your snail, and it looks as if it is either Monacha Cantiana – in English the Kentish Smail, but notwithstanding the name also widely distributed in southern Europe. “Active at night or after daytime rain . . .feeds mainly on decaying vegetation and unlikely to do harm in the garden” – so don’t fear for your basil in that case. But the other candidate, which you’d probablty prefer, is Helix Pomata, the Roman snail. the largest snail in most of Europe – and widely reared or collected for food. So maybe it’s the snail, not you, who had the lucky escape! – he might have come to your table with a delicate basil flavour from his diet.
PS BTW, Is this comment an example of snail mail?
Dany Pillon
on May 15, 2010Eh bien, nous les Français, on a un bon moyen de se débarrasser des escargots : on les mange avant qu’ils ne mangent toutes nos herbes aromatiques et nos salades dans le jardin. Et pour les préparer, j’ai quelques bonnes recettes sous le coude! Quand nous serons à Thézan, nous irons ensemble à la chasse aux escargots et nous les cuisinerons. Là vous n’aurez plus le même regard sur eux.
Martin
on May 16, 2010Thanks Peter et merci bien Dany, J’attende ma lecon.
The comments are closed.