Tuesday, March 08, 2016

~ We were Snailing Along ~

Good Sunny Tuesday Morning
 Friends & Folk!!

So sorry about the awful title of this post today ~
but it is appropriate…

Peter brought me a tiny gift this morning.
a garden snail!

yes, things like this make me extremely happy
and this man o' mine knows it 
:)

Click HERE to read more about our little friend:


hello little friend!

 for some reason ~ garden snails fascinate me.
they always have. As a child playing outside I would search them out and corral them ~ 
then watch them slowly inch their way out of the circle I had drawn in the dirt with a stick.

now I do understand that they can eat our tender plants in our new garden-beds,
but unlike their cousin the Slug, they aren't as invasive.

…and they are prettier.

in fact, aside from finding live garden snails ~
we seem to find lots of their cast-off shells which I love to collect!

this small vaseline glass covered dish is my preferred place to keep my tiny treasures…




I love
seeing their similarities to one another, but their differences as well.
some shells are heavy, some almost transparent..
some shells have been bleached white from the sun, others have remained shiny & colorful with their seemingly never-ending spirals
~::~




we find them at the base of trees,
under the fallen wood out in our forest…
Peter found this one while walking down by our creek with Roxy this morning,
and although this one is alive ~ we do find mostly spent shells.




it's amazing to me that the smallest creature can create such beauty:
each snail shell a perfect little portable house ~

just look at all of the different colors and swirls!




I must have been a mad scientist in a past life ~
or maybe an otter.
otters like snails too, don't they?
haha
oh, the teeny crab claw came from a trip back home to CT.
yeah, I'm weird. 
but I find beauty & inspiration in everything around me.




I keep my snail shells on a shelf in my kitchen,
not because I will eat them, remember these are EMPTY uninhabited & abandoned!!
{they are edible to us humans but I would never think of eating my friends.}
but because they remind me to stop & take a closer look around me.
to slow down a bit & enjoy Mother Nature and her gifts…




little reminders of days spent out walking, enjoying the fresh air & sunshine.
something we all need to do more often than not.




Today will be one of those days ~ after my farm chores are done,
I will grab my camera and head to my peaceful woods.

Peter said there is a big red Fox visiting us down by the creek,
maybe I'll get a snap of him for you?
{hopefully he isn't hunting for snails…or chickens, ducks or cats.}





Hoping you have a day filled with many tiny wondrous things!!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~ 
 Lori

14 comments:

Pondside said...

I like your little collection of snail shells - so humble yet so incredibly intricate and complicated.

Anonymous said...

I'm right there with you, Lori…there is still much of the child in me, as I enjoy Nature's gifts and love taking pictures of them, later sending them to my grandchildren and children and friends. When I was a little girl living along the Gulf Coast, my sister and I would have races (haha) with those BIG snails. Enjoy your Nature Day, and I sure hope you find the fox!!

Unknown said...

A kindred spirit... I love walking in the woods and observing what's around. There's beauty everywhere. I look forward to your pictures, Lori.

Unknown said...

A kindred spirit... I love walking in the woods and observing what's around. There's beauty everywhere. I look forward to your pictures, Lori.

Anonymous said...

P.S. I also love the little figurine in front of your SnailShellJar!

Silent Stitches said...

Hi Lori,

Thank you for sharing your sweet snail.
I save/collect everything too!...not weird AT ALL!
It's always fun when you "find" them again after you've tucked them away for safe keeping.
Have a wonderful day! ~C

PS Nancy D. Your work-in-progress is coming along nicely! The "blue" colors you selected are fabulous!

Unknown said...

I get it! I collect rocks. Plain ones, fancy ones, fossils - no rock is safe from me. Bigger rocks decorate my flowerbeds. Yay for all things nature!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
C Reeder PhxAz said...

Welcome to the weird collector club! When my hubby drove semi rigs across the country he was forever bringing me home treasures. Small flowers he would dry on the dashboard, sweet rocks, some mammoth pine cones. My family finally got it - these small gifts of nature would be cherished and live in my studio alas no matter what comments were made! I love the snail collection and the glass dish!!

Glenda said...

I have a large walk in shower that has a bench, I have a peace lily that I keep in the shower. There is a pair of snails that live in the the flower pot. You will see them making their way up the wall and then they go back to the flower pot. I love treasures also. I have a large candle box with a sliding lid they I keep my treasures in. Wasp nest, Butterflies that I find dead, feathers, a tiny hornets nest. Of course I have birds nest and feathers everywhere. When I find a treasure I feel I have been given a gift from the creator.

Lizzy D said...

Will you return him to your flower garden?

Lori from Notforgotten Farm said...

Dear Liz D.
~ no worries my friend ~
he has been loved on & happily released back into the 'wild' :)
L

Anonymous said...

Love that. :)

Lana Manis said...

I love collecting little bits of nature, too! Your collection is wonderful! I hope you get a photo of the fox... I don't see them here very often. I think our dogs keep them scared away.