Masked Bandit On My Side

The snails and slugs have taken out 3 of 5 cucumber plants and a couple of winter squash at the base of the stem. I considered giving them a beer party soon. Then, this morning, nature reminded me of my intentions to create a garden where earthly balance, not human intervention, supports growth on a macro scale.

At sunrise, a raccoon wove his way through the raised beds and found a comfortable spot on our deck. He reached out and plucked a snail off of the kale plant beside him, carefully cracked and peeled its shell, and popped the slimy morsel into his mouth. Some interesting facial expressions ensued. He ate another. And another. In the end, a half dozen snail shells sat in a neat pile where he had dined.

Another intention that found fruition in unexpected ways. (Ya' think I could get him to stay and help me make pickles?)