35 Snails, 3 Foxes, 2 Slugs & A Very Friendly Cat
Or "a quick walk around the block".
On a particularly damp and waterlogged Saturday afternoon, Me, my wife and our 4yr old daughter had come back from grocery shopping to promptly park ourselves in front of “Is it Cake” followed by a few episodes of “Bluey” to dry off. Screen time is just for the weekends, and we do our best to limit it to an hour or two at this early age, but on occasion we are all wiped out and with such a dismal day we let it slide.
Before we knew it, it was almost time for dinner. “Ok.. when this finishes, we’ll go for a snail hunt and then I’ll cook dinner ok?” I said. “A little walk round the block to stretch our legs and give our eyes a rest! Get some fresh air and exercise.”
Initially this was met with contempt, but the potential for snail observation eventually changed her mind. Our kid loves snails. Who doesn’t?
Adorning her new unicorn wellies we’d picked up from the supermarket that morning, and pulling on her coat, we set off for a brief stroll amongst the puddles, leaving mum with some well deserved peace.
Little did we know just what we would discover.
The title of this post may sounds like a Wes Anderson Movie or a Children’s Book, but it is indeed the exact figure of creatures we witnessed in the twenty minutes we wandered in a loop before returning home.
Initially I thought we might see as many as ten, call it a day and come back. The rain had stopped but the ghastly grey sky overhead still threatened to unleash a torrent of spite upon us. (Thankfully it chose to spare us). Plus I had to start cooking dinner. But before we got to the end of the pathway, we were at 12.
“We can’t stop at 12!” I exclaimed. “We need to get to a nice round number, like 15!”
I have no idea why I said this. But she happily agreed. She was enjoying the activity, and so was I.
Turning the corner and continuing this suburban expedition, we hit 18 a few minutes later. I looked at her, and she knew the deal. We can’t stop at 18. We needed a nice even 20..
Then, as we reached a gated clearing, snails suddenly stopped being our primary focus. A family of foxes had made the area their home, and were just lazily waking up. The majestic parents lay outstretched on the ground, their golden fur blazing in what little sun could pierce through the cloud, whilst their curious offspring nervously checked us out from beyond the railing. The five of us silently observed each other in wonder for the next few minutes.
Bidding them farewell, we returned to operation snail, racking up several more before we were accosted (or befriended) by a local black and white cat. In order to communicate with the feline, my daughter formed pointed ears with her hands atop her head and meowed. As I chuckled in amusement, the cat responded gleefully. My kid’s a genius.. The two of them continued to converse for a moment, before the cat approached us and rubbed its head against us welcomingly. My daughter looked up at me with a big beaming smile. She’d made a new friend.
Saying goodbye to Cat, we were on the home stretch. 2 slugs were added to our list, but snails were still top priority. We smashed 25 and I couldn’t believe it. 26, 27… “Do you think we’ll get to 30?” I said with far too much excitement for a full grown adult.
You bet we did. THIRTY FIVE of them. All different sizes, shell patterns and colours.
As we got back to our front door, we both agreed that this little adventure had been far more fun than cartoons on the couch. And I know that befriending a cat and seeing all those creatures will form a wonderful little memory. And all because we chose to take a little walk.
So what’s the point of this tale?
Sometimes we are so consumed and absorbed by the tasks we undertake, or the situation at hand, that we often don’t give ourselves enough time to take a break, to get a fresh perspective. Sometimes we become stuck in a rut, a routine with no beginning or end.
Sometimes we are so far down the hole we cannot see the way out. Its good to get out. Its good to step away for a bit and come back later with a rested mind and a dose of fresh oxygen.
It’s also a tale of seizing opportunity, and being spontaneous. Seeking out little adventures and enjoying what fun experiences it provides. Especially if you get to share that experience with someone.
To that end, your homework assignment this week is to embark on a suburban safari of your own, and comment below what you observed. I look forward to your findings. Special marks for uniqueness as well as quantity.
Dan | Digitalgyoza is a lighting designer and digital AI artist based in the UK, who writes about Art, Technology, Web3, Culture and Blockchain.
This evening I’ve been wanting to relive my youth thanks to the sounds of Never Easy. I also really enjoyed reading David Speed’s article Make Now or Regret Forever.
Have any thoughts on this article? I’d love to hear them! Drop them in the post’s comments section and let’s talk about it.
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Such a lovely story and a wonderful reminder to break out of our ruts! Outdoors perspectives might be the best - my wife and I take walks late at night and some of our best insights pop up then.