we don't have these in kansas.
we have slugs and teeny tiny snails but not like these.
craig found one and threw it (such a boy!)
and i yelled "NOOOO!!! i wanted to see a california snail!"
he looked at me with complete confusion…he couldn't tell if i was serious or not.
i was serious.
phil found more for me…oh and for the kids.
because they are everywhere.
bigger than a quarter.
the kids kept bringing me more…
they were climbing all over each other.
they were sliding up my arm and falling off…sliming me up…pretty gross.
someone found a bucket and the kids started to fill that.
by the end of the hunt they had 40 snails.
sharon was happy to have them out of her garden.
and i was so glad i got to see a california snail.
stephanie - I come home to find out my little one put a snail in her mouth!! YUCK!
Kirsten - Total flashback to my childhood in California…here in the Pacific Northwest we have snails without shells…errr…slugs. But when I was a kid we had this rockery along the driveway and I would run the hose down the rocks and wash the snails out. I think they were my *pets*. Yuck.
Sarah B - I used to collect all those snails when I was a kid here in California. I had Daddy ones and Mommy ones and lots of little baby ones. Thank you for not killing the little fellas. I’m kind of partial to them, even though they eat my flowers. My girls love them. I love your photos of them too. I might have to get some pics of my kids with them. Good memories!
Southern California has a plethora of weird creatures…yesterday there was an iddy biddy gopher (looked like a hamster) at the church picnic. So that’s what’s making all those dirt piles in my new grass!
Also, raccoons, coyotes, house spiders, possums, rats and mice, and I haven’t seen a bobcat yet!
Your blog is sweet.
andrea liese - i cant believe you put them in your hand, i am so grossed out by bugs moving in my hand
Emilie - REALLY? really? You can come back to California ANYTIME and come play with my snails! We fight over who gets to throw them in front of a moving vehicle 🙂
wendy - Snails and gardens are not a good mix. We used to put salt on them. They would shrivel up and die on the spot. Mean, I know but crucial for the garden. The worst was when you’d step on them with bare feet at night. Yuck! One thing I don’t miss about California.
Ruth - you held them in your HAND??? sweet holy moses, never in a million years would i let them anywhere near me…!
Jesus Christ - collecting snails is my way of getting to sit for a long time..because they just keep filling that bucket…I am glad our CA snails showed you a good time
Jess - Meg…seriously? Sorry, I just can’t so slimy. We’ve been enjoying our first week of break and I haven’t had much time to comment….but I am reading every day! CA looked like a great trip.
Just wondering if you ever decided what to do to that third floor….hint,hint.
cynthia - i can’t believe you did that…i would have threw up!
Lori Danelle - We don’t have California snails, but we do have Tennessee snails. . .and SLUGS! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK!!!
And if CA snails are anything like they are in TN, then I am positive she’s glad to have them out of their garden!! My husband as waged a full out war on the ones residing in our garden, and I am proud to say that though their ranks seem to never be depleted, he has been successful in keeping them off the plants. (the trick is to bait them with something they like more. . .such as melon rinds, and then just go gather them up)
I really can’t believe you let those things climb all over you. Brave? Not really sure what to chalk that up as. . . 🙂
For a glimpse of the slug war:
http://loridanelle.blogspot.com/2009/05/slugs-like-beer.html
Chasity - those snails look very happy. and slimy.
i’ve always liked snails myself but like you…ours are just tiny little guys.
have a great week.
chasity
deb meyers - I just treated my hosta garden with slug poison…hate hate hate, ewwwwwwwwwwww, you are brave I could NEVER hold those things.
Pic of Annie and the slugs is priceless : )
deb meyers
Kathy - So cool and nasty I hate those things! I think I vomited in my mouth seeing you hold them! My thought was hurry go wash your hands!!
Rach - While I think they are cute and I have always loved snails since I was a kid, living in LA now and trying to keep a garden is very frustrating when these little guys eat EVERYTHING. 🙂
Keri - Seriously? No big snails in Kansas?? Wow – I had no idea what treasures were living in my yard. We have TONS, and constantly have to put out snail bait to kill them. (Don’t tell your kids.) My boys love them too: they like touching their little eye antennae things to make them go down. Gross.
Christina - I could NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER do that! You are one amazing woman!
Tiffany Trout - I have LOVED your photos of California. You have showed off our state just beautifully….until the snails :). I swear people out here have 54,789,937,903 in our gardens. My kids love to collect them and then they throw salt on them. They bubble up…it’s so gross and cool at the same time, you missed quite the photo opp. with the salt experiment. Thanks for your beautiful pictures of California. I love your blog :).
Tiffany from Cali.
Trish - Lol!! I’ll stick with Wisconsin snails, thank you very much. I mean, hmmm… I think we have snails? Slugs, mosquitoes, and horseflys as big as my nose for sure, I’ll have to check into the snail thing…
melissa mae - Wow, you’re just like me. I cried when my friends dad was throwing snails on the roof to kill them.
Sara - EEEEWWWW!! I could only give those snails an eye, and then I had to turn away. So gross, I would have been vomiting over and over and over again if I had all those snails on my hand! You ROCK!
Dana M. - Loved seeing Phil and Tonya!! She is so cute! Thanks for sharing.
Vera - You’re so pretty! Weird, but pretty 🙂
elizabeth - so gross — I’ve actually stepped on them with bare feet, by accident in my yard. Ugh —
glad you got some joy from them, though, poor hated things…
kathy b - I thought everyone had snails like these. Who knew. At my house we go out when the sun first comes up, before they go hide, and them pick them up and throw them in the street! We always had snail day at Preschool and we would do snail painting, letting them trail through some paint. Kids everywhere love snails.
Kathy b in california
erica - that is HILARIOUS! i cannot believe you had them all over your arm. you are, like, the coolest mom ever 😉 when my husband and i lived in modesto (ca) we had those snails all over the walkway to our door… like there was no where to step without crunching one. it was gross.
alice - i love your blog! these pictures are great 🙂 do you guys homeschool?
Trish - That is so gross and cool at the same time.
So I went into “your camera section” and found out that you use this lense EF 28-105 mm. I am in the process of buying the Canon D40 and am completely clueless when it comes to lenses. {i’m sure the guy behind the counter is like, seriously lady?} anyways, I was wondering if you could let me know on a real life perspective how great it is. I mean I see your photos and they are amazing… i want my photography biz to lean more in the direction of laid back and natural, natural and natural! If you have a moment I would love any info you could give… plus if you have a fun blog/website you like to visit for tips and tricks for a beginner!
Allikayes Mama - That’s funny! I have California snail pictures too – except I did not touch them…or let them crawl on my arm! You crazy girl! They are fascinating for us Kansas and Colorado gals though!
Courtney - AHHH! Those snails are grossing me out!
se7en - When we moved in to our house we had bazillions of these snails and you would go “crunch crunch” in the morning dew… but I think the previous owners got rid of the snakes they found – hehehe little brown snakes are now prolific, they are slug/snail eaters so our snail population is under control… can’t say much about the snake population except when I come across one I toss it into the neighbors… gotta love living in Africa!
maisy - gross…
Kelly - You are one brave mama to have all of those snails crawling on you. It’s really fun to see you in the pics. Looks like y’all had a great time! Kelly
julie - Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Sort of just threw up in my mouth! Please never ever ever ever ever post a snail extravaganza ever again. The evil creatures have devoured my pretty flower beds and left slimy trails all over. Not one of my most favorite of God’s creations. Perhaps I can fill up a USPS flat rate box with them and send them your way.