The Little House and its Not-So-Big Woods are pretty full of sights and sounds and smells. There are few reasons to wander off outside its borders in search of interesting things to see, but even the most stay-at-home will drift away now and then.
That's how I met Buffet Snail. This cheery fellow (gal? other?) was a resident of the grassy area outside Ballinskeligs Castle in Ireland. Here, he's munching on a slightly rotted dandelion stem, which must be some sort of snail ambrosia. I've never seen a snail with such a gleeful expression.
I watched him for a while, then I felt that he should be relocated, as he was enjoying his snail-y lunch on a highly-traveled path. I picked him up and set him on my hand as I walked him to a quiet spot near the castle's wall. There was an odd sensation on my skin, and I realized he was rasping me with his rough tongue, hoping that I was as tasty as the dandelion had been. Alas, I'm not lunch-worthy.
