So there I was...

...dutifully pulling up the approximately 1,000,000 weeds that have flourished in our as yet-unsodded section of the back yard, when a hint of a familiar fragrance overwhelmed me. "What IS that?" I thought to myself, furtively peeking around at all the clumps of weeds. Surely there can't be something NICE growing here! Surely these are really just pesky weeds that can't help but expand exponentially in the rich California soil. I looked down at the very "weed" I was just preparing to yank (with great satisfaction, I might add) from the ground and realized that I recognized the light, feathery leaves. In shock, I plunged my nose right into the center of the plant and verified that yes, CILANTRO, cherished herb of Mexican and Indian cooking, was simply growing with wild abandon in my very own backyard! I found several healthy clumps scattered amongst the weeds. Is there anything that won't grow here?



My front yard gardening maintenance a few days later was not as pleasant, however. Growing up on a West Texas ranch has made me rather immune to fear of creeping, crawling, creatures. When you have really threatening animals like rattlesnakes, skunks, or coyotes to worry about, you really don't think too much about seeing spiders or bats or the occasional caterpillar (actually, my sister has a deathly fear of caterpillars, but she is most certainly an anomaly). I have taken great pride in myself, on more than one occasion, for the carefree way I've disposed of such pests in front of my husband and sister-in-law. They're always impressed.

Whilst clearing leaves out of the flower beds, however, I encountered a creature that I instantly recoiled from:


Gah! What an absolutely repulsive animal! Could snails be any more disgusting? There were MANY slithering through the leaves and dirt, leaving long, silvery trails of goo. Despite being an amateur gardener, I know that finding so many isn't a good thing, and I'm going to have to take care of it. This is not going to be a fun. Give me spiders and scorpions any day over these nasty snails. I don't know if I can stomach the job.