The Pacific Northwest has an unusually large population of slugs. They’re simply everywhere. A lot of people think slugs are gross, but after living around them for so long, I don’t think much of them at all.

A close relative of the slug is the snail. I’m told by people who garden that snails are a menace. However, since my family was never big on gardening, we never had such ideal habitat for snails to inhabit, so I never saw any. Only slugs.

So, imagine my surprise when I was walking to work in Ginan one day and came across a snail chilling on a wall. Moreover, his shell was huge. That’s how he caught my attention: this bland, gray wall with a big, chocolaty spiral jutting out the side. I’ve rarely seen snails in person before, but certainly none so big. It was quite the surprise.

It’s interesting how some fauna makes a living on two different continents. Albeit, in a significantly larger form. I wonder why they’re so much bigger here. Maybe the lack of raccoons plays a part? Who knows.