What to do when it looks beautiful from here...

but up close it's teeming with trails of slime.

Nature photo of the day: mint and onions in a no-dig garden.

Pretty as a picture our garden appears from afar.

But up close, it’s infested with slugs, upon slugs, upon slugs.

The beans are lacy, if they’ve been left standing at all. The zucchini? Well, there are two left out of twelve. Not a great survival rate, though we’re hopeful that if anything grows, those seeds will have some slug-defense encoded in them.

We thought about getting ducks, though they come with their own set of problems at the moment, including predators and daytime care. Once the grass grows tall again, it’s anyone’s game.

So, every evening, and most mornings, Csermely and I are out picking slugs by hand. Into an ice cream box they go, to be sacrificed the next morning.

It happened about five or six years ago that an old woman in the village asked us what they were (knowing that we are gardeners), because she had never seen them before. Never seen them before… what a curious thing to say. And it seems they are hear to stay.

It’s not just that they are in the garden. They are in the grass and the hay fields. They are in the valleys and under the trees. It’s going to take some work to get their numbers down - and probably a heck of a lot of Indian runner ducks. Their time is coming.

Now, it’s time for a poem.

how do i feel
on a calm sunless day
the wind is long gone
yet still i remain
outside where the air is clear
listening to the chants of the birds
under here and over there
how do i feel 
to not be noticed
while life moves
all around me
- Cheryl M.

Journal prompt of the day:

What are your happiest memories of being outdoors? Make a list!

Think of all the times you have enjoyed out in nature, and see if a few in particular come to mind - from your childhood, or possibly when you were already an adult. Reminisce over these memories and write down in detail why you enjoyed them so much.

Have a happy weekend outside!