So glad I'm not French

Jeff did have two whole years in Belgium and France to try escargot, but in spite of even specifically asking for it at meals, no one was willing to make it for him (they didn't want to have to eat the critters with him). But for those who enjoy the so-called delicacy, come on by anytime before next Tuesday when the garbage man stops by and pick up a baggie or two out of our trash. We've got enough to feed the entire neighborhood... and there are more where those came from. It rained all night long and was still overcast this morning, leaving the little snails living in our yard in a quandary. They're supposed to go home during daylight hours but the sun never came out so that left them climbing up and down walls & fences and wandering across walkways just as the kids woke up.

I promised they could go to Thanksgiving Point to buy something from the farm if they did their jobs and had enough money earned to buy the toys they wanted. Those who didn't had to earn it in whatever way they could. The fastest-paying job around here is snail catching. Paige is the grand master, but the rest of them are pretty good, too. All together, within an hour they had picked up over 180 snails (Jason and Paige stopped counting after 15 or so because they were more worried about the snails climbing up and out the bag, but they average about 30 apiece on normal mornings). At a nickel for each snail or slug they all made enough to buy prizes - including a stuffed horse, peacock feather, plastic dog, and little sea shells. Seriously, if anyone wants to hire some expert anti-pest-os, these kids come pretty cheap!