Share My Joy

Tonight I met a friend I feared was dead, and I am so happy I have to share the news!

His name is Splotches.  He is a giant slug.  Yes, you read that correctly — my friend is a slug.

Slugs are nocturnal, and they seem to love coming up onto our front walkway.  At first I just didn’t want to step on them when I went to get the mail after dark.  Believe me, stepping on a slug with bare feet is disgusting!  I doubt the slug likes it, either.

Last summer I put a chair outside so I could enjoy the warm summer nights.  That’s when I started paying more attention to the slugs.  They are actually very interesting little creatures.

When we have stale bread, I put it outside at night for the birds to eat in the morning.  One time I must have dropped a piece on the walkway.  The next night there was a slug munching that bread.  I had no idea slugs liked bread.  I’ve been feeding the slugs ever since.  My family thinks I am crazy.

One very large slug came right to the front door almost every night.  I named him Splotches.  Splotches is about 5 inches long, and has quite a sweet tooth.  He really likes pie!  After eating, he curls up around the food, puts his head on top like it’s his pillow, and takes a nap.  None of the other slugs do that.  They just much and run, if run is the right word for a slow slug.

We recently had a freak snowstorm with days of very low temperatures for our area.  For weeks I’ve looked for Splotches.  I’ve left treats in his favorite spots, but he never showed up.  I thought he probably didn’t make it through the cold weather.

Tonight I looked down, and there was Splotches!  I was so happy I could have kissed him.  (Don’t worry, I’m not that crazy.)  I did bring him inside to show my mom.  She was thrilled, ha ha!  Actually, she called him disgusting and told me to take him outside.  I took Splotches outside and gave him a graham cracker and a piece of banana.  He happily started munching.

I wondered if it were really Splotches or another look-a-like slug.  A while later I looked outside again.   He was still there.  He was all curled up, with his head on the banana taking his nap.  That’s when I knew for sure it was my friend, Splotches.