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Monday 22 September 2008

Snail's Pace..........




My Dad’s had a running battle with a snail!

Recently I went to do his cleaning and noticed a snail trail under his rocking chair. I pointed it out to him and he suggested that a snail had got in whilst he was out in he garden because he’d left the door open. I hoovered the carpet and had a good look round but couldn’t find any snail.

The following day I telephoned him, as I always do, to ask if he was OK and he said

“The snail’s been back again!”

This conversation went on until Saturday, when I went to visit him again, my brothers and I searched the place but couldn’t find any snails.

Saturday and Sunday night, the phantom snail left it’s trail again! By this time my Dad was at breaking point, he hadn’t been sleeping properly getting up practically every hour to try to catch the snail. He said

“ I was up at 3 a.m. and there was no sign of it, but at 4 a.m. it had been and gone!”

I know I shouldn’t laugh but I couldn’t help it.

Dad had a plan.

On Sunday night he put newspaper down, covered in slug pellets, in the small area favoured by the snail and went to bed determined not to get up during the night – he was knackered, he needed sleep.

Monday morning bright and early Dad rushed into his lounge and there on the paper was the snail – dead! Success!! However, the snail must have decided it wouldn’t die in vain, it had deviated from it’s usual route and done a tour of the whole of Dad’s lounge, everywhere was covered in snail trail! Dad said

“The little bugger must have crawled over the pellets then decided to get it’s own back when it knew it was dying. I wouldn’t mind but it was only a little one!”

Dad’s sleeping peacefully again now

45 comments:

Dumdad said...

What a wonderfully quirky tale - and it ends happily too - for your dad that is. Monsieur Escargot (bound to be a froggy snail tormenting a fine Englishman) met his match!

Flowerpot said...

talk about tenacity! Glad your Dad's sleeping again though!!

MarmiteToasty said...

LMFAO I can so relate to this, we had/have a slug that leaves a trail.... I to have stayed up late into the night and even set an alarm to make sure Im up.... and Ive sat with the lights off til 2 in the morning then put the light on in the hope of catching the slug.... guess where it was coming out of....... a tiny gap next to the electric socket in the lounge, squeezed itself so thin and pops into the lounge, has a wander around then squeezes thin and pops back under the floorboards LMFAO.... I eventually got it when it came out... I sprinkled a circle of salt around it so it was impounded LOL.... AND then I went to bed, in the morning it had tried to crawl over the salt and had turned inside out and bubbled itself to death..... I did actually feel real bad LOL

Having owned a plant nursery and being married for 20 years to a nurseryman and his fathers nursery business, slugs were our enermy.... do you know that if you jump on a slag half way up its body, it will actually shot out of its skin LOL.... this we taught our kids at a young age..... :)

x

buffalodick said...

Why are snails so bad? I really don't know, so explain..

CG said...

UGH I like snail but not indoors. I feel quite sick at the idea of slugs jumping out of their skins!!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

yikes! too funny!

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sandi McBride said...

Poor snail...but at least it didn't end up as S Cargo (as my Arianna calls it...) Glad your dad is getting some sleep!
hugs
Sandi

Smalltown RN said...

What an interesting tale...your poor dad...but look at him..he figured out what to do....determination that is....on both parts....have a great day!

storyteller said...

I empathize with your Dad’s ‘running battle with a snail’ … have ‘been there, done that’ myself repeatedly … and I’m glad he’s ‘sleeping peacefully’ again now.
Hugs and blessings,

Akelamalu said...

LOL a froggy snail - I never thought of that Dumdad :)

Dad was proud he'd beat the snail Flowerpot! :)

Marmie I'm worried about you! You seem to know all there is to know about torturing slugs and snails! ;)

Snails are OK as long as they stay in the garden Buff having snail trails all over your lounge carpet is NOT desireable!

Having just had my evening meal I was sorry I'd read Marmie's comment about slugs too CG:(

I thought so too Bee LOL

I've never had Escargot Sandi and not sure I'd want to try it to be honest.

Yep that's my Dad RN, unbeatable!

You had a battle with a snail too Storyteller? That would make a good blog post!

Pam said...

where in the heck was it hiding? lol i'm glad your dad can finally rest. you know i hate snails/slugs...know what's gross, is when you step on one barefoot, hear the crunch, then have to scream like a banshee 'that's gross, ewwww, ewwwwww, ewwwww, ewwwww, whilst running into the house so you can hurry to wash/scrub your foot off w as much soap and as hard as you can LOL

Daryl said...

Poor Dad! I understand his need to catch the perp .. and it seems this was one smart snail ... glad to see/hear that Dad won!

:-Daryl

CrystalChick said...

I would totally FREAK OUT if a slug was creeping around my place. Eeeeew.

Glad Dad is able to rest again. :)

Ron said...

What an adorable story, Akelamalu!

May you rest in peace...snail

Have a great Monday, dear lady!

Claremont First Ward said...

This is the funniest thing I've read all day......the snail that got him back.

I'm glad he's sleeping again.

I wonder where that sucker was hiding? :)

Akelamalu said...

Oh Ciara don't!!! It's bad enough if you stand on one with your shoes on!

That snail was not smart enough Daryl! LOl

Me too Crystalchick!

I thought you'd like that Ron. :)

God knows where it was hiding Angie, we searched everywhere!

Suburbia said...

Bless him!
There are hundreds of the damn things in our garden this year, must be the awful weather I suppose,and they are all HUGE!
There's a meme for you at mine. Hope you don't mind them :)

Anonymous said...

That's really unny - I didn't even know they'd come inside. I often see enormous slugs on my walk in the early morning. They kind of creep me out, and I toss them to the other side of the street.

Catch said...

Ha Ha...this is a cute story Akela...I smiled the whole time I read it. Im glad dad finally got the snail and now he can sleep!

Travis Cody said...

Your dad sounds like a wonderful gentleman! What a wonderful giggle.

RUTH said...

Glad your Dad succeeded in the end. Could he help me find the pesky snail who keeps leaving slime over the outside of my UPSTAIRS bedroom window.
Rx

G-Man said...

The French would have had for lunch by now!

G-Man said...

Would have had THAT, I meant to say!

Akelamalu said...

There's hundreds in our garden too suburbia. I'll be over shortly to check out the meme.

We had a clug crawling up our lounge wall the other week Citizen. It must have crawled out of the back garden, through the kitchen and dining room and into the lounge - the equivalent of a marathon to us I would think!

There's not much can be my Dad Catch x

He is, Trav, he is. Glad it made you giggle. :)

Not sure if you agree with slug pellets Ruth but you could try those. Hope you catch the little blighter!

Possibly g-man. Can you eat the common garden snail?? :(

Barb said...

That snail sure had some nerve! Glad your dad can sleep peacefully again. :)

Robin said...

ewww, snail in the house!

it really is funny how it kept eluding your dad, though. i'm glad he outsmarted it, even though it cost him a few zzzz's.

good story!

buffalodick said...

They leave a trail of slime? So do lawyers, but we aren't allowed to poison them in the night...

Anndi said...

That's quite funny... except for the part where your Dad wasn't sleeping well. Glad all's well now.

Our problem was field mice. But I'm god at catching them now.

Lu' said...

That is terrific, HA. Your poop Father not getting sleep due to a snail.. Glad he his able to rest now. Lets hope it wasn't a Momma snail and didn't leave you Father a present?

Lu' said...

Sorry about that, I meant POOR Father not, poop *blushes*

Linda said...

I guess a snail's pace is a lot faster than we think! Your poor Dad!

Speaking of snail's paces, sorry it's taken me so long to get back around to visiting everyone again but I'm doing my best to get back into the routine of things - honest!

la bellina mammina said...

I wouldn't been asleep too! Glad your dad's sleeping again:-)

This Guy said...

HEHEHE Thats awesome!! Darn, I dont think I could sleep either If I had that snail lurking around leaving his trail all over my floor!! Glad your Dad caught him tho, now he can rest!

May the snails soul rest in peace! ;) lol

Akelamalu said...

That's exactly what Dad thought Skittles!

It was the snail eluding him that made me laugh too Robin :)

Did you say unfortunately Buff? ((wink, wink))

LOL Anndi you said you're "...god at catching them..." was that a typo or are you that good?? ((wink))

Don't worry Lu, I knew what you meant honey. I hope it didn't leave him a present too! :0

Yes snails can move pretty fast when they want to Linda and don't worry about visiting m'dear I know you've been busy. x

I wouldn't have slept either Bella!

Ah yes, the poor snail This Guy. If Dad had been able to catch him during the day or when he got up at night he would have put him outside, but it wasn't to be. :(

TopChamp said...

ha ha - that's funny!

Akelamalu said...

It was Topchamp :)

Cath said...

Revenge of the snail! lol This had me laughing...

Akelamalu said...

Me too Cath, it was one persistent little blighter!

cathy said...

LMAO !
Snail Trail Insomnia!
Lol.

nitebyrd said...

I'm glad the demon snail has died and left your father in peace. Snails, slugs - creep me out, too!

Deb said...

Too funny, although I did feel bad for your dad. My mom has a mouse in her house which she can't catch and she is deathly afraid of mice. I do not like snail slime at all ~fortunately we don't have an issue with them coming into our house! Thanks for sharing with us!

Akelamalu said...

I know Cathy, it's just too funny!

They creep me out too Nitebyrd :(

Oh Debs if I had a mouse in the house I'd have to move out!!

Raven said...

Very funny... A snail's revenge. Glad your Dad is sleeping again.

Akelamalu said...

Snail's revenge indeed Raven LOL

Marshall Family said...

haha now that's one determined snail! The lil thing didn't die in vain - his story will be remembered by me for years to come!