Snail story

The rain-gods had taken a fancy to San Diego the last couple of days. So it was a magical weekend beginning with waking up to the sound of raindrops and enjoying feeling the mist hanging so low down that it almost caressed the face. Feeling refreshed by Nature's "Good Morning "wish, S and me decided to make the day better with a walk followed by our usual workout. So we strolled out all buttoned up and dropped by the mailbox on the way where a surprise awaited me. In these days of e-mail and instant messages, I was surprised to find a large envelope addressed to me from a friend. The content of the mail was totally unexpected, it was a calendar that had lovely pictures from the wild continent of Africa and a wish for a bright and healthy 2013. 

Having checked the snail-mail, S and me decided to hit the gym. And guess who greeted us at the gym's entrance? A snail was trudging along with all the speed it could muster. Now, for someone like me who has lived only in the urban world where rains only meant water-logged streets and more traffic jams, this was a new sight. I  couldn't control my excitement. I looked at it from all possible angles and hesitantly touched its shell. Hubby realized my curiosity and picked it up and placed it on my hand. The gentle creature seemed to have sensed the change in its surrounding and before I knew it, withdrew itself into the shell. After dilly-dallying as to whether I needed to take it home or not, I decided to let it be and placed it back where we had found it. If only I had my phone with me, I could have at least clicked a picture of the snail. When we returned back after our workout,  my new-found friend was not to be seen. I guess it had moved on towards its destination and we moved to the warmth of our home to munch on sizzling hot dosas and sip on coffee to round up a lovely morning...