Escargots

First and foremost...Happy Birthday Tressa! And I believe she has just taken her last exam today. Congrats, kiddo, you survived! Next stop, graduation. In all seriousness, Tressa is a real life hero to me, and I'm glad she's in this world with me. Be nice if we could have conversations more than about once a month via long distance phone calls, but by the time I return from my grand British adventure, Tress will be back in Africa. Le Sigh.

It has been raining here quite a lot, as well as high winds, since the middle of last week I think. England is finally living up to its climate reputation. On my walk to work I cross underneath a roundabout (traffic configuration, they have them in Mass, only they're called rotaries), where pedestrians such as myself and bikers, and horse riders can safely avoid the traffic. England has a rather large, indigenous population of snails. Unfortunately for the snails, who like to come out and for whatever reason, cross the footpaths, in the rain, people seem to like to smash them. I've been rather saddened this morning and last week by the needless violence of it all....and invariably have found myself rooting on the rare snail still alive, barely moving across the footpath. I will it along, to move as fast as it possibly can, can't it see the carnage surrounding it, go snail go!