Unexpected snails.

The undergraduates returned to Cambridge today, and so everyone in the whole world was shopping the downtown supermarket when my friend and I ventured in for the few items we needed for our respective suppers. "This is going to be a mess," he said as we made our way through the throngs to the store. "How much do you need to get?" "Not much," I replied. And it should have gone just fine. But I lost focus in the wine aisle, and our progressings through the store fell out of sync, and I couldn't get his attention when I reached the checkout lanes. And by the time I made it through my line, the prospect of meeting up again was utterly hopeless.

Fortunately, my second outing of the day was more fulfilling. Heading out to the Path that Simply Ends, near sundown, I thought I'd walk as far as I could, as fast as I could, just to burn off steam before dinner. But then I found the snails, there in the weeds, and they stopped me cold and sent me scurrying home for my camera.


And then, beyond the snails, there were the cattle. They stared me down. It was fantastic. (Seriously, dude, look at the steer in the middle of the back; the one in the front was taking his turn staring, but the one in the back looks as though something important--though possibly not something under his control--is about to happen. Those wide, crazy eyes!)