Summer snails

It has rained pretty much every day for the past two months in Houston as far as I can remember. Maybe my dates are slightly off. But every day, whether it's a brief shower at 3 a.m., a downpour in the evening, or a drizzle in the morning, it has managed to rain for as long as I can remember. This is quite wonderful. It means that the turtles in the turtle ponds have enough water. It means that the tiny toad population just outside, is burgeoning. And it means everything is green, lush and lovely. Also, there are quite a few mosquitoes. But they have their purpose too.

It seems like a good time to celebrate with some cooling images like these -- dark, watery colors, the gentle silent presence of a snail at night, and a patter of rain. The contrast might recall black velvet art, but I can't lay claim to that artistic medium quite yet. Oh wait, but I do have a small collection of unpainted black velvet paint-by-number kits....well, perhaps another time.

"Blue Dandelions"

5 x 7 acrylic painting on flat canvas board

"Violet Rain"

5 x 7 acrylic painting on flat canvas board

And while they were not present in my garden at the time of these paintings, we do get some awfully cute and awesome big snail friends here, looking to eat my herbs.

 

But really, if you can't spare a sage leaf for these little guys, you're not living life to its fullest!