It's the solstice today, so spring, at least according to the calender, is here! That seemed like a good reason for an extra post to my blog this week. :-)

Have you ever considered having a snail or slug as a pet? Or wonder how best to display that snail shell collection? Or wonder who the fastest snail is? Learn all this and more in The Secret World of Slugs and Snails: Life in the Very Slow Lane, by David George Gordeon, illustrations by Karen Luke Fildes. This was actually a very amusing book, the author has a dry wit that I enjoyed. On a cold morning, if one looks closely, it is possible to see a puff of exhaled sluggy breath! Oh, and sometimes, snails are faster than 'snail mail'!

It's spring, and a recommendation for The Pacific Northwest Garden Tour: the 60 Best Gardens to Visit in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia by Donald Olsen comes not from me, but from two of my gardening, traveling, reading, friends. And yes, the book was interesting, but as a non-gardener I thought those who truly love working in their yards would make for better 'recommend -ders'. ;-)

Here's another wonderful seasonal alphabet from Steven Schnnur and Leslie Evans: Spring: an Alphabet Acrostic. (Winter may be found on the December 30, 2014 post). Once again there are delightful pictures from hand colored linoluem cuts, and clever text that can be read both across and down.

Here comes allergy season ....

Reading Hermit with Dog