Sheldon discusses hibernation

Whilst creeping through the kitchen the other night for a snack, a thought came to my head. Winter is here! What's a modern snail to do? And why am I not hibernating?

I remember hearing from some "older-generation" snails that there was a time when 'everyone' hibernated. (Of course they were probably biased by their own genus/species.) It was the only way for one to survive the bitter cold and lack of fresh produce. "Not one tender leaf or delicately pungent rot would be found - and that's when ya' knew it was time to seal up til Spring."

So I'm thinking all this while scraping at a bit of leek that C. left out for the four of us. We actually have a choice to seal up instead of watching Seinfeld re-runs, or playing with tinsel, or sitting here blogging! But that choice wouldn't exist if we weren't kept and cared for by humans who don't eat us. I am grateful for my circumstances.

But who knows.. maybe next year I'll try hibernating - a lot of snails still do every cold season, and maybe I'd even lose a couple of micrograms :)