The Brown "Nut"

It was a cold and dreary day, but I was eager to get back to Wildwood after ten days in Wisconsin (where it was really cold!) visiting our grandchildren. After riding in our van for a day and a half, I needed to stretch my legs and breathe fresh air.
I began my short hike at the south end of the park and walked briskly along the bike path, soon reaching the wetland near the Main Street entrance. My camera had stayed snugly tucked in its case because a mist of rain had begun shortly after I arrived at Wildwood, and my hands were too cold to press buttons. At the water's edge, I saw a few large dandelions looking like sunbeams in the grass and plants. I also noticed a medium sized brown nut among the flowers. I knew that there were no nut trees in the area so I stooped down to get a closer look and saw a slug curled over an unopened bloom. Out came my camera - I couldn't leave Wildwood without a few photos!

The slug slowly stretched out, and I continued snapping. I watched it stretch out its tentacles to explore its surroundings.  

     The rain and mist left beads of water on the jewelweed seedlings that were also beginning to sprout.

As I reflect on that moment, I realize that unpleasant weather had drawn me to a lovely creature that I probably would have overlooked if other flowers and critters had been more abundant and I had been taking lots of pictures. And yes, I do think that the slug has a peculiar beauty of its own.