No Slimy Tracks For Me

This week's prompt for GBE 2, Upset, had triggered so many thoughts.
I looked up many definitions of the word for inspiration.
I reviewed my week for issues that had upset me.
Then it came to me like a cold front.
For the past few weeks, I have heard again and again.

What lovely weather this is

or

This could be the warmest winter in decades

or

I love this weather.

I want you to know that this weather is very UPSETTING to me.
Why, WHY you ask?
because a warm winter warns of Sluggowar 2012 in the Frizzy garden.

Hey, did you know that?
☹Slugs remain active in 41° F. Active. Meaning reproducing. Meaning eating vegetable matter.
☹Number of eggs one gray garden slug can lie in a year: 400. Hundreds of baby snails could be hatching everyday the weather remains above average.
☹As hermaphrodites, slugs have both male and female sex organs which allow any two to mate.That is nasty and means more slug eggs.
☹Many predators-birds, squirrels, and mice stay away from slugs and snails because of their horrible taste.
☹Slugs are territorial and will attack caterpillars and other slug “intruders.” Slugs are the bullies of the garden pests?
☹When slugs’ teeth wear out new rows move forward and replace them, conveyor-belt style.
☹Favorite foods include: strawberries, leafy plants, and some root vegetables.Yeah, my poor berries and greens. Have you ever halved a cabbage only to find a slug in its center?
☹A small slug can eat as much as it weighs sometimes twice that amount in one night.
☹Only 5% of the slug population appears above ground at any time. This fact makes me feel icky

Those vile things are reproducing. Right now. Right now in my garden.Slug on slug sex.

a dewy dampness–

morning sunshine reflects

in slimy tracks

All I can do is try to turn over the soil when it warms up so that the next time it freezes, the frost will zap slug eggs.

I have to begin my anti-slug campaign early if I expect to harvest my strawberries this Spring. And my collards, cabbages and lettuce, What will become of them???? I must work quickly.

My checklist
1. Collect egg shells. Sprinkle them on the garden all Winter
2. Use beer to attract and drown slugs
3. Use pitchfork or rake to turn over soil
4. Find the pool supply stuff my Dad uses to "guillotine" them
5. Collect coffee grounds to place around the strawberry patch

I am heading to the garden store this week to get started.

On a bright side, this week's prompt made me think of one of my favorite poems
I Meant To Do My Work Today
by Richard LeGallienne
I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand,
So what could I do but laugh and go?