points of navigation: Holy shit a snail! and other stories

I found a snail in my garden today! A full one inch bodied Snail! Have you ever seen one in real life? Like crossing the street or under a leaf or anything? I thought they just existed in childish humor about being slow, or in European fairy tails. But there it was, under my garden growth, and when I cleared the leaves out of the way, there were two caterpillars with it! This is like a live version of Alice in Wonderland! I wanted to ask them where the hooka was! Incredible.

If you can't tell I'm rather enamoured by my garden and the things I find there. The simplest things amaze me like a schoolchild. Like putting seeds in the ground and having them sprout! I mean how does that even happen!? These seeds are TINY! Where does this life, this energy come from?
I even stopped to ponder the snails shell and how it was made. I mean, okay sure, I've seen snails and clams and they don't have the "awesome-ness" of like a whale shark or pink dolphin (click the links). But it amazes me just as much to ask where that shell came from. How did this creature begin to form it and how?
At least its something to think about while digging.

I thought I would also show what some of my yard looks like. And I do mean yard, as in, the part that isn't my "garden". And yet it is. Because as some of you may or may not know - I don't mow my yard. This does not create an overgrown jungle surrounding my house... or, well okay it kinda does, but not in the way you think.
The grass doesn't grow too tall really, I assume because I haven't "trained" it to grow and grow and grow by mowing. Also the moss and other creeping weeds keep it in check. There are a number of things I call "weeds" in my yard. Honestly I almost call anything that I didn't plant there myself a weed. But the dandelions are the only ones I pull out with a vengeance. Many of the others are quite pretty and make my yard more interesting.
My pokeberry emerged as a part of this "wildification" of my yard. And that was a great seasonal experience I might have mentioned to some. Also these great tiny white flowers are poking out of everywhere, along with a vining of purplish heads. Here I'll show you:

I've kinda only stumbled into this whole "re-wilding" landscape thing, as in, I just never bought a mower. (I looked into getting a push one but found out to my dismay that you need to mow more often because they only work on short stubly grass) But honestly its so obvious that its exactly what my yard would be like. I actually would like as little lawn as possible. I have a picture of a part of my garden I use as inspiration towards developing an ultimate theme in the yard. Its just stones and moss and plants.