Well, the strawberries could no longer be kept a secret -- they've become much too prolific for that. This is about 1/3 of what I brought in from the yard this morning.

Unfortunately, the slimy critters (snails and slugs) are in-the-know as well. It was time to set my slug traps. So, I called the only person in the world I know who wouldn't bat an eye at my calling to ask for a beer before 7:00am -- my father-in-law. His only question for me was, "Is one enough, or do you need more?" I love that man! (Now that our county is "wet," I guess I could've just purchased some for myself. But, I thought better of swinging through the gas station to pick up a cold 6-pack after I'd dropped the kids off at school. It's a small town, you know.)

This year, I opted for smaller plastic tubs. These are little whipped butter containers that are probably only 4 inches in diameter and about 3 inches deep. I cut out a couple of notches around the top edge, dug them little holes to set in (so that the cut-out notches are about ground-level), added about an inch of beer, and placed the lids on.

If they work as well as last year, I'll have several critters floating in there by morning. Last year, I used sour-cream-sized containers, and they worked fine. I think I'll prefer these smaller ones, though, because they hide better amidst the plants (you can barely even see the one pictured above) and it takes less beer to fill them an inch deep, leaving more leftover for you to either consume in celebration of your imminent victory over the snails or save to refill your traps when you need them again. :)