For two days in a row, I had the same quiet visitor.
Almost in the exact same spot, too.
A snake.
I have to admit — I love snakes. Not in the “I want one as a pet at home” kind of way… but out here, in nature, they feel right. Like they belong. Like they’re part of the balance that keeps everything in place.
And somehow, I feel protected knowing she’s around.



Yes — she, of course. I don’t know why, but it just feels like she is.
With the sun finally warming the grass snake (Zalktis) again, she has come out to bask in it. Both days, she was lying there, soaking up the heat, completely still, completely at peace. It felt like such a quiet, ancient moment — like time slowed down just a little.



I tried not to scare her. Walked a bit softer, moved a bit slower… as if we had an unspoken agreement to share the space. Actually, I went for snowdrops…
Maybe tomorrow she’ll be there again. I kind of hope she will.
Moments like this remind me what slow living really feels like.
Ilze
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Nice! Do you know what kind of snake is is? Like poiseness or not?
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The grass snake is the largest snake found in Latvia, typically growing between 1 and 1.5 meters in length. It is easily recognized by its grey to bluish-black body and the distinctive yellow-orange markings behind its head, often described as “ears.” This species is non-venomous and harmless to humans. In Latvian folklore, the grass snake was seen as a symbol of blessing—a guardian of the sun, believed to hold ancient wisdom. 🙂
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Cool! Thank you for the explanation. Venomous – I need to learn the difference between poison and venom. 🙂 But how nice the snake has a part in your folkore! I don’t think over here in the Netherlands we have that, although we do have the grass snake, over here named ‘ringslang’, ringed snake. We have adders too, but that is quite something else!
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Google says that Ringslang is the one I’m sharing… (Natrix natrix). It’s not venomous… It can bite, though!
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Amazing photos of the snake.
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Thank you, Mags 🙂
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Ironic that this is your St. Patrick’s Day post!
(St. Patrick is credited for banishing snakes from Ireland!)
Nice to meet you (again!),
James
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