that was no small snake

Yesterday I was taking a walk through the Lost Gardens of Heligan. At the lower end of the Jungle area a path called the Georgian Ride takes you through some beautiful woodland blanketed in wild garlic and bluebells. At the furthest point south a charcoal sculpture by James Eddy can be found.

As you can see I was drawn to take a closer look at this fine work of art. Depending on the angle the sculpture took on different appearances. From one viewpoint it looked like a witches hat. From another perspective it looked like a mountain top. And then from another outlook it took on the shape of a helter skelter.

While walking around the back of this giant edifice I stepped off the trail into the brambles and nettles to respond to the call of nature. Three steps into the undergrowth and the ground started unravelling and moving before my eyes. In the blink of an eye I focused onto the movement and realised it wasn't the ground moving, it was a snake! Over the years I've seen a few small snakes slide across my path. On these previous occasions no alarm was triggered by such experiences, that is until today. For this snake that unfurled itself in front of my foot was huge. A scream of realisation and a sharp turn of foot and I was out of the long grass back onto the path gasping for breath. The last thing I expected to encounter down in the depths of Cornwall was a massive grass snake.

On returning home recounting my story I learnt that when a snake appears in your life it is quite auspicious. It is for some the foreteller of transformation, rebirth and change. Bring it on I say. After the last couple of weeks I am up for some life shifts. Watch this space ...

If you are wondering what a grass snake looks like, check out the picture below.