After a day full of work and meetings and talks and way to less fun, it is time to do something total different.
The warm summer rain had just come to a gentle stop, leaving behind a world that sparkled with droplets. Pavements glistened, leaves shivered with leftover raindrops, and in this newly refreshed world, a small creature began its slow journey across the wet stones: a snail, or as it’s known in different parts of the world, escargot in French, Schnecke in German, and caracol in Spanish.
On the ground, half-soaked and fully determined, lay Detlev, a passionate nature enthusiast with a knack for finding beauty in the small wonders of the world. Today, that wonder was this humble snail, slowly inching its way across a gray, rain-washed path. The photographer, with mud clinging to his elbows and his trusty iPhone 13 Pro Max in hand, knew this was a moment worth capturing. He had spent countless minutes experimenting with the phone’s macro lens, and this, he thought, was the perfect subject.
The snail, known scientifically as Cornu aspersum, had no idea it was about to become the star of a photoshoot. It moved in its usual unhurried fashion, its soft, muscular foot gliding along the slick surface, leaving a shimmering trail of mucus behind. This trail, far from just a sticky inconvenience, was actually a clever adaptation. As Detlev would later note in his social media post at the feeless, fast, scalable and powerful #Hive blockchain with his perfectly edited shot, snail mucus not only helps them move smoothly but also protects their soft bellies from sharp objects and hungry predators. In some places, this mucus is even harvested for skincare products—caracol cosmetics, anyone?
The beer thinking photographer adjusted his iPhone, using the crisp zoom feature to get just the right angle to capture the snail’s tiny, alien-like face. The longer pair of tentacles waved in the air, topped with its tiny eyes, while the shorter pair below felt the ground, smelling and tasting as the snail navigated its world. Detlev smiled as he tapped the shutter button. "Alright, little Schnecke, give me your best side!" he whispered.
Snails are not the brightest of creatures—they don’t need to be. Their world is slow, steady, and filled with simple joys. Did you know that these little creatures can sleep for up to three years if the conditions are not right? Detlev thought about this as he continued to take photos.
"Three years? I can barely manage eight hours,"
he chuckled to himself.
The rain had brought out the earthy smell of the ground, the kind of smell that snails love. The fun loving photographer noticed how the escargot moved with renewed enthusiasm, perhaps enjoying the after-rain ambiance just as much as he was. As he rolled over to get another shot from a different angle, he nearly laughed out loud imagining what anyone passing by would think—an adult, lying face-down in the mud, completely absorbed in the slow, deliberate journey of a caracol.
"Do you know, little buddy," Detlev mused aloud to his tiny subject, "that you are part of one of the oldest animal groups on Earth? Your ancestors have been sliding around for over 500 million years!"
The snail, uninterested in its own ancient lineage, continued on its merry way, perhaps in search of a nice leaf to munch on. It’s a little-known fact that snails have a structure called a radula, like a tiny tongue covered in thousands of microscopic teeth, perfect for scraping up food. Detlev could almost hear the crunching sound in his head as he imagined this tiny powerhouse at work.
As he snapped picture after picture with his iPhone, the picture fan couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of this overlooked creature. Many people might find snails unremarkable—or worse, as garden pests—but Detlev saw the elegance in their simplicity. Their spiral shells, often overlooked, are mathematically perfect, following the Fibonacci sequence, a pattern found throughout nature, from sunflower seeds to hurricanes.
After an fair amount of of lying in the wet grass, his elbows now thoroughly caked in mud and his camera roll filled with close-ups of his slippery new friend, Detlev decided it was time to call it a day. He gave the snail a gentle nod of gratitude for its patience—though in truth, the snail had no clue it had been a part of anything other than its own slow quest and that all the #Hivians will see all the details at the blockchain.
The thirsty photographer stood up, stretching his legs, and felt a deep satisfaction wash over him. He knew exactly what he needed now: a good, cold Starnberger Helles beer. The thought of that crisp, refreshing bavarian helles for ending a day of lying in the mud—brought a smile to his face. He could already feel the coolness of the glass in his hand, the first taste of that smooth, malty flavor washing away the day’s grime.
As he packed up his gear, he took one last look at the little snail, now barely a few inches from where it had started.
“Take care, escargot,”
he said softly, and with that, he walked away, leaving the snail to its slow and steady adventure, with only the rain and the earth to guide its way.
With a spring in his step, Detlev headed toward his favorite local spot, already imagining the sound of the bottle opening and the first sip of his well-deserved Starnberger helles. And as the sun began to peek through the clouds again, he felt a sense of contentment—life, like the journey of a Schnecke, is best enjoyed slowly, savoring every little moment.
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@Detlev loves HIVE
