Thinking about Latvia

We’re having unpredictable but extreme weather. Snow, ice, roiling skies, overcast, then warm, a splash of sun, then suddenly cold again. It’s hell on people living in the streets.

Raksala, Livonia (now Latvia) is where my great-grandparents lived,106 miles east of Riga (two and a half hours by car), and on a direct line 470 miles west of Moscow. Raksala is very near Teicu dabas Rezervats, a gigantic bog, home to protected plants, mosses, and invertebrate animals, as well as cranes, geese, and maybe ghosts. It is cold, with snow from October to May. Sara Evans mentioned that it’s no further north than northern England, which is true, but inner Latvia is not protected by the ocean currents that warm England. I found this rather wonderful video that combines a Latvian rap song (who knew?) with nature video from the area near Raksala. There’s also a shorter video taken in the bog during summer, with music by Simply Three. 

For those who can see Extras, here’s another photo of my marvelously sturdy great-grandparents, with someone rather hilariously photobombing in the background. Sue and I have decided she’s the milk maid.