Snake!

 

I saw this northern water snake lounging on a tangle of branches on the shore of a pond in a park in Evesham Township, New Jersey. It was about four feet long. Big! The northern water snake feeds on fish and amphibians, which it swallows alive. These snakes are supposed to be common in the eastern United States, especially in the north -- but I rarely see them. I think it's draped nicely over the branches, like the pose of a snake on a caduceus. Click to enlarge the photo and follow its long twining tail through the twigs. Blends in, doesn't it?

And a nice zinnia for color. Zinnias are having their moment right now.