Garter Snake: Emmons’ Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, USA, May 2026 — I know snakes are not everyone’s favorite creature, but they have, to my eye, a beauty all their own. Not cuddly by any means, but if you admire efficiency, the snake is kind of elegant with efficiency. And it is hard to miss the intelligence in the eye. This is a relatively large Garter snake, going on 4 feet long, and rather than slither away under the leaves, it chose to freeze in place, head up and alert. I spent 10 minutes with it, and it was still in this pose when I walked on. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 Contemporary at 450mm and 77mm equivalent fields of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.