Like this diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer), I’m barely keeping my head above water today.  In my case, the water is me being sick as a dog.  Mind muddied and fogged.  Body rebelling against me.  Somebody put the major hurt on me, that’s for sure.

Because I have little interest or ability to do more than drink warm tea and huddle beneath a blanket, and since I never want to leave you without something to do with all your spare time, why don’t you visit a couple of fun carnivals instead of loitering around here like you have nothing better to do?

Friday Ark #278 will float your boat if you like cats, dogs, birds, or pretty much any other kind of critter that host Steve runs across in his web travels.  This is one flood of creature comforts that you don’t want to miss.

House of Herps #2 is presented by someone I’ve grown rather fond of, Ted C. MacRae, one heck of a nice man with gobs of smarts and a sharp wit.  He’s done a bang-up job of hosting the carnival centered on all things amphibian and reptilian.  Hop on over there and slither through his fantastic presentation.

[of note on the snake: it was about six feet/two meters long, it lingered patiently in the creek while I snapped a photo, and its entire length draped back through the water and seemed to dangle gently from its head]