Northern water snake

Sunday morning we saw a most unusual sight for an early February morning. The previous morning, when we first visited Gilbert Lake, we saw beautiful ice petals. Now Saturday was warm and Sunday promised to be so too, but to see a reptile out-and-about in the winter is a strange sight. This was on our second visit to Gilbert Lake in two days. We had already turned-around and were headed back to the car, when he came upon this guy who was standing on the levee road. When we stopped to speak with him, he pointed out the snake to us. It was right along the edge of the Illinois River’s bank and was still pretty much covered in mud. I don’t know if it had wiggled out of the mud or swam ashore. It looked like it was still in a winter torpor, but it was basking in the sun and seemed reasonably happy there. It was easily over six-feet long. Today, a cold front passed through town and temperatures have been falling. It is now below freezing and snowing. I can’t help but wonder what that snake is doing now?