Snag

I've discovered this great area to hike in that is fairly close by. I was able to break away from the house selling issues and consulting issues for a while today to take a short hike in the hills. The air was cool and crisp and the light was fairly sharp. After a fairly strenuous hike up to the top, I found this dead, burnt out snag. It has probably been hit by lightning since the surrounding trees seemed just as old and healthy enough. I wanted to take this shot from a different angle, but I noticed a timber rattler sunning himself on the rock at the same place where I wanted to take my shot from. I would have thought that they would be hibernating by now, but I guess the warmer temperatures have caused them to stay awake a bit longer. I thought about getting closer to take a photo of him, but decided to not chance disturbing him. Also, it made me a bit more concerned about running into his family members. So, all I ended up with is this snag.