Twisted grape vine

It's too early to be thinking about summer, but when I spotted this tightly-coiled grapevine leaning against a shrub, I thought immediately of that Chubby Checker classic about doing the twist during the warm weather. Memories of doing that dance—I was a pretty good twister once—made me smile, and I didn't at all mind that the tune had ear-wormed its way into my brain. As I looked at the vine that had triggered the reminiscence, I marveled at its size: boa constrictor-, heck, almost python-thick, and very long, reaching perhaps 50 feet—uncoiled—into a tree top. It was, no doubt, quite old. I found references to grape vines that had been around for more than 400 years, and while this one isn't close to that milestone, it may well be past the half-century mark. I don't think it makes grapes anymore, but it's certainly healthy enough right now—twisting happily, no matter what the season.