Zero at the bone

Several of nature's people I know, and they know me; I feel for them a transport of cordiality; But never met this fellow, attended or alone, without a tighter breathing, and zero at the bone. (Dickinson)
I profess to being unafraid of snakes. I even feel "cordiality" towards them. But yesterday, when I went to cut some of the last hydrangeas, I headed for a lovely bloom to find myself eye-to-eye with one of nature's people. I confess to jumping back! He had his tail twined around the stem of the flower, so I went on and cut other blossoms, a little away from him, and took them in the house. I brought my camera back out, thinking he would have gone, but he was still there, waiting to have his picture taken. So here he is!