^^Sort of looks like somekind of eel-like griffin mystical beast thing is wrapped around the tree circles.
A picture I took of a notable red oak tree protected by the state of Connecticut: You can't really tell, but it was impossible to get the entire thing in one shot. It's massive, and although it doesn't look big in my picture, 'tis. I think this is the tallest red oak in Connecticut.
Looks very similar to a famous oak tree on Martha's Vineyard, Isl (not surprisingly in Oak Bluffs) Hotwater