There was a big old tree in a town not far from here that fell suddenly. It had the same affect on me--I couldn't believe it just wasn't going to be there anymore. So, yeah, I get this!!

nicely caught...and feel the pain!

You've never been one to express anything shallow and so it isn't surprising to know how much you'd miss this tree. I remember you telling ME about it, especially since I saw this picture long before you posted it here! It's better seeing it here, because it's a good one...I like the intense color and the kind of starkness despite the blue sky, the greenery, the warmth, the life and all of that. It's very complex and in many ways, contradictory. There's a wealth of bittersweet emotion in this--partly because of what you wrote and partly because of what you captured digitally. There's no real "partly" about any of this really...because the image stands so perfectly on its own, as do your words...together they're just...well...wow. This is another favorite...but it's funny, you knew that before you posted this. It rocks. Or as a someone we both know would say. "It is sufficient."

It's always sad to see a tree lost. We see that at least once a year here, when the Santa Ana Winds come around.

A lone tree standing like that is always a beacon, a marker. They seem to have significance, presence ... they MATTER. One among many is different. Part of a crowd. I can see why you were so moved by this. Simply as a photograph, even with no story, this is moving. The colors are gorgeous ... the saturation point you've chosen is perfect to suit the mood of the piece. Nicely done!

I know exactly what you mean. It looks as if it will regenerate into a bushy version of its former self, if the council allows!

Very moody picture.

It is funny, but so true. There was this old Victorian house, you know the kind with the tower, on the corner of 19th ave and 58th street in Kenosha. For years whenever we would pass it I would tell my mom I was going to live there someday. When I was older I threw the kids in the car and was going to show them it. It was gone and my heart just sank.

This image and words bring so many thoughts to my mind. For the sake of brevity, I'll leave out my Grandmother's house, which is no more, and stick to the trees. There is a glorious tree that stands in an insipid spot near where I work. It stands in the parking lot of a shopping plaza behind an Arby's. I drive by it every day that I go to work. From my office upstairs, I can see it towering over Arby's in a city where few trees tower. When I used to cashier downstairs, I would often gaze across at it and marvel at its beauty in a drab, inspirationess landscape. When I use the drive-through at Arby's I pass beneath its branches. I often think that it deserves a better setting, but I enjoy its presence in my life. The second trees are a pair of pines, in the schoolyard where my sister Leslie and I frequently played. They had beautiful roots that intertwined with each other. We were very familiar with those roots as they became the rooms of a home for our trolls as we played. I moved to New Jersey when I was 11 and did not see that school again until I was in my mid-twenties. One day we decided to check out the environments of our youth. We understood why, but were amazed at how small everything looked. Distances had shrunk dramatically and nothing seemed quite right. The two trees still stood like sisters in close companionship. They also seemed smaller but when I looked at the intertwining roots they were so right. Your picture and words make me want to visit again and see if they are still there, and to try to capture the tree at work in a way that will show its glory blazing through its surroundings. Your narrative and image express your thoughts so well. It is a fitting tribute to a lost friend and a reminder to us all to be aware of our interconnectedness with the world around us. Beautifully done!