Even from a second story window, I still can't see the top of the mighty oak that stands stretching to the heavens just eight feet away from our house. Five trunk-sized branches stem out from the top of its core as the shade from this tree covers half of our yard and a good portion of our neighbors'. If I were to give this magnificent tree a hug, it would take three of me to encircle its entire circumference. Squirrels get their morning exercise running in a candy cane striped pattern around and up the trunk. Then branching out, these nimble little creatures can leap to just about anywhere they want to go. Now and then, I'll be awakened by an ornery one as it perches safely above the world and scolds the other squirrels for coming near it. Who could blame it, though? If you snooze, you lose, and the first one to the top of this leafy tower earns its bragging rights.
As I gaze upon my treasured tree several times each day, no one time is in less awe than another. I think of the countless Michigan storms it has survived. I'm grateful for its strength. The breadth of its leaves makes me look at the ground and imagine how far its roots must go. I'd like to know if someone before me had planted this tree or if it had sprouted from a squirrel's buried treasure. Either way, for the joy of those who come after me, I hope its days will outlast mine. I hope others will greet the morning with this tree in their view and realize what a gift it truly is.
The picture above is of a fossil out of Lake Michigan. It has me puzzled. I think it may be part of a horn coral, but I'm not sure, so if anyone out there knows what it is, please let me know. I found it this week, put oil on it, and photographed it over sand with natural sunlight. I used an ink-line filter in Photoshop, along with a frame effect. I chose this picture because if you turn it vertically, it resembles a tree.
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