... Journal Entry
I like photographing trees, through the stages of their lives, through the turning of the seasons. To us humans they are powerful symbols of growth, death and rebirth as well as eternity, immortality and fertility. They are glorious things and good for our sense of well being.
Most trees have long and glorious lives; for example, oaks are magnificent trees that are large and slow growing, they can reach an age of 600 or more years, a diameter of 13 feet and a height of 145 feet whilst the common yew tree, an ever green, can grow to a huge size, and ancient yew trees are common in churchyards, some considered to be thousands of years old.
It is an occasion of great sadness when an old friend becomes a victim of a great storm as the one above did, although it was aging and becoming rotten in its core thus less able to withstand strong winds. Sorry to see it go. But the falling of old trees makes way for renewal and the shoots of new life as we shall see.
Watching deciduous trees as they cycle through the seasons is one of the joys of nature, starting with appearance of blossom on such trees a cherry, hawthorn, blackthorn, plum and crab apple in Spring. Accompanied by the flush of bright green new growth as the leaves reappear on all the deciduous trees after their bare hibernation of Winter.
The mighty trees with their full Summer growth, some evergreen and some deciduous, tall and proud and providing much welcome shade on long hot Summer's days.
On to the "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness", the riotous yellows, golds and reds of Autumn, as the deciduous trees start to shed their leaves in readiness for their sleep through Winter.
The trees slumbering in Winter, sans leaves showing the wonderful architectural structure of their branches, hidden at any other time of the year. Amazing thing your tree.
Finally renewal; the sapling beginning its new life, to grow into the next generation of the mighty tree that will span the short lives of us puny humans. Trees are awesome and no wonder many of us like to go "forest bathing" or put more simply wandering about in amongst the woods and arboretums for the good of our health and peace of mind.
Plus lots of us like to take photographs of them too. They make for strong subjects.