Trees are the ultimate story tellers.
Hidden between their rings of time are tales of: injury, drought, hardship, growth, peace, insect invasions and forest fires.
Dendrochronology, the study and interpretation of tree rings can tell us everything we need to know about a tree's history.
When I came across this fallen tree I couldn't help stopping to count its rings.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered it is about the same age as I am;
Middle age for me, but quite young for a tree.
Its bark,
A roadmap of life,
Filled with light and dark, highs and lows,
Reflects a beauty that comes with time and age.
The tree's stump tells us the final part of this story.
You can see why it had to be cut down...
It remains in the ground,
a marker for a tree that held this spot for fifty-some years.