Tree Bones

My walk on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to school takes me through a cemetery which is also an arboretum. It is a beautiful piece of land and the most secluded section of my walk. I walk through a park near our house and then next to a reservoir. Both, however have a great deal of street noise with the reservoir walking path close to one of the major commuter routes. The connector streets between these pieces of nature are not too long, so most of my walk is surrounded by trees, birds, and other wildlife. One day in the cemetery, I even came across a coyote.

Today's walk led me past an amazingly still reservoir. Yesterday, the cold wind was making the waves choppy enough to splash noisily on the shore. Today, the pond was almost wrinkle free.

Today, I was struck both in the morning and upon my return trip by this tree. It is beginning to gain color in the tips of its branches, a reddish hue, and I am sure leaves will follow. Right now, however, the stark whiteness of its branches and trunk stand in stark contrast to the emerging color of spring. It is almost as if the snows, now dirty piles hiding in building shadows, is making one final statement.