While driving home from a photo shoot a few weeks ago, I came across this beautifully shaped tree just before sunset. It was the single largest tree standing alone in a field along Bells Cove Road near Pelham.
The silhouette against the setting sun caught my eye as I drove by. I pulled over at the next drive and walked back with my camera in hand to check out the scene.
As I chose this composition in my viewfinder, wispy clouds floated in, framing the tree perfectly. I metered on the deepest part of the blue sky to get the correct exposure.
This valley is an idyllic setting, complete with rolling hills, grazing cattle and beautiful trees. When I see a giant like this one, I always wonder how much history the older-growth tree has witnessed. Was it there when Native Americans hunted bison across these grasslands? Did it witness the first European settlers arriving? Was it in the valley when Civil War soldiers fought and died nearby?
No one knows for sure what all it has seen or what it will see in the future, but suffice to say, it will be covered in green leaves again soon, providing shade in the heat of summer and a mast for foraging animals this fall.
April is a perfect time to celebrate trees with the recognition of National Arbor Day on April 25. To learn more, check out arborday.org/celebrate/globe.
