The Pines of...Milford?!

In the early 20th century, Ottorino Respighi composed a symphonic poem called "The Pines of Rome" which is to this day one of my favorite pieces of music. If you don't know it, you should go buy it - it's one of those things that can only be experienced. If you read up on the story of what was in the composer's mind as you listen, amazing pictures spring up in your mind. Well, they do for me anyways. Heh.

Fall is a wonderful time. We went out to the Proud Lake state recreation area a few days ago and came away with these pictures. For some reason, pine forests are inspiring to me. I love the majesty of the arrow straight trees, the way the deep carpet of needles underneath your feet scrunches quietly...the sound of the tree branches clanking together as the trees sway in the breeze...


Mystery:


Life is a journey, and I keep seeing paths everywhere:


Coniferous trees are amazing. They look cool, they smell good and they are made up of different stuff than deciduous trees:


You see some interesting things when you walk through the pine forest. Everything is covered in a blanket of needles...even the emergent trees trying to grow up under the shadow of their brothers:


Well, they may not be redwoods, (I think my fave in the whole world...well, the whole world I've seen so far...) but they'll do in a pinch. More than do, actually.