Witness Tree, as Viewed from Childhood's Gate

I loved the story from the very first moment I heard it: the tale of the Witness Tree that was brought to Penn State on a flatbed truck. The  mighty oak would be one of the very first things planted in our Arboretum, so it could bear witness to the gardens that would spring up around it.

I know that trees don't usually travel far, but this one took an epic journey. It's doing really great, and I stop by to say hi to it pretty much any time I am in the gardens. The Arboretum's red elm is a favorite too, as you have probably noticed. Yes, I am a girl who loves trees.

On this particular morning, I was driving my car for what felt like the first time in AGES. The weather has been quite wintry in Pennsylvania, and I've been riding the bus a lot in the past month or so. So it was awesome to have my own wheels . . . and those wheels, they felt . . . like WINGS!

I stopped on my way to work and spent 15 minutes taking pictures at the Arboretum. This one above is a shot I've been working on, of the Witness Tree, framed by the colorful transformation canopy at Childhood's Gate, the children's garden at the Arboretum.

Even in its bare winter incarnation, the tree is beautiful. Rock on, witness bearer! And I, just a girl with a camera, well, I can and will bear witness as well. . . . Yes, I shall do the same.

The song: Dusty Springfield, with Can I Get a Witness.