Standing Tall

Standing tall ....unlike me. I am wilting with exhaustion having looked after Max for part of the day and then driven 100 km round trip Dunsborough Margaret River twice this afternoon in a couple of hours. I went to collect Lulu after school so that she could meet her half-brother Ronnie. While it was tiring, especially the drive back in the dark, it was a good thing to do as Lulu was so excited about her new baby brother.

We drove back at dusk and I almost drove past this tree when I decided to stop and photograph it. The photo was taken in a bit of a rush as I was aware that I had to get Lulu home for bed asap as she had school again in the morning.

I'm too tired to write further and think I might come back and edit this in the morning if I have time. Big pack up and then 270km drive to Perth....But bed now.

My additional contemplation after a nights sleep: I have driven past this tree often and always notice it. I love seeing the branches of trees without their foliage. In Europe after the trees have dropped their leaves many of them stand tall and proud in the landscape..majestic...and often symmetrical and graceful in their shape. They are strong and even though they don't have leaves they are alive. In Australia the trees tend to be evergreen and so to see a tree such as this means that it has died...and the structure of the tree appear as though life was a struggle as the branches are twisted as though writhing in pain. The struggle for life has been caught for all to see in its dead state.

Tom has driven with me between Margaret River and Perth on several occasions, and on more than a few I have mentioned how much I like to see the shape of trees silhouetted against the sky. "I love dead trees" I say and then qualify the statement..