A Tree I Shall Be, For A Tree Shall Hug Thee.....

"Icarius watched over their growth with the same love he had for his trees,..."
              -p.39 The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony

Trees are possibly my favorite plant. Growing up in the Midwest meant lots of deciduous and coniferous trees. Back home I have six trees in my backyard (three crab apple trees and three large trees that I'm not sure the names of - one of them is a helicopter tree) and one in the front. I used to spend my free time climbing our front yard tree and I remember pulling up a basket full of books and coloring books to keep me preoccupied. I also remember the numerous times I ran into the house to extract the piece of bark that fell in my eye. In my opinion trees truly are creations of beauty, power, and strength. Even God placed two of the most important aspects of human life into trees:

       "And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground -- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for good. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."
                  -- Genesis 2:9 (NIV)

Below are a few photos I've taken of trees amplifying their beauty!