Winter is a wonderful time to indulge in a little tree gazing. I must confess to being a bit of a tree hugger, but more than just hugging I love to feast my eyes on their fabulousness too. Its an activity that can take place at any time of year, but I feel in winter you really get to see the essence of the tree, without all the distracting frippery of leaves, flowers and berries (if its a deciduous tree of course). Its easier to see the shape of the canopy, and the structure of the branches; the various different types of tree having a different arrangement and so a unique silhouette. I loved the way that the trees in the picture at the top were turned golden, lit up from the side by the low level winter light. Something you wouldn't see at any other time of year. In the tryptic below, the branches on the tree on the left look like the internal structure of a lung to me; I loved all the burrs on the trunk of the middle tree; and the what a fabulous lattice pattern the branches on the evergreen on the right form. Why not go and do a bit of tree gazing yourself this weekend - you may get funny looks, but you won't notice because you're looking up!
