Bare trees along the Great Marsh Trash – Indiana Dunes National Park. Are they just brown and boring or is there elegance in the unadorned trees? What do you think?
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heaven’s Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Dramatic composition, but it looks very bleak to me!
I can understand that, Cheryl. After weeks of gray skies, the warmth of sunshine and blue skies brings me hope. I also had the advantage of hearing the sound of bird song that had been missing for a few months. I have to admit that this exact same scene on a gray day did seem desolate to me as well. 😉
They are anything but boring. More like beautiful.
Your comment is much appreciated. 😊
Tho I would rather say [austere beauty] than [elegance], I agree that bare trees are not just brown and boring.
Admirably patient, they wait out the winter in sure and certain hope that spring will come again.
I am patiently waiting for spring as well. 😊
Ummm, you’re asking a native Hoosier that question, and I’m not crazy about unadorned trees unless there are twists or something exotic about them or they are covered with snow or ice. I’m wondering if the ones that are straight sticks are alive.
There is an oak preserve in Visalia, CA along the freeway up to Sequoia National Park. The group that manages it doesn’t believe in altering it one bit to clean out the dead trees and brush because of wildlife that lives or might live there. The oak trees that they are trying to preserve are not thriving as they did when the Native Americans cared for them 100 years ago. (So I am told by a Native American friend of mine.) I can respect the philosophy of preservation, but I would prefer to have it hidden away somewhere more private than along the freeway and even then groomed a bit.
I completely understand, Marsha. You may be right that the straight sticks not being alive any longer and I have heard about the philosophy of preservation that you mentioned in California.
I think this area pictured here, the Great Marsh, is maintained by the Indiana Dunes National Park as opposed to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. From my observations while hiking the trails on an almost daily basis, both the IDNP and IDNR seem to do a pretty good job of balancing the tough job of maintaining the natural habitat while cleaning things up a bit. At this site in particular (the Great Marsh), they have tried to keep the trees, tall grass, and shrubs from overtaking the marsh and wetlands completely. As I am sure you already know, we have a large number and variety of birds that migrate through here and the loss of the wetlands would be devastating to some. It must be a difficult task to maintain the delicate balance.
I would love to spend some time at Sequoia National Park. Maybe one of these day I’ll make it there. 😊
They do a beautiful job. The last time I was there was during the fall, and as you know and have photographed, it is a gorgeous place in the fall. I have to say that is my favorite time to photograph. It was freezing cold there the day my brother and I visited, but it was so pretty.
There was a huge fire in the Sequoia National Park last year, I think. Fortunately, Sequoia trees survive fires well. Fire is the way the pine cones open up and are germinated. I haven’t seen it since the big fire, and since we live in AZ now, I don’t get to it often. (More often than to IN, though!) Thanks for your wonderful post and listening to my environmental rant. 🙂
I didn’t think it was a rant at all. You care about nature as do I.
How do you like living in Arizona? I hope you don’t mind me asking. It is one of the places we are considering moving to when my hubby retires. 😊
We love it. There is so much to see here. We settled in Prescott which is cooler than the valley – Phoenix and warmer than Flagstaff in the mountains. We have a condo that we rent in Scottsdale, near Phoenix. We love it down there as well. The weather right now is in the 60s. Our weather is about 20 degrees above that. Come see us some time.
We have talked about doing that. Time will tell. 😊
Well, let me know if you come. I’d love to meet you!
I definitely will. 😊
Some are more dignified than others.
Very true. 😉
There is dignity in old snags.
There sure is. 😂.
Thoughtful words accomplish much.