Some Trees Of Winter...

The time was ripe for a walk, and some therapeutic picture taking. Photography has become my chief way to clear the grey cells.  Hanging out with Mother Nature is another way that's right up there.  I took these yesterday (Friday).

After venturing out to an appointment mid-morning, I was pleased to see that the sky was growing dimmer, and the air started to cool.  The yin to go for an afternoon walk hit me, and thankfully it was still light enough out.  These shorter days of Winter throw me off.  I don't mind the longer nights as night is my favorite portion of the day, but I do require a certain amount of natural light for my flash-less photographs.

I could tell that there was a cloud cover rolling in, so I didn't plan to stay out long.  There was a possibility of scattered showers.  These types of forecasts never result in rain of any kind, but I didn't want to take the chance of getting caught 'out in it'.

From the moment I walked out the front door, a wind blew errantly across the small front porch.  The mood was beginning to darken as the grey clouds slowly took over.  There were patches of blue in the sky that were slowly disappearing.  As I headed toward the main entrance to the condos, my eyes were drawn to the stark nakedness of many of the trees.  Clear signs of Winter's presence.

The first shot I took is above.  The dark green masses dotting the chaotic collection of branches are the parasitic Mistletoe.  Mistletoe, although a symbol of fertility and Christmas's smooch inducer, is of the variety of plants that live off of other plants.  The usual host of choice for the poisonous growth is the Oak Tree, but I am pretty sure that the trees in the photo are not Oaks.  Oaks are built of stouter stuff.

I am a big fan of trees.  Period.  The trees of Fall and Winter are my faves. Fall for the colors.  Winter for the eerie delicacy some of the trees that drop their leaves take on.

The above picture is of dry and spent seed pods on a Crape Myrtle tree.  The fissures in them are really interesting looking.  I really like the dark quality of the pods in the picture, but in a few places you can make out some of the openings.  They are subtle, but they are there.

The wind was really blowing and the Spanish Moss hanging from the Sweet Gum tree above were swaying back and forth.  I was trying to get a shot of the moss hanging from the pictured branches, but the moss moved continually.  The tree is covered with the prickly sticky balls (a.k.a. monkey balls) the Sweet Gum produces. Although prickly, they do not really stick/prick the skin.

I continued on my route, cutting across the grassy area at the far end of the last building of our condo division, and swung back towards home by way of the marsh.  I came across the naked trees...well, naked except for the ever present and abundant moss...in these two pictures.  Over on the marsh side of the buildings, these stark trees created an atmosphere that felt like Halloween.  But then I do find the Halloween in everything...

I arrived back at home.  Feeling Zen and re-energized.  

Just as I predicted...no rain...