Self portrait Friday-posted Monday

I spent my Friday in a sandy forest of Jeffrey pines. It was a beautiful forest not too crowded full of light and open space, I did not get that feeling of claustrophobia like I do in so many dark deep forest. A Jeffrey pine has deeply furrowed bark that is a beautiful red/rust color. Guide books say the smell of the bark is vanilla or butterscotch. I'm not sure but it did smell sweet and piney it was wonderful. The pinecones have a needle that grows towards the inside of the cone thus the pine tree is known as the "gentle Jeffrey". I liked that being in a forest of gentle giants, their arms lightly swaying in the breeze reaching for the sun. I leaned my back against that tree and felt its firmness and power. All starting from a little seed from a cone I could hold in my hand, I marvel at nature at is simplistic power. There is so much I can learn from that-about keeping things simple.