As Lovely as a Tree

The American poet Joyce Kilmer once wrote:

I think that I shall never see

a poem lovely as a tree

I also hold a special affection for trees.

When I was a kid, I spent long hours hiking through oak groves south of my home, 

and today my husband and I live in a neighborhood that is heavily forested.

Fortunately for me, the Shire and its surrounding areas are full of trees.

This one at First Landing State Park looks very much alive:

This massive tree lives in Surry County:

And this one, with branches forming narrow angles, resides in Norfolk:

A forest southwest of Asheville, North Carolina is named in Joyce Kilmer's memory.

And that's a fitting tribute to a man who appreciated the magic of trees.

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