While taking photos, some trees caught my eye but not until I had time to truly review my snaps did I see how amazing some of the photos were. Many were incredibly touching or downright gorgeous without any intervention on my part, but I still wanted to create a wholly different vision of the same photo to make them stand far apart.
The rain. The shine off the ground, reflecting the image of the trees back at itself. A lone tree trying to give shade and protection to those below it. Arlington Cemetery, El Dorado, Arkansas Weatherbee Cemetery in Franklin County, Alabama. Another tree I wish I’d taken more time with. It was actually the ground I was more focused on but the tree grabbed my attention while editing. It is so much larger than when compared to its neighbors. Almost the elder of the area. That tree has been through so much. It’s beautiful. I turned this one into almost a winter snow scene, despite it being fall when I was there. Arlington Cemetery, El Dorado, Arkansas. I loved the shape of this one and tried to edit it, to eliminate some of the surrounding details, to just focus on it. Yes, it was raining. Old Rondo Cemetery, Texarkana, Arkansas Old Rondo Cemtery, Texarkana Arkansas. Not all photos are gorgeous. Some represent what was. Or imperfections. Even past destruction. This tree, once much taller, stands protecting one side of the markers of the Unknown Civil War veterans, 5 per marker shown. I suspect either a strong wind or even lightening is what took much of the center top off. By that base, the tree is several decades old. (I’m not good at judging tree types and ages). But this one once stood magnificent in glory. This tree stands just behind the marker of my 2ggm. Elmwood Cemetery in Blytheville, Arkansas. There’s something about the way the sun barely comes through the clouds, then in behind the leaves, with the rays off to the left. Just an incredibly amazing photo. This tree was just on the other side of the Pharr Mounds stop, just outside Tupelo on Natchez Trace Parkway. It standing there, along, so grand. WOW what a tree it must be in Spring and Summer. The clouds. The colors. The contrast. Just amazing. This edit has become one of my favorite of all the ones I took on this trip. The 2 markers in center, almost on line with the tree, are my Buchanan line. The cemetery is Old Rondo Cemetery, Texarkana Arkansas. It was raining. A lot. I wish I’d taken more time with this tree. Refer to the post regarding El Dorado Arkansas, Arlington and Woodlawn Cemeteries (not yet written as of 25Dec21. In process). Old Rondo Cemetery, Texarkana, Arkansas. Another tree top that was taken off likely by wind, tornado or lightening. There’s another tree in the same cemetery, in this post, that has similar damage. So wind/tornado seems most likely to me. In the Pharr distance (pun intended) you can see the ancient Indian burial mounds. Remember, these date back between 1 and 200 AD. Leachville City Cemetery in Arkansas. Again, this was an edited version since both times coming through it was very cloudy & chilly.
These trees are recognizable by anyone who has been to any of the cemeteries mentioned. To hundreds or thousands of people, we are all tied together not by just who we come to visit in one plot of land, but by there growth of these magnificent trees. Some people will remember the trees when they were just young saplings. Others beyond us will remember them when these photos make them appear younger. There’s much more than just the ground in which our loved ones have been put into and a cement or marble marker telling others their names.
And, in case you started with this post, there are more in this trip series. (And more still to come). Here they are so far.
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