…. almost stepped on the first and have an obsession with the second

Just got back from the cottage and I immediately downloaded my photos from the camera.     I had a relaxing weekend with my husband. No stair building, no leave raking… nothing too strenuous.

On our walk of the beach yesterday I almost stepped on this little guy. Good thing I was looking down at the time. A little further down I found a second one.

I love the texture of bark and think it makes great material for photographs. The lichen on this maple tree gives the bark a beautiful bluish tinge.

A lot of the trees have these interesting scars on the bark. We think that it’s due partially to the deer that sometimes come across the ice in the wintertime and chew on the bark for food.

On our recent trip to Niagara Falls, I came across this beautiful little grove of trees at the Botanical Gardens. I’ve never seen such white, perfect little birches in my life. My cottage is surrounded by birch trees but the young saplings are never this white and the older, more mature trees are gnarly and textured with peeling bark.

A grove of young birch trees at the botanical gardens in Niagara Falls, Canada.