Our pre-Christmas walk – an easy stroll along the high ridge from Pym’s Chair to the top of Shining Tor in the Peak District. On the very top of Shining Tor, just yards from the trig point, in a sodden bog we find this small tree. One of several “Christmas trees”, presumably wind-blown seeds from the pine forests in the sheltered valleys below. No decorations. Very exposed, bent over in the wind. Rather stunted in growth. Its never going to become a grand lonesome pine.
What do you see?
- A tree alone: bleak and desolate – or stubborn, strong and defiant?
- Futility or hope?
- Desolation or determination?
Steve Roberts 2/1/22