Last spring in Mansfield, Connecticut, I drove by this majestic scene straight from a fairy tale. When I gaze at it, I sense the little people are hiding, ready to pop out the moment I’m out of sight. I can see Father Willow’s branches coming alive, lowering to the ground for the rascals to scamper up to rummage in the nooks and crannies of the trunk. The metal sculpture on the left stands cold and erect, creating a splendor of mesmerizing contrast.

It’s snowing now. Tomorrow I’ll drive the back road to have a look at this grand tree in winter. In the morning I’ll head out and hope for a bright white sky.

8 March 2012 Posting winter willow photo today taken March 2. It’s sad to see branches lost. I hope the right arm was lost to natural causes, perhaps last October’s storm.