LWB 2: Paint by number trees

These trees have always reminded me of the paint by number sets I used to have as a child with their clearly delineated areas.

I love looking closely at the bark. If you look closely at the lump in the upper left corner is a dog’s head. Lovers have carved their initials, but they are barely visible.

Each fall, the leaves are cut back leaving only round stubs at the top of the trunk.

It is said that Napoleon planted trees like this and others all over Francein military precision on both sides of the road and had the branches cross over to protect his soldiers from the sun. Of course, it would have protected the enemy’s army too. I have no idea if it is true or not, but they do provide shelter during a walk to the beach on a hot day. And I can be grateful I will never paint by numbers again, although it nice imagining shapes into the bark the same way I can imagine shapes in clouds.