“Solitary. But not in the sense of being alone. Not solitary in the way Thoreau was, for example, exiling himself in order to find out where he was; not solitary in the way Jonah was, praying for deliverance in the belly of the whale. Solitary in the sense of retreat. In the sense of not having to see himself, of not having to see himself being seen by anyone else.”
― Paul Auster

I have admitted before that I have a love of solitary trees. They stand alone, each with a story. They stand as silent witnesses to the world that moves around them, with no apparent support from their peers. I’m especially fond of trees that cling to the edge of water. The roots holding firm to land while being provided abundant water from below.

This beautiful red pine captivated me. The forest floor was littered with its needles, blocking off invading weeds. The creek seemed to bend towards it, just far enough to make contact with the roots. I know, the creek was there first and took advantage of the creek but that was the image my mind saw.

At this point in its course, Papineau creek has just come through a series of beautiful rapids and has slowed as it passes the pine. It’s a very serene image that I wanted to share here.

I came across this place in the fall a few years ago and returned this past weekend. It’s a very peaceful little park, with no signage leading you to it. I like to look at it as a private retreat, though I’m sure local residents know about it.

iPhone 5s back camera 4.15mm f/2.2
1/220 sec, f/2.2, ISO 32

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