Thursday, November 12, 2009

Red Lace

At each change of season in the past year, I have been convinced the 45+ year old lace leaf Japanese maple outside our kitchen window can't be more spectacular than it was at that moment. . . and each time it has surprised me.



Last winter, I never tired of the intricate asymmetrical structure of the twisted branches. In the Spring, the emerging leaves and seed clusters created a pattern reminiscent of ornate handmade dark red lace. Standing in the deep shade under the dense umbrella like canopy in the Summer, I felt like I was in my own world. Now in Autumn the tree has outdone itself. It is hard to see where the bright scarlet covered branches stop and the leaf carpeted ground begins. With the leaves falling like lacy snowflakes it won't be long until the intriguing form of the branches reemerges to keep me captivated through another winter.



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