MY FAVORITE TREE

Of all the things I love about our house, the tree out front is pretty high up there. I’m convinced that the tree in front of our house is by far the prettiest tree on the block. Every fall, it never fails to disappoint, putting on a dazzling display of colors and shades that literally take my breath away. Even now, in the dead of winter, without a leaf in sight, its bare branches give the tree a certain beauty that I can’t help but stare at.

I’ve decided to take pictures of my favorite tree every two weeks for the whole year, and weekly during the fall. I’m curious to document the changing seasons in Philadelphia through the lens of one tree. I’m looking forward to the end of the year, and to putting all the pictures together in a sequence.

Having grown up in California, I never thought I’d say this, but: I like having four seasons. I don’t have a favorite season (as in, “I wish summer was longer” or “I wish it snowed every day”), but rather I like that there are four different ones, and that they cycle through annually. Sure, 350+ days a year of 70-degree sunny days is hard to complain about, but there’s something comforting in the rhythm of each season giving way to the next.

This year, following my favorite tree will help me to capture this yearly rhythm.