Tree Hill

With spring in full bloom, I spent the day exploring the rolling green hills of Auburn State Recreation Area. The air smelled fresh and earthy, thick with the scent of new grass and wildflowers. Birds called overhead, and a soft breeze stirred the tall grass around me.

I wandered for hours, searching for wildflowers that captured the spirit of the season, but nothing quite did it. Every photo felt just a little off. As the sun began to sink lower, doubt crept in. Maybe today wasn’t the day.

I had decided to call it, and start making the walk back. I was almost back to my car when I saw it — a lonely oak tree, standing proud on a smooth green hillside. It looked like something out of a storybook, timeless and still. My heart jumped. I had to photograph it.

I followed a narrow dirt trail winding through the grass. Bees buzzed nearby, and purple flowers leaned lazily into the path. I knelt down, feeling the damp earth, and framed the scene. A little patch of wildflowers in the corner added the perfect touch of spring. 

Some days, the magic doesn’t happen where you expect. Sometimes it waits until you're just about ready to give up, hiding in plain sight, right around the bend.