I am snowshoeing across Paul Lake in sub-zero temperatures. The sun is just high enough to break over this crevasse where a fir tree makes its living. I love red rock and the sheer wall of it set off the cold blue snow. Those tumbled boulders appear immovable, but obviously the freeze and thaw of the seasons calve them off from above; this place is alive.



I feel compassion for this tree living in a confined space, and where it grows only allows for a little bit of light today. It is between a rock and a hard place, doing whatever it takes to live and makes the best of the food, light and shelter that is available.