No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds – November!”
I return to photograph these birches time and time again. They are at the edge of a development that stalled when the economy tanked.
I could photograph them every day and never make the same image. The light, the leaves, the undergrowth is always changing. In fall, they're not flashy like crimson maples, but more subtle with goldenrod and grasses at their feet. In winter they are a beautiful study in black and white, all the more striking in the absence of color.
This builder has included lots of environmentally friendly aspects in his plan. And I know that due to their position they won't be cut down. Once again, building has resumed and it's a matter of time before the lot in front of them displays those telltale orange-tipped stakes that mark the site of a new home.
When that happens, the birches will belong to new people, only visible to them. I hope they love them as much as I do.