Beech Snag

Here is a little tree terminology for you. A snag is a standing dead tree. Birds and other animals use them as shelter. A widowmaker is a large dead limb that may fall at any time. When I was a kid I used to go into the woods looking for skinny dead trees to try and push over. The problem was - as I was pushing, the top of the tree would start to wiggle and often it would snap off and come crashing down. I had to watch it and jump out of the way. Looking back, it was pretty dangerous. Anyway, this is a scene from Shelby Forest in West Tennessee. I love the contrasts between the tree limbs and the greenery.