I saw this decaying cottonwood lying on the ground with frosty creatures adorning its body, Shizophyllum fungus. I went over to take a closer look and became absorbed in their color, form, and texture. They drooped like evergreen boughs covered in snow. Underneath was a surprising contrast of wavy, brown gills that looked woody and dry. My imagination shifted from a tree bough to snow piled up on a porch roof.
As I knelt there, I noticed that there was a miniature, red and pink insect crawling around on the fungus. I don’t know if it was an adult or a larval stage. The occasional spider wandered by investigating this fleecy, white landscape.
As I looked down the tree I noticed that the fungus was generally fruiting out of the sides and the top was mostly bare. At that moment, I started looking at other parts of the tree and became fascinated by its color, form, and texture. The bark was a cool and gray, like the color of a stone. Parts of the bark were cracking in black, squiggly lines. Rings formed where limbs attached to the trunk, giving the appearance that it had once been molten. Other parts of the bark were mottled with yellows and reds, the texture was pocked or flaky. In some places, the linear fibers of the bark were revealed. Pale blue-green and vibrant yellow-orange lichens were scattered across the tree’s body.
This tree had taken on a whole new life full of wonder and beauty. I walked away with a fresh awareness of the world around me.
