Dreaming of the Beech

With daylight savings now in full swing, my nightly frolics through the pitch black have thankfully come to an end.  For the past few weeks I have really enjoyed the extra light at the end of the day.  In addition to lifting my spirits, the additional sun has allowed me to really start observing the landscape around me.  Most recently, I've noticed that a good number of the Beech and Oak trees (particularly the juvenile ones) still magically have their leaves. Through ice, wind, and heavy snow, those little leaves somehow managed to hold on. Remarkably, no one really knows why. Some people think that Beech and other species of Oak don't form an abscission layer in the fall like other species do. Other's claim that the vascular tissue connecting the leaf to the woody stem is simply stronger in Beech and Oak. And even others wonder if Oaks and Beeches are still evolving from their evergreen ancestors (in fact some species of Oak are still evergreens).  Whatever the case may be, it's quite inspirational, especially in those moments when my legs are failing and every step is a laborious task.  When I get to that point, I look around at the Beech trees and get the little extra boost I need to hold on just a little longer.