A view from a recent hike along the Wissahickon Creek.

Trees in winter show us what they're made of. 

   I mean that literally, not just in the sense that they manage to stand up to all the cold, snow, ice and wind that winter throws their way.

  Without the cover of leaves, trees reveal each curve, twist and turn of their branches. "Flaws" are laid bare: the knots, scars and crookedness that make each tree unique.

      On a calm day, treetops become an intricate pen-and-ink drawing sketched against a winter white sky. Add a bit of wind and those treetops sway. The dance is graceful, slow, almost hypnotic.

  Winter still has a couple weeks to go, but the trees are already preparing for spring. Within the past few days I've noticed a change: Stark branch tips are now studded with buds, signs of the leaves to come.

  Those leaves will be lovely, but it's good to remember the beauty that lies within.

A view from the ground up. Switch your mind's eye and this could be an aerial view of a river branching off to smaller streams.