Pen and ink of an old cedar trunk

It is too blazing hot outside for my Scandinavian dysfunctional body thermostat to be comfortable outdoors in the sun; but I wanted to sketch the old stubborn cedar stump left over from a time when the large trees had been harvested from our property. Being determine to do some sketching, I packed up my plein air chair and art tools then strolled to the shade where the trunk was tucked in between the new growth cedar grove. The shade was comfortably cool so I was able to remain in one spot to work on the sketch.

The tree before it had been felled, was about three feet in diameter; its present height is about five feet. Sections of the inside core have rotted away with openings in the decaying bark where visibility of the woods on the other side can be seen. The outer side of the old stump has texture, value, with dark deep crevasses from top to bottom where the roots are still embedded into the soft ground.

The top of the tall stump has an aged red huckleberry bush with twisted branches and roots extended from its main stem as it struggles to survive; each year it produces less red berries for the birds to enjoy; the green leaves are now sparse with a few showing at the end of the long branches. We have lived on this property over twenty one years, and at move in, the bush was in a healthier condition. I love to walk pass it to admire the interesting shapes formed over the years as I head on the trail leading to the road for a neighbored walk.

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