Some of the most enjoyable--but not necessarily most productive--photography I do is basically impulse. On a spur-of-the-moment whim, I sometimes leave the office and, instead of driving home or doing typical errands, I drive instead to the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. I travel slowly down the Parkway, taking the long way home, cruising slowly into most overlooks and walking a few short trails. Occasionally, I happen upon a scene such as this one. I was attracted by the rough texture of the tree's bark and by the old wound at its base. The lichen-covered boulders, stacked almost as if by hand instead of by natural forces, echoed the tactile qualities of the tree's trunk. The yellow and orange leaves of the tree and adjacent growth accented and complemented the grayish tones of the tree and boulders and seemed to enclose the scene in a comforting overhang.