I have a favorite tree. It is a Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea). The scarlet designation comes from its bright fall red foliage that will be apparent when we get to October.
The Scarlet Oak is native to East and Central US. It is a beautifully shaped tree and is often used as a featured ornamental in landscaping as it is here in a city park situated along Bellingham Bay.
Here is a better view of the setting and the Scarlet Oak decked out in its finery and perched by the Bay with Lummi directly behind and Orcas Island in background to the right.I have enjoyed this tree for a long time and have photographed it off and on as time presented and as I watched the sun move across the bay and the islands. The sun traverses the bay arcing through the year to one solstice and then back again. As the sun changes its position across the seasons the tree changes its persona as the sun journeys round the bay. This is a tree for all seasons with the bay, the San Juan Islands, the Lummi Peninsula and sunsets as its backdrop. The park is Marine Park, one that I have photographed in previous posts over the years. However, I have never given this magnificent tree the due that it deserves until now.