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wood prints unique wood prints tree wood prints national parks wood prints beach wood prints kalaloch wood prints tree of life wood prints sitka spruce wood prints washington wood prints state wood prints pacific wood prints coast wood prints shores wood prints olympic wood prints national park wood prints peninsula wood prints

photographs unique photos tree photos national parks photos beach photos kalaloch photos tree of life photos sitka spruce photos washington photos state photos pacific photos coast photos shores photos olympic photos national park photos peninsula photos

There is an extraordinary tree along the Pacific coast in Kalaloch beach, within Olympic National Park in Washington, that some people call “the tree of life” because of the miraculous way it seems to be hanging on to life when it should have been dead years ago. This Sitka Spruce tree is located just north of Kalaloch Lodge, near the Kalaloch Campground, on a cliff that has partially caved in due to erosion--right under the tree. The cave-like hollow beneath the tree was caused by a small stream that empties into the ocean and has been washing the soil out from underneath it. The tree is anchored to the ground by only a few tendrils of roots, but the majority of them are exposed and spread out over the void. It’s a miracle that the tree is still breathing and thriving and sprouting fresh green leaves every spring despite having no soil underneath. No one knows exactly how long the tree has been holding up this way or why the tree has not toppled over during the intense storms...

Nature has always played a significant role in my life. On walks with my dad when I was a child, I was taught to notice the world around me and appreciate the wonder of nature and all of God's creation. To this day, being out in nature is balm for my soul and necessary for my well-being. When I took up photography, I suddenly had a way to express my joy in nature by preserving the wonder I see, and then being able to share it with others. While I initially did nature and especially macro (close-up) photography, my interests have expanded into photography from travels, scenes of local interest, historic buildings, and basically any interesting image I happen to come across! Since I have taken up photography, my enjoyment of the...