I think a lot about trees this time of year. Actually, I like trees all year and they are a tall part of my world.
I arrived here in the northern Rockies in the early Spring and in spite of plenty of snow, the bare branches started budding. 
Soon there were green leaves and then flowers. Up on the hillsides, trees went from bare to clouded in green,it seemed in an instant!
They grew, added flowers and fruit. Their crowning growth was as fast as our quick warm season. The giant evergreens added small sprouting needles, then clouds of yellow pollen, yet somehow remain steadily the same.
But from down here, a dog has a different view of God’s towering guardians.
Of course, all us canines may dig by them, scratch them, bark up into the branches, even pee on them!
Early on, I discovered the world beneath the trees as I explored my ranch. I found antlers to chew, and deer poop to roll in! 
When the rain and snow came, I took shelter sometimes under their canopy, watching the water drip off beyond me.
When the summer sun grew hot, I relished the shade, sometimes just watching the boys play in the pond when I was too tired to keep swimming.
And now, the hills are awash in gold, lighting up the shortened days and early dusk.
My rich reds are lit in the rare color, my blue is deepened by the shadows, I am the dog of fall!
We are blessed with a beautiful long Indian Summer this year.
The Aspens are just beginnning to light up the hillsides,
and down in the creek bottoms the Chokecherry, Juneberry, and Hawthorns give in to red,orange, rust and yellow.
Some years, wind and cold come too soon and steal our gold!
I can wait in front of the butternuts, though, still turning colors, laughing at the wind from their sheltered hillside.
Even when winter comes, too soon – evergreens will still bring joy, warmth and windbreak.
Every year we plant more trees, saplings whose shade we will never enjoy, whose fruit will picked by others, some not yet born.
A tree can change your perspective.
We need to climb higher, get a long view, and still hold tight to something with deep roots and a solid foundation.
Right now we need an anchor that can sway in the wild winds and storms, but still stand strong.
Other than people, trees are mentioned more than any other creation in the Bible. There is a tree on the first page of Genesis and on the last page of Revelation. Every major character and every major theological event has a tree marking the spot.
Trees can teach us to turn toward the light, put down deep roots, produce fruit, and remember we are stewards of this moment, with eyes set on the long term view.
These magnificent plants, with deep roots and sprawling branches, call us to look to heaven and eternity.
I think I’ll go lay in the shade of my favorite, and ponder that.
