In the movie The Wizard of Oz,
the yellow brick road represents the way to success and happiness.
Above, is the larch tree from my previous post on November 26.
It has dropped its needles since my last visit,
creating a yellow brick road that leads to a beautiful view at the top of the hill.
But really, it has made the road itself,
the journey, beautiful.
Today my golden path is lit by red torches
thanks to the dried fruit of the Staghorn Sumac.
So gorgeous against the yellow backdrop!
In the past, sumac was used in the tanning of hides, to make black ink, as a substance to be smoked and to make a drink rich in vitamin C.
On a funny note, one hot day when my sister and I were younger, we saw these ruby red fruits and decided they must taste as juicy and sweet as they looked - what a mistake!
It was the equivalent of eating pine cones, but at least they weren't poisonous and apparently we got a good dose of vitamin C that day :)
As I stopped to take these photos I was passed by a man intent on exercising his way up the hill. His eyes stayed focused on the ground, music pumping into his ears, heavy weights in his hands.
I was quick to judge him as someone who was missing the point to being in such a beautiful place. But if he didn't care about the park, why would he choose to come here for his walk?
Nature inspires each of us differently.
Maybe this is his yellow brick road to good health :)
My yellow brick road disappeared this week under a thin coating of snow. The torches however will continue to burn, lighting the way up the hill
the whole winter long.
