Red Elm in Late November Mist and Rain

It was raining in the morning, but that didn't keep me from my pictures. I got a new umbrella recently. It's blue with big orange butterflies, and I was looking forward to walking with it in the rain. (Sometimes it's the little things, isn't it?)

And so I did that, and I took some pictures too. I spent about 15 minutes at the Arboretum checking things out. It was actively raining when I took this shot, and the mist was rising off the field behind the red elm.

You may notice that there are little white things all around the tree. They are actually tiny flags, strung there to remind people not to step on the tree's roots.

I look at them, though, and I wish they were candles. In fact, I'd never do it, but I've fantasized about stringing white Christmas lights all through this tree.

I felt that way at the trolley car graveyard, too, a few weeks back. I wandered among the cars, and I had a vision of a picture: a dark night, with white Christmas lights shining out - bright as stars - from inside each beautiful broken thing.

Yes, I would light all the beautiful, broken things up . . . with hope.

The soundtrack: Enya, with Hope Has a Place.