...whilst driving along the back-lanes towards home, these dramatic clouds caught my eye - happily I was able to stop and photograph them. The tiny little trees are, in fact 40 foot high oak trees some distance from me. The reason for their strange appearance is that French farmers don't like the trees that grow at the field margins because they block the light and reduce crop yields. They are not allowed to fell the trees so they cut off all the branches except one at the top which keeps the sap rising and prevents the tree dying. The trees, like me, were spectators before this spectacular cloudscape.
Beautiful clouds and landscape I do wonder about the trees though - were they originally planted as windbreaks but the area gas changed uses? Or did they naturally grow? It makes me sad to see trees hacked away at - they do it here to avoid power lines
@annied In our area the trees were planted as wind (and sun) breaks to shelter the cattle grazing in the fields. Nowadays the fields are planted with grain of various types to feed cattle kept indoors in huge cattle-sheds... sad comment on the times we live in.
I know all about power-line avoidance - we have power-lines passing over our garden and we have no choice but to let the electricity people on to our land every three years to mutilate our trees and spoil our view - they're due again in August... sigh!
Magical, fairyland, Dr. Seuss. This is a stunning shot. The clouds and trees are so beautiful but I am sad at the tree loss. Emotionally moving shot. Huge fav.
I know all about power-line avoidance - we have power-lines passing over our garden and we have no choice but to let the electricity people on to our land every three years to mutilate our trees and spoil our view - they're due again in August... sigh!