The Trees

The Trees has always been one of my favorite songs by Rush. As I was running on a gorgeous morning this week, I turned into a tunnel of trees, better known as “skook hollow” - well at least to me it is. It is a dark, spooky, narrow road at night. When driving on it, if you turn off your headlights you will see nothing but dark in front of you, not even your hand, thus the name “skook hollow”.

Anyway, the morning was crisp for a May morning, 37 degrees with a clear sky yet a fog meandering through the low lying areas, over ponds and filling in the newly sprouting leaves of the trees. It was eerie in a sense. As the sun rose and glared at each of my strides, it created a lightshow somewhat like at a rock concert – the fog, the beams of sun highlighting the performer. Each twist and turn on the road presented a different scene. Trees, newly sowed fields, and ponds each had their own personality or relationship with the fog.

It was a normal, medium-paced 5-miler except the beauty of the morning was more daunting. I couldn’t help but look around, hardly knowing I was running. This particular route is a down and back. After the turn, I head up a slight hill, over the crest and back down the other side. Typically, my pace picks up here as my body is warmed and used to the pace. Once I finish the decline, I turn into “skook hollow”.

This is where it hit me. The Trees embraced me! The new blossoms welcomed me home like they missed seeing me run beneath them. The fog was lifting and the sun was rising but The Trees were closing in on me. They now had a personality all their own. This is when the song, “The Trees” hit me. “The maples formed a union and demanded equal rights, the oaks are just too lofty, we will make them give us light.” It was a hug from nature, just me and The Trees!