It takes a certain amount of observation to notice all the small things that go on around us. I’ve tended to be much better at it in the past than I am now. Life has a way of getting in the way of such nuanced observation, as proven by these photographs. When they were taken, I was simply trying to capture a few acorns in the afternoon sunlight. I was entranced by the color and the shine of their shells, and the way their chestnut brown shading was set off by the green bed of moss on which they rested.
It wasn’t until I pulled them for this post that I noticed that they were sprouting. A moist and warm fall had triggered their germination. Split, the acorns spilled their life, unsuspecting of the winter to come. Yet here is where the mighty and majestic oak tree originates. Most of them won’t make it – and that’s ok: think of the thousands of oak trees the world would have if each acorn grew up. A few will, though, and they may stand when I am long gone. At that point maybe someone else will find the next generation coming up on a fall day, and take a picture, and think about their moment in time.
