Viewing Through the Canopy

I love looking at the stars. To quote Switchfoot, "when I look at the stars, I see someone else." I am not writing this to get into an evolution vs. intelligent design debate; I am simply stating the overwhelming effect of viewing the celestial bodies.

And it was no different this night, looking up at the expanse of darkness dotted with pinholes. It was the same as usual, except for the canopy of trees narrowing the viewing screen. The trees surrounding our campsite rose beside us, then leaned over top, claiming us as its inhabitants. And though I could have let it frustrate me, I actually enjoyed the combination of terrestrial and celestial creations from the same vantage point. It was as though the sky didn't want its expanse entirely revealed to us, as if it was holding back some of its treasures for another night at some other place. The trees, more than willing to fulfill the request of the stars, stood sentinel, illuminated by the campfire below.

That night, I gazed upward, through the small window allowed me. Even though I have viewed fully the array of stars in the heavens, my interests were piqued once more by the anticipation of what lay beyond those trees.

This photo was taken at Montgomery Bell State Park in Tennessee. My wife and I were enjoying the stars allowed to us and awaited another time to view the rest. (If your screen is too dark to view the stars through the canopy, try adjusting the brightness, you should be able to view them.)

18 mm, f/3.5, 30 sec

Stars Through the Canopy, Montgomery Bell State Park