In honor of the drive to Iowa, I would like to dedicate this week's {fine art} friday post to one of my favorite art prints. 

Since moving to Minneapolis in July of 2004 from Iowa, I have made the trek back and forth from my 'home land' to 'the city' more times than I can remember. As most of you know, a good chunk of that drive involves Interstate 35, a pretty boring stretch of road flanked mostly by cornfields and billboards. Im not sure why, but just north of Mason City, IA there is one specific tree that has always caught my attention -- whether I was watching for it or not -- every single time I pass by.  Its an old evergreen in the back in a field that only has branches on one side. Eventually I started calling it 'my tree' and made note of it when passing by. One of those times, I made a point to stop off and take a photo just as a the sun was setting. It was perfect!

Two interesting things to mention. First off, I was thrilled to print and frame this photo for my apartment. When my friend Shelby stopped by for a visit, I showed off my newly framed print and she immediately recognized the tree, exclaiming "MY TREE!" I was caught a little off guard, but agreed to share ownership of the tree. ha! I found it interesting that the tree stood out to more people than just me, and was recognizable out of context. Keep in mind, there are SEVERAL trees along this interstate, so how interesting that this one would stand out from the rest. If any of you have noticed this tree before too, please post a comment - I would be interested to know!

Secondly, I was sad to find out this past winter during a terrible ice storm the entire top portion of the tree broke off. The bottom half still stands strong, but I am so happy to have captured the tree the previous summer in all its beautiful glory.

{sj}