December on the Southwell Trail - Part 4

The last of the autumn colours had disappeared on the Southwell Trail by the second week in December. There was a new look of bare leafless trees but also a sense of openness and light which quite appeals to me.

I also enjoy the structure of the trees in winter and this time of year always reminded of Leonardo Da Vinci's brilliant 'rule of the trees'. He apparently wrote in his notebook 'all the branches of a tree at every stage of it's height when put together are equal in thickness to the trunk'.

How fantastic is that! Not only that trees follow a very simple mathematical principle but also that someone could contemplate such a rule by observation only!

I must admit that it still baffles me even though I know the rule....but it all adds to the wonderful nature of trees and these are a selection of photographs taken throughout December on the trail: