As long as we're on the subject, here's another dead tree I love. It's on the path to the beach and I think it's the real reason the cat invariably tries to follow us.

She'll trot a few feet behind as we leave the house, dodge in and out of driveways so no one knows she's there. (Except she yowls the entire way so everyone knows she's there.)

When we get to the hill that drops to the fire road, the cat races ahead and flings herself into this tree. She twirls around the trunk, does a few handstands, scrambles up the branches and insists that this, this is the kitty tree we need to bring home, damn it, right now. OK?