Aspen

In the mid 19th century a lot of young Basque men emigrated to America to make a living. They clustered in the American West where they obtained work as sheep herders. For months in a row they would spend their time in remote parts of the forest with no other company then the sheep. In the aspen groves of California one can find the expression of the loneliness and homesickness that these herders suffered. There are thousands of trees marked with images and names.

A lot of these show naked women, meeting you at eye-level as you pass through the forest. The dark outline of their curves shine clear against the white bark of the trees.

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In Utah there is an aspen colony believed to be one of the largest and oldest organisms in the world.

Although it consists of 47 000 stems, it is connected through an underground network of roots. It is believed to be genetically one single male Aspen and it is called “Pando” which in latin means 'I spread'.

Long-legged nude woman. Pic from here.

Pando