While vacationing in California, we were able to visit the sequoia trees near Yosemite National Park. One of the things that impressed me most was a cross section of a tree that had lived for hundreds of years. The rings of the tree were clearly visible, and some showed up more than others.

One series of rings was particularly dark. It turned out that there was a forest fire one of those years and that the growth of the tree was affected for several growing seasons. The growth of the tree was hindered for those seasons by trial by fire but relative to the tree's total picture of life, it was only a minor discoloration on a sea of healthy rings.

Damian Gerke
Bits & Pieces