Lagerstroemia

pruned
Lagerstroemia, commonly known as crape myrtle or crepe myrtle, is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia and parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world.–wikipedia
30 x1028 px box
March 18, Adrian Higgins at the Washington Post published a column “How to avoid hacking at your crape myrtle this spring“,

The crape myrtle has always brought out the inner butcher in certain people —
there is something about those smooth, sinewy branches that screams “amputate me”.–A. Higgins

time machine

Wren's crew
The James River south-side naturalist crew. Howard and I are holding the needles, maybe that explains our serious countenance. I am the youngest. The others seem more at ease, arrayed behind a line of pine cones. Kimmy, Betsy, Wren and Gray. I want to go on a vacation in April and walk with Robin in a forest, hang out with amazing trees. Hear Gray in the windsong. Please advise..