The Forest Ablaze

For three perfect evenings just before the summer solstice, Kali and I walked the same route through "my" preserve.  As we neared home, I noticed that beams from the low-setting sun were penetrating deeply into the forest and setting it aglow. Naturally, I didn't have my camera with me the first evening, and I forgot to carry it along on the second as well.  But, I didn't make the same mistake a third time.  On June 19, 2013, I captured these dramatic images, which are even more impressive when they're enlarged (if I do say so myself).

I'm most satisfied with the first image, but the second, taken just before the beams disappeared, is more atmospheric.  I've been meaning to share them with my followers, but keep forgetting that I have the images in my archive.  I hope you enjoy them.