The Postscript: Stable Footing
The tree was lying on its side when I got to it.
It was a nice-looking pine tree, fluffy and full and as tall as me. The strong winds, coupled with some unstable footing, had caused it to fall over. This seemed too sad to simply walk by. I went over to the tree and, with a little effort, got it standing upright again. It looked much happier. I finished my walk, feeling I had done my p...