It was almost as if the blossom had this old tree cornered. There it was, all dry and bare and vulnerable, while the combination of a few days rain and the fact that spring was now well under way enabled the other healthier trees to set up an ambush. And yet the old tree looked good, with its sturdy, slightly leaning trunk, like a Titan that refuses to grow old. It showed great dignity in the face of extremely adverse conditions. Dawn follows even the darkest of nights, and winter is not eternal. Everything is just a question of hanging on and waiting for better times, which will come eventually, just like spring does.