In the foothills of the Eastern Sierra where the alluvial plain meets the mountains along the ancient flow of Whites Creek, stands this teenaged quaking aspen which greets the passersby with an arboreal version of a smiley face. The trees are knows for they greyish white trunks, scarred with black knots. Though one would be tempted to believe this was the work of a serial tree graffiti artist, such as the Basque Shepherds of the previous century, this icon like image was made by the tree itself.
