Tree of The Galaxy. It's possible, of course, that this ancient, robust alligator juniper tree on the Mogollon Rim of central Arizona isn't the only tree in our galaxy; in fact, reliable sources will tell you that there are billions of them just on our minuscule planet alone, and potentially unfathomable numbers of them elsewhere in the Milky Way. But on the night I captured this image, on a photo trek with a couple of good friends, this was the only tree anywhere as far as we were concerned.

Image ©2021 James D. Peterson