BONSAI TREES SYMBOLIZE A NUMBER OF GOOD THINGS… Peace, harmony, balance, simplicity, an order of thoughts, and all that is good in nature. Also the tenacious struggle of a tree against the elements. These are all qualities I think are desirable at this time and at any time. And it simply gives me pleasure to hold them and look upon them. Today’s “Bonsai of the Day,” one of my small trees, is a juniper (juniperis procumbens) grown in a traditional ‘windswept’ style. This form is evocative of the sort of pine or juniper that lives in an exposed and windy place, where the daily winds, and occasional storms, cause it to bend and lean gracefully from the prevailing winds. You may often see such trees on an exposed mountainside or cliff, or particularly on rocky islands and points in our Canoe Country. As it reminds me of such places that I love, I often smile just to look at it. And it is enjoyable to continue to shape it in this form that is quite natural for a juniper. In other words, it is a pleasure to ‘be the wind.’