THIS OLD COTTONWOOD TREE WAS BY THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN BRIDGER AND FORT ROCKVALE, MONTANA FOR MANY YEARS. I ALWAYS WANTED TO GET A PHOTO OF IT FOR A PAINTING. SEVERAL ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS MENTIONED IT IN OUR CONVERSATION OVER THE YEARS. FINALLY I STOPPED AND TOOK A PHOTO OF IT. IT WAS BUT A FEW MONTHS LATER THAT THE LAND OWNER SHOVED IT INTO A WASH NEARBY. I FELT FORTUNATE TO HAVE TAKEN THE PHOTO BEFORE THE TREE WAS GONE. IT HAD BECOME A FRIEND AND A LANDMARK, AND NOW A PAINTING.