Hardwood tells a story of life, and death. Here in this fallen, rotting, snag of a Big Leaf Maple Tree you see the decay expanding from the inside, out. The lighter colored interior of these rounds are in a later stage of decomposition, the rings are less well defined. Moving to the outer edge you see a “black line of death”, beyond that is the outer edge of the tree where the rings are more visible. Here there’s a little life left. - Heff