Misty Dawn Ancient Oaks and Standing Stones

Pale morning light falls through a canopy of ancient oaks along the rugged Oregon coast. Thick green moss blankets weathered standing stones that rise from the damp earth near the cliff edge. Late autumn leaves in shades of russet and brown skitter across the forest floor, caught in sudden gusts of wind. The air hangs heavy with mist, softening the distant horizon where the gray Pacific meets the sky. Salt spray stains the lower trunks of the trees with a faint white residue. The standing stones stand rigid and dark against the pale, diffused glow of the dawn. A fallen branch rests against the rough bark of the nearest oak, its surface slick with moisture.