Birches

Eastern Europeans are sentimenal about birch trees. This photo captures the beauty of a birch forest, just as winter approaches:

Penza, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, October 1961. Natasha, one of the two younger sisters of my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, wrote, "Dear sweet one, remember your little sister, who loved you in childhood above everything on earth. I love and remember you forever."

Thanks to my friend, D, for translating the text from Russian to English.