Tiny White Oak Leaves

I found these tiny white oak leaves at "The Mountain" (a Unitarian Universalist retreat) near Highlands, NC on May 21, 2006. I was very excited when I arrived at the retreat to find so many white oak trees with leaves that were barely an inch or two long. I love the soft fuzzy surface of the leaves, and the intricate shapes of the lobes--just like full grown white oak leaves, but smaller, softer, redder, and CUTER. Yes, cuter. These little leaves remind me of baby hands or baby mittens. I spent HOURS photographing a variety of tiny oak leaves during my four day retreat. I plan to post more shots during the next few days.