The sun is behind the Burmis Tree as it goes down behind the Rocky mountains around 8:45 p.m. (mst) August 13, 1998.  Overseeing motorists often blast their horns in applause to my photographic honour of this sentinel.This tree is believed to be 735 years old; it lost its needles in 1978.  It is perched on a ridge near the towns of Frank, Bellevue, and Hillcrest, along Highway 3, in Southern Alberta, Canada, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  It has been a landmark for me throughout my many journeys between Alberta and B.C.,  through the Crowsnest Pass. I have often stopped to grab a picture while I still could, but this August trip was made for the express purpose of getting just the right pictures.  The tree was toppled by high November winds in 1998.  I now understand the sense of urgency to get pictures of it that year.