Here's my favorite... and at the end of the photos is the write-up that went with it.
The Wyoming Giant:
Some trees are beyond words. To see this tree, and lay your hand into the space of the natural deadwood, takes away your words. It speaks instead to your soul, and everything you love about bonsai.
It took three men to carry out this grandmother tree. When it was brought home, the only thing large enough to hold it, or suitable for it’s stature and shape, was a large rock with a natural basin. But as lovely as it is, eventually Daniel Robinson will want to move it into a container. To begin that process, the long line of the ground level trunk will need to be reduced. This will be started by a large portion of the bark on the lower end of the trunk line being removed. This will allow that area to die back, and give it time to push more roots closer to the center line of the trunk.
No one could do it with more style than Daniel. So out comes the chainsaw, and he sets about to removing the bark in what he calls an “expeditious manner”. The initial work took about 5 minutes with the chainsaw. But as with so many collected trees, it will take years to accomplish his goal. We can only wait, and appreciate this grand Wyoming giant as it is right now. All great trees take time.
There are so many discussions about "refined" Ponderosa's they are hard to keep up with. A good question is, What do you consider refined? The one at the national collection has been in training over 30 years. To me it doesn't look at all refined. Is it technique oriented or genetics or both or neither. It's large and gorgeous but refined? Ponderosa have very crude buds with not much finesse so do you accept them for what they are? Damn it, I hate it when I get these itches 
Looks like this one is destined for the burn pile
