What are those blooms? I thought when I walked past the noble fir we bought as a live Christmas tree a number of years ago, and planted. They weren’t flowers, they were the cones which had either shed many of their seeds, or had their seeds eaten by birds or chipmunks.

They look like odd forest creatures lined up on the branches. There is always something in the forest to bring on a smile.

A pileated woodpecker doesn’t waste any time pecking out chunks of a dead alder as it searches for grubs. It flew away before I could take its picture. Talk about not minding your manners and leaving a mess.