Manic Monday: Pine

This is my favorite pine picture. I think that's a blue spruce and if you look on the bottom right hand, that's a wild strawberry plant. We spent a very warm day hiking uphill in heavy packs but Mini probably burned more calories than we did that day because she ran, full tilt, the whole time in a circle around us. When we stopped for a break she must have been tired. As we were getting ready to leave I looked around and didn't see her. After a moment of panic we discovered her hiding place in the only shade immediately available, a stunted little pine tree.

Pines smell nice and if you can find one with the branches high enough to get under, it's all the shelter you need from a short-lived afternoon rain shower. If you ever find yourself in an emergency situation the branches at the bottom are often stunted little things with dried out brown needles and can be broken off and used as kindling. They stay dry even when it rains so they are handy to know about. If you are cold enough that you need a fire that bad then it's probably raining or snowing and finding dry kindling could save your life.