The Wednesday ‘Why’

Did you ever wonder what a pine cone really is? Well, just for starters, a pine cone is not a seed and it’s not a fruit. Think of a pine cone as its own architecture, its home, its shelter. This definition from the UCC Biology Department might help explain that thought. A pine cone is “a cluster of highly modified woody scales tightly packed together to protect the developing conifer seeds inside.”

Pine cones are fairly common so what’s the big deal? In the forests you find them everywhere, cluttered around the understory of a towering Pine tree. But when I spot just one pine cone, like this single one resting on the snow, I stop to ask, why is it here? The wheels start turning. Here’s my next post. But it’s not that easy to sum up how one pine cone is symbolic of this year’s winter experience and why. But one quick hint - we are more like this pine cone than we might know.

Get ready for more sleet, ice, snow…it depends on your location but there’s something in common with this pine cone as we tightly pack ourselves together in our highly modified woody scales (our shelter, our homes). One thing is for certain, we are getting ready for that warm spring when all our winter garden and design plans come alive.

Let’s wrap up this post on a pre-Valentine note with a Nicholas Sparks quote. “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.” You can learn a lot from a single pine cone resting on the snow. Bundle up, hunker down, there’s less than 36 days and counting until spring. And don’t forget the Rose, the chocolates, the bling….

© Image by Ann Bilowz

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