A penchant for pine cones...

Did you know I love pine cones? My sister loves them too.

I grew up in an area of Southeast Texas called the Big Thicket where there are lots of pine trees. To me, they symbolize home. The Big Thicket is one of the nation's few National Preserves.

On my way to the bank every afternoon for work, I've been seeing these beauties scattered on the ground. So, I got off a few minutes early last Friday, grabbed myself a plastic bag and picked them.

I just ordered matching sterling-silver pine cone necklaces for me and my sister.

These pine cones are different from the ones in Southeast Texas. They are much smaller and softer. The species of pines I'm familiar with are Loblolly and Long-Leaf.

The tree at work is more like a gigantic Christmas tree with a really long trunk. I wonder if it's a Blue Spruce?

I have a basket of gigantic pine cones that were my grandmother's. They are way up high on a shelf and I will have to dust them if I take them down. See the dust?

You know how I loathe dusting. (You would understand how much I hate it if you lived here, 5 miles down a gravel road, with no sidewalks, 600 cows in your yard and hardly ever a drop of rain.) But this is not about that. This is about some of Mother Nature's finest little treasures... pine cones...

I just love the color, texture and they smell so good.

For the time being, I have put my new little finds in this cute red basket which usually holds our mail. It's not quite large enough so I'll have to find something else.

Linking to Rednesday and Outdoor Wednesday