Watch Out for the Fir Cones

Every autumn the little brown squirrels on the island climb the high limbs on the fir trees and try to collect all the freshly ripened cones by dropping them off the trees. After the cones hit the ground with a thunk, the squirrels try to remember where they all land so they can gather the ripe seeds out of the cones. Most of the time they miss a bunch and vehicles' wheels smash the cones or they just stay on the ground and reseed for next years little starters. It might be safe to wear a hard hat at this time of the year. I did this sketch the other day after almost being hit by one of the cones on my way to the mail box.