Sitka Spruce Cones.

I am getting fed up of grey days not tempting me to do anything so after a quick visit to my brother I decided that after lunch I was going for a walk wet or dry.

Fortunately the weather was reasonable so I decided to go to the forest.  On arriving I got a number of surprises.  First that I had missed AMcuk Sled Dog rally over the weekend.   The second that walking was all that was allowed on the footpaths, however I still saw lots of bike marks and horses hoof prints.  The last and as far as I was concerned the worst was they were working in the forest and the parts I particularly like to go to.

So I took a route I rarely travel.  One feature of this route is a large Sitka Spruce which blew over a couple of years ago.  There are still enough roots attached to keep it alive.  The result is mature cones at ground level rather than high up in the canopy.

Sitka a spruce from Canada/America can be recognised by the blueish foliage,little pegs where the leaves have fallen off (like a Norway Spruce Christmas tree.) and of course these wonderful cones.