Profusion of Pinecones

I love this huge pine tree--from a distance it looks like it's full of those old-fashioned candles that people would put on their christmas trees, but as you get closer, you realize it's covered in long pinecones! I've never seen so many on one tree in my entire life, & this is just one of a great many of it's branches! I looked it up online to see why there are so many this year, & I've come to the conclusion that no one really knows! One scientist interviewed for a news story about the high numbers said that the pnecones actually take about 3 years to grow, so the higher numbers are not due to the arctic temperatures we've had this winter. He said the trees have "erratic cycles" of pinecone growth to: "throw off the insects that eat them"----really? I'm no scientist, but wouldn't the insects just go find another tree with more pinecones if they ate their fill at the first tree?? I'm just saying......Some sites said draught causes it, but other sites said too much wetness--some said too much heat & some said too much cold! Conclusion: nobody really knows, but in the end, who cares why? They're here, & they're just beautiful to look at!!


(& as an added note, thank you to everyone for all the wonderful comments on my 300th blip yesterday--I appreciated it so much--& it's the first time ever that one of my pics made the spotlight, so I was thrilled!) :)