What do these look like?

To me they look like cactus growing out of the scrub in some desert. In reality they're new pine cones growing on the fir tree outside the window of the den. The cones are less than two inches long and they won't get much bigger. When they fall they'll litter the ground and will have to be raked up.

Fresh pine cones growing on one of our trees.

I've made some more progress in the attic by painting the closet doors, hanging them, and removing more tape from the floor and beams. We've taken some rugs up in anticipation of moving furniture up there real soon. Ken moved his desk and computer up, too.

Today we're invited out for lunch in nearby Couffy. There will be dogs in attendance and Callie will have fun playing with friends. Mostly they'll just lie about after some getting-reacquainted sniffing. We should see the afternoon high near 26/27ºC (almost 80ºF).