Nutty

Pinyon pines grow abundantly in Utah.  Spanish explorers in the 1500's called them  "pino pinonero", meaning "nut-bearing pine."  In our area we have Colorado pinyon, also called two-needle pinyon.

In the late fall, the cones open wide, revealing their small seeds. 

Native Americans gathered these seeds and stored them for winter, and many Utahns enjoy the tradition of collecting and eating them.  If the humans aren't quick, though, squirrels, nuthatches and scrub or stellar jays will be happy to munch on them or store them for winter.

We gathered some pinyon nuts on a ride in Indian Canyon and took them home. 

After cracking the shells, only a small nutmeat remains. 
Raw, they taste like turpentine, but lightly roasted, they have a pleasant, nutty flavor.  If you happen to have a pinyon forest near you, I recommend you give them a try.

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Rider's Shadow

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Hide and Seek

This buck was looking right at us, but he seemed to think he was hidden.  He did have pretty good camouflage in the shade.

The deer trio knew they'd been spotted and they weren't hanging around for photo ops.  It's amazing how effortlessly the doe jumped the fence. 

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