Maniacs

While researching white pines for yesterdays post about raking, I discovered that the state flower of Maine is the WHITE PINE CONE! It's not even a flower!

I also discovered that the state flower of West Virginia is the Rhododendron. Which didn't surprise me because on our recent trip to West Virginia, I noticed a lot of wild rhododendrons. In my mind, rhododendrons only grow in front yards and I couldn't grasp the concept of them in the woods. I thought maybe a hundred years ago some moonshiner wanted to spruce up his shack by planting a few and then they spread over the whole mountainside.