Norwegian spruce - Red pine cones

Gardens always have the ability to throw something new at you. In this case, our tall and gangly Norwegian Spruce has about a dozen crimson red 'baby' pine cones growing. Against a blue sky with strong sunshine on them, they're very beautiful; - almost glowing such is the intensity of their red hue. No doubt, this is probably a common phenonemon but I've never noticed them before in fifteen years of living here.

I'd like to get better pictures but the cones are quite high up and out of reach. I stood on the boys' old climbing frame, armed with a long telephoto lense to get these pictures. Quite a silly risk for a picture of what is after all - a pine cone!