ROBIN REPORT: Those robins we told you about in the last week or
so apparently have made it south, safe and sound – with a few
feathered friends.

Thomas Taylor of Slidell, La., writes, “Several thousand robins
are spending a few days with us in south Louisiana feeding before
they continue their journey across the Gulf of Mexico. Will let you
know when get back here in the spring and brighter and warmer days
will be closer for my old home town.”

EQUAL TIME: We carried a couple columns on snowmobiling in the
Allegheny National Forest so we thought we should let readers know
that the state of Pennsylvania is also brimming with snowmobiling
opportunities.

Riders in Pennsylvania’s state forests have access to 2,577
miles of marked joint-use state forest roads, closed roads, and
trails in 18 of the state’s 20 state forest districts. An
additional 338 miles are available in 35 state parks.

Conditions and information is available via the state’s
toll-free snowmobile hotline, 1-877-SNOMBLE and online.

WHITE PINE: Appropriate for the month of Christmas, the white
pine is the “Tree of the Month” for December.

The Bureau of Forestry, Elk State Forest, has this to say: “The
white pine is a dominant tree in the Commonwealth’s forests. The
tree grows to an average height of 80-110 feet tall and is found
throughout Pennsylvania. This pine tree lives both on moist and dry
sites.”

“The white pine is a coniferous tree which means it maintains
green needles all year. The needles are soft, 2-5 inches long and
grouped in clusters of 5 needles. The fruit is a cone which is
about 5-8 inches long with resin on the scales. The scales on the
cone don’t have any thorns.

“The white pine tree is very beneficial to wildlife. Many
animals such as grouse, song birds, mice, chipmunks, and squirrels
eat the seeds and soft needles. The bark, twigs and needles are
also a winter food for deer and porcupine.

“This tree has supplied many a ships spar in colonial times and
is still valuable for lumber,” according to the bureau.