We continue our walk past the top of the lake and, once again, stop to inspect a stand of pines.

They've been there for as long as we can remember. We believe (but don't know for sure) that the strange growths on the trunks are actually scars that are made when branches drop. The only problem with that is, it seems some scars are much too close together to be from branches. If it isn't branches, then it might be a disease - a type of disability that affects the tree but leaves it healthy in other respects for decades.