everytime I see these pine needles, I think of this cute story a friend told me.

he went skiing and was taking a bus (from a lift area to a hotel?) a little boy and his mom were taking the same bus. there was a delay. the little boy started picking up these needles and tying them into knots and giving them to people, asking in his shy little boy voice, "wanna knot?" for a full half hour while they waited for the bus. pretty much everyone received a knot.