Maybe it's their bracing attitude, as if they have imbibed the winter air. They make me feel cooler just looking at them. Or their color, which stands out amidst the oranges and yellows and pinks of summer bloom.
They bring to mind trudging through a frost-hardened field to chop down the Christmas tree, even though when it's time to choose, we always go for a fir.
For whatever reason, they are catching my eye these days. They're not letting me forget them.
Photo: Fairylandscape.net