Noxious Weeds or Beautiful Blossom?

Thistles remind me of my dad.

I think that it was his passion in life to single handedly eradicate the world of this beautiful purple blooming cousin to the artichoke.

When he would go to Fairview to his cabin and find a Thistle growing on the property, no one could do a thing, not even potty, until every Thistle plant was uprooted and destroyed.

Last week when we rode on Skyline Drive, the mountain was full of purple blossoms.

My dad would have flipped at all of the millions of Thistle plants in bloom.

I kinda thought they were pretty.

Cole got a kick out of touching the purple blossoms that were still soft and not prickley.

There are some Thistle plants growing in my front yard right now.

I keep thinking I need to get my tail in gear and get them out--Dad would be so disappointed.

But, after seeing them blossoming so beautifully on Skyline Drive, maybe I will let them just grow for a few more days until I see a pretty purple flower

(but I WILL get rid of them before they go to seed unlike my sweet, kind, old, grumpy next door neighbor whom I think plants Thistle seeds just to spite me...)