Saturday, August 17, 2019

I started my day with a relaxing soak in the Apple Pool, and on the way back passed by a yoga "class" at the  kiddie pool.  There weren't any llamas around, but it's possible some deer had wandered by to watch at some point...



With all the cactus around I'd worried about Brownie stepping on some, but that hadn't happened... until today.  I was able to pull the spine out of his foot fairly easily (which was a good thing, because he was not the best patient) unlike this dog's experience.



The rest of us have been dealing with the tiny, but very prolific, Virginia stickweed burrs, which all-too-easily attach themselves to our clothing, though they don't seem stick to Brownie's fur.

People working in their yards or rambling in the woods this fall are in for an unpleasant surprise. They’ll find their pants, socks and even shoes covered with small burs that resist removal.
Although many plant species produce burrs, perhaps the most widespread and familiar is the Virginia Stickseed. Few people notice this plant until they brush against one in late summer or fall and are immediately covered with tiny burrs. By the time the burrs are ripe, the brittle plant has died and sometimes clings to pant legs. Often dogs and deer are covered with burs that some people call beggar lice, sticktights or hitchhikers.
We know of no simple way to remove burrs and have not found any of the advertised removal tools effective. Picking hundreds of tiny tickseeds from clothing is tedious but does work.

I got in some reading for my Torts class, and then rewarded myself by spending time in the Party Pool with Karen & Elinor.  Afterward I pointed out the hummingbird nest over the swimming pool.  Mama was not around but I did get a glimpse of one of the babies' beaks, though I didn't manage to get a pic with my camera.



On the walk back I passed this happy car.  Though it sports a Missouri license plate, it does indeed currently live in New Mexico.  Mom - shades of the Studebaker?



After some afternoon nibbles (my deviled eggs were well-received) we played partner cribbage.  The game was quite close until the very end, when Karen and Elinor surged ahead to beat Terry and me by quite a bit.



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