Welcome to June

May is the month of greening, and June is the month of growing. So far this year, we are ahead of seasonal-schedule here in the north. These roadside thistles are usually a mid-summer delight. My husband Steve has been recording the audio version of his book all week at a recording studio in Minneapolis. Because our son if home from school, and we need two cars, I have been driving Steve to and from the studio all week. These musk thistles have been staring at me twice a day as I exit 35W onto University Avenue. They are beside the off-ramp, where I usually have to wait for the light. I glance at them, and they stare back with their one-eyed impassivity. All week we have been eyeing each other. Today I finally remembered to put leather gloves in the car so I could invite a few stems for portrait sitting. Interestingly, they all volunteered. Apparently, even thistles yearn for their 7 seconds of fame.

musk thistle/nodding thistle (Carduus nutans)