before I say goodbye

I made a group shot of these musk thistles six days ago. Since then, they have been in a vase on my (still-new-to-me) kitchen island. My husband just informed me that the water in the vases were giving off a musty smell. So before I dumped them outside so they could self actualize into compost, I decided I needed one last individual portrait. Musk thistle, you are a thorny villain almost to rough to handle, but you sure are photogenic.

musk thistle or nodding thistle (Carduus nutans)