The ranch has been truly blessed by the summer monsoons. My acres of brown dirt have become a verdant meadow,
covered with plants and grasses and wildflowers the likes of which I have never seen.
"If it's green, it's good," I say, with only a few exceptions. Meet this summer's major exception:
This delicate, happy, little yellow flower...
...is now turning into an evil, sharp, dog-paw piercing fruit, which will dry and become the bane of Smooch's existence.
Out here we call them goatheads. My dearly beloved Willie takes great umbrage at the comparison.
There's a bumper crop of the stuff this year, and I spent the better part of the weekend
yanking it out of the back yard and the paths where Smooch and I walk.
The yellow flowers make it relatively easy to spot amongst all the other green stuff, but I will admit
to being totally overwhelmed by the task. There's no way I can make a dent in getting rid of it all.
I'll do the best I can, but I've already warned Smooch that she may have to wear shoes on our walks this fall.
Worst case, I'll get her a stroller.
You have become a sisyphe! is there any other good plant that would block its propagation and that you could plant?
ReplyDeletethose are sharp enough to go through shoes. yikes. and that is overwhelming. we have sandspurs here that are much like this, but the size of a pencil eraser...
ReplyDeleteOuch, they look like pain. I have a stroller for my pug! But, because she's older and can't walk as far as i can. She loves it. I'm thinking Smooch will just use the mule. LOL
ReplyDeleteoh, we used to HATE those darn things when we were kids cause they can actually puncture a bicycle tier !!! good luck with your getting rid of them ! hope today is a great day for you and your "kids" :) Jeanne in SC
ReplyDeleteI say leather boots for dogs. There are some that tie up nicely so they don't get lost. Dogs really don't like them, however. These boots are popular for dogs here in the winter because the ice cuts their feet and the salt burns them as well.
ReplyDeleteBest always,
Mental picture of Smooch in four little Mary Janes! :-P
ReplyDeleteI suppose burning it off is completely out of the question.
or doggy shoes ;p
ReplyDeleteYep, I'd say it's time for some hiking booties for Smooch!
ReplyDeleteThere is something similar on the beaches in South Carolina. My dogs will be running along and one of them will just freeze! He will have a stricken look on his face, and one paw will be up in the air. He won't continue on until I have removed the burr, which of course stabs me as well!
Or get a goat. Yes, goats will eat the plant.
ReplyDeleteWith the rain we've had in CO, the goathead has popped up and out with a vengeance ... you cannot kill that stuff and it will lay dormant for years until you get some rain .. then watch out! And you are seeing the results of your rain! I hate this crap!! You can pull till you're blue in the face, but it will always come back when it rains! Hugs from CO ... Marcia
ReplyDelete'Tis true. When we in the desert get a nice rainy season almost everything that pokes its head up has a sticker attached.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, we have a bazillion of those nasty things! The COWS LOVE EM! But do you know that one goat head buried in the sand will sustain life for 7 years or more? Yeppers~ it is horrible. I pick them soon as I see them. Hubby does spray for them too, which does seem to help some.
ReplyDeleteI think the rain here has also brought out the goatheads! I have been pulling every time I work in the yard. Good luck! Hate those things.
ReplyDeleteCowdog boots-they must be available somewhere. The visual of you putting Smooch in a pet stroller and wandering around the ranch is hysterical.
ReplyDeleteYikes! That looks like nasty stuff. If they're anything like our weeds, they grow back as quickly as you pull them. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteMake sure you get what you want of it before it dries - if you so much as sneeze around it when it dries they all fall off.
ReplyDeleteYeah.... a stroller for Smooch - I don't think so!
Is it bad that when I saw this I immediately thought of you...
ReplyDeleteBreaking Bad Lego playset:
http://shop.citizenbrick.com/Superlab-Playset-CB720570.htm
Anyone who's lived in the southwest has had a run-in with these nasty spikes...the cholla cactus is nasty enough, but at least you have a much better chance of spotting and avoiding it then with a dry goathead laying in wait! And they're so green and soft when growing on the mother plant. HA! They pierce the bottom of a flip-flop and put the next hole directly into the foot. Oh, Smooch, I know your pain :( Your mama's doing a great job...it IS overwhelming. (My apologies to Willie...you look like a sweetie!)
ReplyDeleteMy newest discovery trying to avoid poisonous weed sprays because of kitties/doggies chewing occasionally~ getcha a gal of plain old white vinegar, a cup of salt, couple drops of dish detergent and put all in a pump sprayer~ works BETTER than the commercial ones I've bought. love and adore each and every one of your critters, your home, all your blogs, never miss it ! thanks Hope you'll give this a try. I didn't believe it till I tried it!
ReplyDeletewouldn't be possible to borrow a few goats for a few days from your neighbors?
ReplyDeleteA stroller would make some excellent blog fodder. I mean, Smooch booties would be awfully cute and all.... But a stroller? Heehee
ReplyDeleteAh, the bullheads of my youth. I went barefoot most of the time and I can't tell you how many times I stepped on these damn things. I miss them not!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes...that stuff is NASTY! I wonder if you could rent a goat for a few days?
ReplyDelete