From the same photo session as my previous post. While I was waiting for the sky to change, I focused in on some of the star thistle growing in our field. Star thistle is a particularly nasty invasive weed that is very difficult to eradicate. When we moved here, our 5 acre field was already completely filled with it & since we weren't planning to plant any crops, we just have it mowed down once or twice a year (to reduce fire danger). Some info on it's nasty properties from Wikipedia: "The Yellow star-thistle plant has the ability to create monotypic stands and habitats in the cultivated soil of fields, graded dirt sites, and disturbed natural ecosystem lands. Its colonization eliminates and prevents other plant species from growing, terminating the habitat's biodiversity. Extensive spreading monotypic fields of yellow starthistle are not uncommon. Its growth plasticity, competitiveness, preference for the Mediterranean climate, and a lack of natural herbivore enemies and co-evolved species, make it a very successful invader. The plant is an invasive pest in field crops, degrades native plant habitats and natural ecosystems, prevents the grazing of domestic animals in rangelands, and is a physical barrier to indigenous animal movement in wildlands." Please zoom.