X is for X'ed Stems

I thought it would be a lot more fun to find a natural "X" for my picture, and I found this one in my archives which I took in-between rain showers one day.

Update:
Things are getting better!!! My garden is beginning to explode into bloom!

► I have managed to fend off the ever-determined ground squirrels.

► I have beat back the bad bugs long enough for my plants to get large enough to survive and now to flourish and begin to bloom.

► The deer have never even considered trying to jump my fences.

► The one bird who was eating our tomatoes seems to have moved on.

► The ants have been eradicated from our house and are almost gone from my flowers.

I didn't realize that all of this would affect me so much, but honestly, it felt like everywhere I turned there was a pest to deal with. I couldn't even sit at my computer without seeing ants. But finally, it looks like things are calming down. With that, I have more time for photography, posting pictures and commenting. Let's hope things continue to improve! It's horrible to feel like there's no place safe from some kind of infestation or attack.