Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: star thistle

3 more pictures in notes above! Last night I had a hard time sleeping and spent hours trying unsuccessfully to get my rest. This morning I felt horrible and had a cough developing. As I went downstairs, I thought that my remedy could also be my Picture of the Day! So I grabbed my camera and went into the kitchen, grabbed an Airborne tablet, plopped it into a pretty glass full of water and took pictures as it fizzed and bubbled away into a tasty, citrus-flavored drink. After I got my pictures, I downed the glassful and immediately started to feel better. I'm the first person to be suspicious of something that sounds too good to be true. I always thought homeopathic medicine was a joke and a waste of money--snake oil, as it were. But a friend recommended I try it the next time I felt a cold coming on, so I did. Darn if it didn't work! I couldn't believe it!! How can non-traditional medicine actually work?! But lo and behold, it does. My husband and I use both Airborne and Zicam (also homeopathic) for colds and they are amazing. The extra vitamins in Airborne also give an extra boost and make me feel good right away. When we feel flu coming on, we take Oscillococcinum, and it's like magic! Since we found out about these remedies, we are very rarely sick. Although there is a strong debate about homeopathy for treatment in sickness, I would have to say that in the case of cold and flu, homeopathy does work! :) Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE (22 April 1916 – 12 March 1999) was an American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. Wikipedia: Yehudi Menuhin Explored on September 3, 2013. Highest placement, page 3 (#67).

5 more pictures in notes above! A couple of weeks ago I went out with our Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro conversion lens and I got a macro image of Star Thistle stamens (see image above in note). When I went to link a larger picture to see the whole flower, I was amazed to realize I'd never processed the many pictures I've taken of this flower. So I went out today to remedy the situation! Star Thistle has quite a pretty flower up close, but otherwise it's nothing much to look at. Worse than that, this noxious weed is covered with nasty thorns, and should you get pricked, a tiny infected sore usually develops. I heard from a neighbor that Star Thistle arrived in the area because of the people who lived here before us. In the years they lived at the house, their kids brought home Star Thistle seeds in their clothes or shoes and from there, the plants sprouted and quickly spread to much of our property and neighboring properties. Personally, I don't buy the story, since this plant's seeds travel via parachutes and don't get stuck in clothes or socks. More likely, the seeds came from mixed grass hay fed to horses in the area and spread that way. In any event, we've got the awful stuff everywhere. It's next to impossible to get rid of, so we just try to live with it! Doug Larson (born February 10, 1926) was a columnist and editor for the Door County Advocate (1953-1964) and wrote a daily column for the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1964-1988) — both Wisconsin-based newspapers. The column was originally syndicated through United Media under the title "Senator Soaper Says"; Larson took over authorship in 1980. Previously, it had been written by Bill Vaughn of the Kansas City Star. Doug's quotes have been widely circulated on the Internet and occasionally show up on T-shirts. He was born in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Wikipedia: Doug Larson Explored on Septemeber 2, 2013. Highest placement, page 3 (#61).

[best appreciated at full size against black] Well, it's February now, and we're starting to think that it's probably not going to snow anymore this winter, but I'm glad that I got a few pictures on the morning that snow hung around long enough that I could take a few pictures! Here is a thistle wearing a very fancy white, fluffy hat with another thistle off in the background! :) This image was taken in January, 2012.