I don't think it's a tumbleweed, though I have those on the property and I'm also removing them... I think the tall weed may be toxic to some degree, and it may be causing the rashes on my uncovered forearms (above the welding gloves) and my lower legs (above the socks), as the brush frequently touches those areas during my cleanup efforts. Same may go for the tumbleweeds, which aren't helping either, they have scratchy little points on 'em and they've been adding to the damage. Meh, I made pretty good progress today, every little bit o' work I do helps clear my yard of goatheads and other bothersome weeds... as y'all can imagine, many of you from direct experience, I will be overjoyed to be done with tiresome weeding this season, lol. And next year, I won't water the open areas, expecting pretty wildflowers to emerge from the soil and gravel... that was a mistake which I will NOT make again, lol.
Read a good Western this afternoon: THE HOSTILE HILLS, by E. E. Halleran, it sums up the situation in the Black Hills after rumors of gold started flying, and the U.S. Army was ordered to prevent gold-seekers from entering sacred ground. Custer was still alive, and he didn't help matters by squawking about the gold, but he got his not too long afterward, the arrogant b@stard. Anyway, the book covers how the federal gubmint broke yet another treaty with the Injuns, and this time the land concerned was sacred to those Injuns, which is why they put up a fight for it. Can't really fault the Injuns, since they had treaty after treaty broken and they ultimately got the shaft... sure, there were atrocities committed on both sides, but the bottom line is that a form of genocide occurred, and that program included practically wiping out the buffalo which were a prime source of food for the Injuns. A sad tale indeed...
Oh, well, $h!t happens, especially when greed is a factor... if you look back upon human history, greed has played a major part in many wars. Too bad folks can't simply be happy with what they have, as long as what they have allows them to live comfortably, with a roof over their heads, food to eat, some personal freedoms, etc. Moi, I've never been infected with the sickness of greed, I'm more likely to be generous, as I know I'm only here on this planet for so long, and friends are good to have. I'm not an easy mark, mind you, and I certainly do NOT make a good victim, lol, but I strive to live with honor and integrity, ya know? I've seen the way some others live, the thugs & hood rats and whatnot, but that way of life is not for me, I sleep easier at night knowing that I dealt with others fairly and gave some folks the benefit of the doubt. Principles of Zen Buddhism have helped me immensely over the years...
Anyway, I'm gonna watch a movie here in a bit, now that I've gotten my reading fix, lol. I have several library DVDs I haven't seen yet, and I may check the streaming stick to see what's available in this new calendar month. Tomorrow morning I will be back on weed patrol, I still have several days of pulling the non-goathead weeds, and I wanna keep an eye on the goatheads too. Those blasted goatheads keep rallying like Infantry soldiers, and there are BATTALIONS of them... possibly even DIVISIONS, lol. They're tough & salty customers, I'll give 'em that much... they remind me of the war I waged on the highly-invasive Brown Widow spiders in Coronado, I spent several YEARS fighting those nasty critters, and I never did kill 'em all, but we sold the property and the spiders were no longer my problem, lol. I gave the buyers fair warning about the spiders, as those arachnids are venomous and folks have DIED from their wicked bites.
