The Thistle that Saved My Hide!


I figured God was really looking out for my sorry hide today, as I ended up with a REALLY flat tire! And not one of those slow leakers but one of those I barely made it to the service station.

I stopped to photograph a huge purple thistle, the size of which I haven't seen in eons and overshot my stopping point. As a result I had to walk the lenght of my truck and about 50 feet to get the thistle, what can I say yes I could have backed up but it was a really lovely day to be out on the prairie. Needless to say I noticed my truck was hissing. Not a good sign. I went and took my pictures and sure enough it was still hissing, so I know it's not the air conditioning. Well I went to the education center but it closes at 4pm, who knew, my cell phone won't call out but I can get calls in, go figure. Sooooo I made my way slowly over to Prairie City, where I spent three dollars making phone calls on the pay phone - remember those? - and finally was able to get ahold of my husband.

First the spare wouldn't drop from the truck - so bring me another spare tire please. Good thing he showed up with a star wrench as my piddley little jack bar would have never gotten the lug nuts off the truck. Wanting to know why I didn't do this myself I was vindicated when HEEEEEEE couldn't even get the lug nuts off, using a star wrench and a cheater bar - with ME standing on the cheater bar!!! (Oh and I"m not exactly light of foot if you know what I mean in a rather rotund way). Finally he set my flat tire free, turns out it has about a three inch screw with sheet metal lodged into it's rubbery flesh. I've been informed that my tire is ruined, hubby pronounced it so.

So that's how I spent my day off, I did get some footage of the prairie though, never really got to see any buffalo though, maybe I'll go back later in the week, if he'll let me leave town by myself ever again.


I'm not sure which type of thistle this is, any ideas???