Goat Heads

Previously we mentioned our yard has goat heads in it.  Yes, we've moved to a wild, foreign land within our own country, but we aren't raising livestock.  Mommy says Jenna and I are enough!

What we have is a weed called Puncturevine and puncture it does!  This little pain in the paw is also called a sandbur, sticker bur, sand spur, and what one of Daddy's co-workers called it, a goat head.  If you look closely, you might see the resemblance?

Mommy stepped on a couple of these hiding out in our carpet shortly after we moved in!  She said they hurt like the dickens.  And she was right!  She's hoping the vacuum has sucked them all up by now, but you never know. 

See that lovely flower?  It's the weed that produces those horrible pesky critters.  (Can you call it a critter if it's a plant?)  This isn't in our yard, but it's probably only a matter of time before it blows our way!

We've told you we're out walking every morning bright and early.  We kind of have to since we can't get much exercise in our back yard.  One morning right after we left the house, Mommy noticed I had a piece of dead grass attached to my foot.  She pulled me over to help me be rid of it and noticed this wasn't just any piece of dead grass.  It was this horrible weed.  I had FIVE spurs stuck to my paw!  She helped me pull them out and then noticed one had broken off in one of my pads.  [sigh]  Sweet Mommy suffered through until she had every last piece pulled out of my foot.  It was awful, but thankfully over quickly.

I hope I don't have to encounter another goat head, but I have the feeling that won't be the last of 'em!
Dixie