Gift #93 - "Tumbleweed"

It was Labor Day, yet I still had to make my regular delivery run to BG Fort Worth with pastries and coffee roasted at our Grapevine location and take care of my various little responsibilities.

There was an eerie deserted atmosphere in downtown FW because most of the businesses were closed and the car parks were empty of cars. I saw this dried plant blowing across the cement lot behind BG and it reminded me of those Tumbleweeds one often sees in Western Movies.

Actually the Tumbleweed is known as the Russian Thistle and is not native to America. It is an invasive weed that thrives in dry arid conditions. It uses the wind to spread and disperse it's seeds. When the plant is mature and filled with seeds, it dries out and breaks off at the base. This allows the wind to lift and carry the plant far from its origin. Seeds are shed as the plant tumbles with the wind. Clever, huh?

What's not so good is that they can be fire hazards because of their dryness, they can ignite quickly and become a burning fireball when blown by the wind.