Contemplating Seeds

 Hmmm.  If Lynne Truss sees this post, she'll be wondering who's doing the contemplating, me or the seeds.  Actually, this is a follow-up to our Nature Literature class last Wednesday.  We briefly discussed Henry David Thoreau's Faith in a Seed, then went on a nature walk and looked for seeds to write about.  When I got home, that theme was still buzzing around in my head when I spotted some Yellow Wood Sorrel (top photo) with prominent seed capsules showing.  When these get dry enough, the lightest bit of contact causes them to literally explode and send the enclosed seeds flying every which way, as far as 10 feet from the plant.  I assume that if they are not contacted they will eventually explode on their own.  Very interesting to watch.

Then the survivors of my last mowing made an appearance.  I am a great admirer of dandelions.