Tame vs. Wild

Shortly after uncovering the worms shown in my previous post, I walked downtown with my camera to see what I could see.  It was sunny when I started, although rather chilly. What caught my eye just a couple of blocks from home was a patch of dandelions (lion's tooth) blooming at the base of a cinder block wall.  Dandelions always bring back memories of the dandelion wars that were going on when I lived in Chester 13 years ago.  Seems that some folks didn't like dandelions growing in the lawns of the public park, and sought to have them sprayed.  Other folks didn't like the idea of their children playing in toxic grass.  They might also have liked the looks of dandelions, although that hardly ever entered the discussion.  Another group, trout fishermen, didn't like the idea of toxic runoff entering the Feather River.  I think they ended up spraying the dandelions, but I don't think that ended the discussion.  I've always been on the side of the dandelions. 
On the very next block I was stopped by the bright red buds of a member of the rose family next to the museum.  I believe it is some type of plum.  On the ground below them was a very healthy patch of Chickweed.  Then, as I crossed the courthouse lawn, I wondered if I should have left my camera at home.  A big wind came up and it started to snow.  I did my best to protect my camera with my jacket and managed to get a few photos of the Fleabane growing in the lawn of the courthouse and also at Dame Shirley Plaza.  The tiny daisies often bloom so low to the ground that they are missed by the lawnmowers.  I love the survival tricks the weeds have.  Dandelions sometimes learn this trick, too, blooming below the blades. It's also fun to tip the individual flowers to see if the undersides are lined with pink (5th photo from top).  After hiding out for a while at Traci's Sweet Surprises, I decided the snow wasn't going to stop, so I headed up the hill for home.  Kept the camera inside my jacket except for a brief stop by the library to photograph the Hyacinths.  In Greek mythology, the story of Hyacinth will give any modern soap opera a run for its money.  As I walked around the neighborhood enjoying the sights, my thoughts were wrestling with various manifestations of the tame vs. the wild.  I had the luxury of knowing I was in a tame enough environment that I wouldn't get jumped by a mountain lion, but I secretly wished things around here were a bit more wild.  I'm against lawns!