An Imaginary Contest

 When I encounter a field full of very tall Mulleins, I don't pay attention to an individual plant, and none of them seems special - unless a Bluebird or Meadowlark lands on one.  Then that one seems special, at least for a few moments.  The Mullein in the above photo is the only one in my neighborhood, or at least the only tall one that is noticeable on my daily drive-bys,

Only a block away, on the other side of Coburn, is a very tall Hollyhock.  Again, being the only very tall one in the vicinity, it seems very special.  For the record, I've never seen a field full of vary tall Hollyhocks, so I've never taken them for granted.  Since I drive by these two tall plants every day, I've taken to imagining them to be in a contest, the Weed vs. the Cultivar.  Much of my writing in this blog over the years has been in support of weeds, but this time, I think the Hollyhock has an edge.  For one thing, it is part of a flower garden that is well-cared for - watered, etc., and the Mullein is most likely an accidental that the property owners simply did not choose to "weed."  The Mullein, too, is accompanied by a few well-cared-for cultivars, the most impressive of which are the usually Foxgloves and Peonies.  But the Mullen is looking rather heavy at the top with its load of literally millions of tiny seeds.  It looks rather vulnerable to winds, and who knows what other forces come along in the night.  Bears, for instance.  I often find fresh bear poop in the middle of this road, and also tipped-over trash cans on Monday mornings.  You'd think people would learn not to put their trash cans out Sunday evening.  They get knocked over by bears every time.  So much for my amusements during my daily drive down Coburn.