As a barefoot kid I first loved the soft green Russian Thistles that lined the dirt street in front of our house on the west end of Buffalo, SD. The first green leaves were as soft as the fur of a long haired cat. Green of any kind was good and soft was welcome.Then the lovely roundness of the bushy plant turned on us; and except for the cowboy song,we never called it a tumbling tumbleweed. I found out this morning that the round, bushy, "much branched plant growing 1 to 3 1/2 foot high originally hitched a ride from the steppes of Mongolia with a shipment of grain. The first soft branches fall off and the next set of leaves are short, stiff, spiny and about this time of the year the plant breaks off at the base and winds like we have had in the high plains bring it to life, so to speak.
This week, according to the Rapid City Journal, "The high winds that whipped through the region over the past two days drove hundreds of tumbleweeds into the town (of Fariburn) 30 miles south of Rapid City.
"Tubleweeds now fill the basketball court at the Fairburn Elementary School, clog the ditches, cover the side of at least one house, surround vehicles and cover Tammy Shepherd's backyard. ... The tumbleweeds rolled in Tuesday afternoon with the wind.
"The song was penned in 1934 by Bob Nolan, one of the founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers. Gene Autry sang it in the 1935 movie of the same name, and it was later performed by such noted cowpokes as Diana Ross and the Supremes..."
Personally I don't think the latter were exactly 'cowpokes,' who knows what they were poking. Probably fun at those of us who started wearing shoes when Russian Thistles rolled into town.
The tumbleweed snowman? http://www.dukecityfix.com/index.php?itemid=1282
3 comments:
Hello Aunt Willo! I've only recently been reading your blogs, but I've been loving your family e-mails and your blogs are even better. :)
In our creative years before kids, Phil and I made a Christmas tree out of a tumbleweed that was passing through our little acreage in rural Kansas. It was fun--and sweet. (One year we also put a dark green bridesmaid's dress on a manaquin and pinned the ornaments onto it. We must of really had some creative energy that year!)
The memories made then give one's later life such sweet thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by!
Miz Boe,
I grew up in NE Colorado (Michener's _Centennial_ exactly) and saw a lot of tumbleweeds. At the Russian Thistle stage, they can be cooked and make passable greens, along with poke, dandelion leaves and sourdoc.
We miss your postings on Elders. Come home, Willo.
BTW, we visited your beloved Finland a couple of months ago on a cruise. Helsinki we, both decided, is our favorite European city.
Glen (and Peggy)
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