This photo was taken in our front yard three years ago, with a simple magnifying glass held in front of the lens of a cheap digital camera. The thistle is a spiky "Don't touch me!" plant; it's the symbol of the Encyclopædia Britannica and the national flower of Scotland. That brings to mind a catchphrase around home, originally from a Saturday Night Live skit, said with a heavy mock-burr: "If it's not Scottish, it's crrrrrrrrrrap!"

^z - 2010-11-22