I walk my dogs around 5:30 a.m., so it’s always dark. That means I can’t take a decent picture of our daily adventures. Today’s (and really, every day’s) foe: sticker burrs.
I’m sure most of you don’t have any idea what a sticker burr is. They are particular to Central Texas. They are a type of wild grass that grows little balls of thorns. Think of those puffy fish with the spines. Each blade of this weedy grass grows, oh, half a dozen sticker burrs. We have them year-round. They tend to grow in the grass closest to the road, where the sprinklers don’t reach. If the apocalypse does come, I predict sticker burrs will remain and thrive.
The dogs constantly step in these hazards. They learned quickly that the best way to get rid of a sticker burr is to eat it. So at various points during our walk, one dog will suddenly sit down and stick her foot in her mouth. I’ve tried to help—believe me—but they prefer to do it themselves, like a child that won’t let you pull a splinter.
