Going to seed...

An impossibly delicious Over-the-Hill 40th birthday cake, given to me in sustainable agriculture class this morning. The chef apologized for not having any weeds growing on it, but with soil this yummy, weeds are hardly necessary.

California weeding...

I was just in San Francisco this weekend visiting family, and got a chance to confirm the geographic range of the weeds in Good Weed, Bad Weed. Aunt Jackie immediately found most of her lawn weeds from Wisconsin; and a new friend from San Francisco opened the book and recognized her lawn weeds as well.

And while I wasn't near many lawns as we walked the neighborhood of North Beach, I found woodsorrel and chickweed hugging tiny soil patches near the street trees. (I thought about eating the chickweed, but decided that I had no idea what it might have soaked up from passing dogs and cars.) Even better, in front of the U.N. building, the only lawn space we saw, English daisies were in full bloom, making a festive scene under the trees.

I think my family were rather amused by my obsession. By the time we got to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building, I didn't bother pointing out the dandelion greens for sale. And if I had a dollar for everyone in California who thought the book title was about that Other Weed, I would be very rich!