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Getting older is not for sissies. I'm not a sissy, thank goodness. I'm a physical therapist, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and I am looking forward to "what's next?"

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Incognito

The other day Sierra was worried about what Wolf would be for Halloween.  Hmmm.  I didn't know either!

First she put a Cubs hat on him.  But that isn't a COSTUME I whined.  Ok, she said.  I thought he looked a little like a Dog Train Conductor in a hat, though so we went on a hunt for an old striped conductor's cap we once had.  We didn't find it in the closet.  We didn't find it in the Dress-Up-Clothes box either.  But we DID find some bunny ears in that box, and Sierra thought that would make a good costume for Wolf!

Wolf, on the other hand, thought it would be a good way to trick bunnies!  Incognito Dog!  He's so clever, that Wolf.

Out in my yard there is a weed going incognito as a flower that is kind of pretty.   It is called Clammy Groundcherry in English, but I recognized it as the Tomatillo plant from Ecuador.   


The fruit hides in those light-green paper-lanternish pods, and is poisonous until it's ripe.  Since I don't know how to be sure when it ripens, we won't be having any Clammy Groundcherry Jam this year.

The Latin name for this plant is Physalis Heterophylla and it's part of the nightshade/tomato/potato family.  I didn't know those plants were all so closely related until I looked up the little purple flowers with yellow centers that I see on my walks with Wolf when we are out stalking bunnies!  The one I see all over the neighborhood looks like this:


When I first looked that up I just read that it was called Bittersweet Nightshade.  I didn't continue digging for more information until I was watching a program on PBS one night about plant diversity and saw photos of a potato plant in Peru that had flowers looking nearly identical to these.  When I went back to my Wildflower book and read more, I found that nightshade is part of the potato family.  This family of plants is huge and includes petunias, too!  Well, whaddya know!

Here are what my cherry tomato blossoms look like:



I'm just amazed by the family resemblance!  I'm easily amused is probably a better way to put it.  Simple minded even.  But happy with my discoveries!  

And Wolf is happy when I take him for lots of bunny-hunts carefully disguised as walks, too!




2 comments:

Ellen said...

That dog takes a LOT. Maybe when I get moved I can get him a toy bunny to chase and he won't have to go looking like that. It is CUTE though.

Kathleen said...

Wolf looks very good in a bunny costume. And he knows why.

Yes, those tomatillos are imposters! Impossible imposters.

Just like Wolf.