While researching the name of this ‘wildflower,’ I quickly discovered it falls in the category of noxious weed in some states. Musk thistle may be a noxious weed but I thought it was interesting enough to photograph. The park I was visiting didn’t seem to have a problem with the plant.  My theory is – if you can’t beat it, you might as well celebrate it.

In addition to the musk thistle, the Indian Blanket, another wildflower, was in full bloom.

Close-up shots of the Indian Blanket flower with a beetle.  I used my new 100mm Macro lens for these shots.

I could have stayed all afternoon, photographing the beetle and flowers…

Truth be told, my friend and I probably stayed in one spot at the park for a good half hour – taking countless flower and beetle photos.

Admittedly, not every photo was a weed or beetle…

My friend Jessica LaFramboise described this photo best, “And here we see a wild Denise in her natural habitat.”

Yes, indeed!

Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:  100mm Macro
Date:  May 2014
Location:  Plano, Texas