Thistle -- Beautiful Enemy

The thistle is NOT a favorite plant where farmers plant fields and cattlemen have cattle.  In many stages, though it is a fascinating plant.  This particular thistle was growing in the gravel beside the highway (over the guard rail) above a fairly deep canyon.  Its color--or lack of--caught my eye when I stopped to look down into the river below.   I've edited it with a free texture called "Muse," from Mona's Picturesque.