Sunflower fields

Good Morning,

"Jessica Watson a 16-year-old Australian sailor, is vying to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the world non-stop and unassisted...

Unfortunately, "Ella's Pink Lady" (her boat) collided into a 63,000 ton Silver Yang (cargo vessel) her first day out of port..."

Hmm, after hearing news like this this weekend I feel a little less shy about sharing my weekend endeavors. Kansas is otherwise known as the Sunflower state! So, in continued search for adventure in uncharted territory, I went...not too far afield. Just down the road actually looking for sunflowers.

Below are some of the "sunny" photos.

I thought I'd share a picture or two...along with some fun and interesting facts about sunflowers...


The sunflower plant is native to North America. The wild sunflower is so common in Kansas, it is actually a serious weed problem.


The Native American used the sunflower to make oils, butter, pancakes...the white man came along and now the sunflower (seed) is commonly spit onto the field at major league ballparks.


The largest traditional producer of the sunflower is Russia. Thus, the sunflower seed is nicknamed the "Russian peanut."


A well-known sunflower characteristic is that the flowering heads track the sun's movement, a phenomenon known as heliotropism.



The adult sunflower Headclipping weevil (Haplorhynchites aeneus) is shiny black and about 5/16 inch long. Larvae are cream colored, C-shaped and grub-like in appearance...

The USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) does loan out cannons to scare away the nuisance in sunflower fields.


Happy Monday,

Amanda