One serious flower

I was walking through the tall grasses on the back hill, which from a distance just looks like a bunch of tall grass, but found this very unusual looking flowering plant. I've never seen this plant bloom before because whenever I see one of these "weeds" in the yard, I pull it before it can get too big. The bigger it gets, the harder it is to uproot and the spikier the leaves get. Eventually, it gets as sharp as a cactus and you can't touch it. Now I see what happens if you just "let it go". That's one flower I won't be messing with! An internet search shows that it is a "Red Thistle".

I also came across this much less threatening looking flower. I couldn't find the plant that it was attached to, which seems to be a common theme with desert wildflowers. The grasses surrounding them are so tall and prickly it's just not worth rooting around to find the source. An internet search shows that it is a "Golden Star". I think I'll try to collect seeds on this one. I'm not sure I'll try collecting anything on the Red Thistle!

With the rainy season officially over, we now have to clear the back hill. So I'm taking photos of all the different wildflowers I can find before that happens. After we clear it, we won't have flowers again until next spring. Ah, life on the edge of the desert (I think we're technically considered "chaparral").