Russian Thistle

I spend hours hiking with my camera never knowing what I might find. I am always amazed at the things that catch my eye. Is it the color, the way the light bounces off a particular object or the subject that stands out predominantly?  I suppose many would call this plant a weed and not give these thistles a second look but this one ended up coming home with me. I took the liberty of blending the background a bit and adding some texture changing the original more to how wanted to see it. That’s what makes photography fun. Often, it’s just a launching pad for what’s to come.