Despite claims, most poisons stay in the ground--and show up in the crops we eat, too. I accidentally poisoned two entire trees just trying to kill some poison ivy with the wrong poison. Possibly a third tree on the other side of the yard, as well. Oops.

As for the strawberries--https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentilla_indica

One person's weed is another's delight. I happen to like dandelions too.
Jeff, beautiful pictures. I love sitting out on the porch to write and listen to all the critters. We also keep bees and you're right about how calming it is to watch/listen.

Quote from: Jeff Tanyard on April 15, 2025, 12:33:34 PM

When they're about the size shown in the photo, they don't have any taste.  (I've eaten several of them, so I have a pretty good sample set.)

So, black nightshade berries you'll taste but spit out rather than eat

They didn't taste good.  Sort of queasy-sour like tomatoes, and I don't like tomatoes.   

...but wild growing berries in bright red poison warning colors you'll eat because they look like little strawberries? 

Well, I'll just warn you that if you get one of those "I've been hired to kill you" eMails, I think you best not eat anything resembling strawberries for 72 hours.  Just saying . . .

I'll keep an eye out for hit men.   

I am not convinced those are the true wild strawberries, the fraises du bois that I picked as a child and that taste absolutely lovely. There's another item that looks very like them but actually is larger. Kind of darker and furry, too. I will talk to my family plant expert tomorrow and get that name. I know he has eaten the lookalikes and said they're flavorless. Also harmless.

Well, the assassin apparently missed me.

But now the international arm of the FBI is after me for the "juvenile porn" on my computer featuring "women and minor children."  Apparently, the police in New Delhi gave up on chasing me down which isn't surprising since they only work 24/5 so how serious could they be about catching people?

But, also, the international arm of the FBI only works 24/5 too so I guess they aren't that serious either.

Still, it's the inconsistencies that bug me.  Like "juvenile porn" involving "women."  And you have to respond in order to find out what the court has ordered against you.  That's not how things work.

If I were a scammer, my inclination would be to make it more believable as you'd think that would trick more people into falling for it.  But, I guess I don't have a criminal mind because, from what I've read, the inconsistencies are more or less intentional.  That is, that if you fall for the scam despite the inconsistencies, you're a more gullible mark for them.  If you think the New Delhi Police are going to come after you in America or if you think you have to respond to an eMail to find out the details of a court order against you, they've already gotten a hook in you whereas the rest of us are going, now wait a minute here . . .  Also, if you do have child porn on your computer involving women and minor children, well, you may get panicky the first time you receive such an eMail.

Actually, if you were the unscrupulous type, that might be a pretty good scam.  Set up a child porn website, wait a few months, and then send these blackmail eMails to people that accessed the site months earlier.  They'll have forgotten where they downloaded by then and they will have such material on their computers so they'd be prime targets.  Naturally, I am not suggesting anyone do this.  I am just saying that could be a lucrative scam for the unsavory types.  Feel free to use the idea in your next novel though.