With the passing of Pentecost and July in sight, it is still raining. All week my fur has been damp and Mother says I smell like an old blanket. However, I am told that life in not waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. This, Mother says, is the thought of the week, whilst the flower of the week is the striking American Poke Weed, Phytolacca Americana. In the deep south the young leaves are used to make poke salads. The pink flowers, some say resemble a phallic symbol. In late summer the plant produces black berries which the birds eat. When the seeds pass through them, the plant pops up hither and thither.
The berries were once crushed and used as sink to sign the American Independence. I wonder what will be used to sign our independence from Europe?