Russian Thistle? That ain't nothing but Tumbleweed!

It's true. Tumbleweeds exist.

I honestly thought the strolling of tumbleweed was some sort of Hollywood cliche' that film and TV directors used to introduce a desert scene. I really didn't think tumbleweed rolled across streets like that. My ignorance was blasted as I watched two brushes of Salsola (the original name for the 'weed) cross over I-70 while in Kansas. Crazy! My phone instantly lit up:

"Did you see that tumbleweed?!" Mickey was just as excited as I was.

This single moment was my introduction to the western part of the United States. Ha ha. Yes, it sounds insanely goofy, but Mickey and I are from the Eastern and Midwestern parts of the United States where tumbleweed only existed on cartoons and Bonanza. I think it's equivalent to someone traveling to Australia and having a kangaroo physically hand you a boomerang while sipping a Fosters.