\u201cNo use crying over spoilt seeds,\u201d I said, as much to myself as to my partner in (plant) crime.<\/p>\n
![\"20160519_101817\"](\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160519_101817.jpg\")
<\/a>One crime scene, of many.<\/p><\/div>\n
I kneeled down. Whatever had deheaded about a fifth of our clients at this playa hadn\u2019t been neat about it. Nay, they hadn\u2019t even tried to conceal the nature of their heinous deeds; the hundreds of heads lied, shriveled and uneaten, on the ground, like a calling card. What sociopathic creature could have done this?<\/p>\n
We radio\u2019d in to HQ with our report. “Should we round up the usual suspects?\u201d they asked us.<\/p>\n
I shook my head, then realized I was on the radio. \u201cNguyen to HQ. No. Too few cow patties out here. Suspects unknown\u2026 and at large.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whatever rodent or insect it was, well\u2026 we didn\u2019t have the womanpower for a stakeout. All we could hope for was that the next time we returned, more of the seeds would have fully ripened and dried. And then we\u2019d save (20% of) them from those raving, ruinous throngs of… something.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, at least \u2013\u201c I began. Bower caught the look in the eye. We\u2019d been partners for two months, but after all we\u2019d seen in sage grouse land, heck, it felt more like two years. She, like my ex-wife, knew what was coming before it even budded.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t \u2013\u201c she warned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least this\u2019ll make for a good blog post.\u201d<\/p>\n
——<\/p>\n
Detective Vi Nguyen<\/p>\n
Prineville BLM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Her stem was long as she was beautiful. Her basal leaves dripped with tears as if they were morning dew. There were only two things that would bring a flower like this to a weed like me: seed collection time\u2026 … Continue reading