No, those are not World War II mines planted in some European harbor.
This hideous spiky creature is the "goat head thorn." It is a byproduct of a grassy vine that grows on the ground down here - and the most pernicious thing is, you can't really see the thorns in the grass until it's too late. They adhere to everything, and if you have a dog, they are a constant danger. My poor little Lola got them embedded in all four paws yesterday on her way to the beach, and when she sat down because she couldn't walk, she got them in her tail, her legs...everywhere. There's nothing to do but pull them out, which is miserable for her and for me (because in yanking them out, they get stuck in my fingers!) They are everywhere. So I have to try to find some rubber-soled shoes for my dog...which she is gonna hate.....
Here's a video called "The Goat Head Thorn And You!"
