Your experience will save me some time on the thistle problem. I had
to pick most of the high rocks for the 4" mow, so going to 3" should
be OK . I can at least mow it 2 more times this year. Thanx. I have to
hold off on fire methods because the wheat stubble makes this area a
tinderbox before the rains.

We have a large variety of non-native thistle here. Our noxious weed
catalog is choked with them.
Kinda funny, when my neighbors got all hot about my prairie
restoration, one guy asked me if I knew what a noxious weed was and
how I would define it. I told him I didn't know enough (he started to
smile) so I relied on the state noxious weed catalog. I have three of
the weeds but I'm agressively trying to knock them down. Oh, by the
way, did he know that he has at least 7 noxious weeds in his
yard? :-) They hate it when you spear them with facts.
Dave, your work sounds fantastic. Thanks for sharing and death to the
monoculture!
Frank Reid