G’Day!

I’m still in Kansas, where I’ll stay until July 1st.  There are no tornados to report on yet, so I’d like to talk to you about the cacti in Arizona.   I must confess at the outset;  I know nothing about them, not even their names, so, where necessary, I’m giving them names of my own.  I can’t wax scientific about them, so I’ll just have to give you my take on them.  And I have a few photos to share with you.   

Twiggy in a TuTu on a road side median strip

Let me say at the start, I think cactuses (alright, cacti) are absolutely brilliant.  They’re the Muppets of the plant world. They’re wonderful to look at–a bit like finding the animals and people in clouds.  The folks who live among the cacti seem to love them.  They’d need to.  I love cactuses too, but I wouldn’t want to live with them.  Mainly because they insist on living where I don’t wish to live–in a very hot and dry environment.    

Cacti  display most of the characteristics, or at least personality traits, of people.  Some are downright scary.  One, in particular, looks like it’s chasing something, or someone.  He has mean, googly green eyes that bug out.   

He looks like he's chasing someone--flailing his arms and grabbing with his fingers.

Cactus Eyes

Okay, so they look like pretty flowers.  But I reckon those beady little eyes are menacing.  Not to mention those evil thorns!  There’s nothing friendly going on here folks!

  Personally, I think they would make terrific security hedges, but no one seems to be pursuing that possibility.  A pity, really.  A waste of a good resource.   

Saguaro -- King of the Cactus

 The King of Cactus–the Saguaro   

Its blossom is the state flower of Arizona   

Saguaro in Bloom

  

 

 

 

 

The cacti are not all drab greens and browns;  Autumn in Vermont it isn’t, but there is a bit of color variation. 

 

 

 

Don Quixote and his majestic steed, Rosanante, tilting at windmills

One of my favorite shots is of a cactus (maybe it’s two) that looks like a peacock sneaking up on an unsuspecting peahen.  Nature imitates nature.

 

 

 

 

Then there’s the one that looks exactly like the back of my head: 

I really must do something about my hair.

This last photo is–well–self-explanatory. I’m not going to comment except to say it gives new meaning to the term ‘prick.’              MM