A Walk in the Desert
A Walk in the Desert in Phoenix.
I haven’t always paid attention to the desert and the beauty that I have been surrounded by most of my life. Somehow I missed the gorgeous desert blossoms and blooms and would see only the sharp pointy bits that could hurt me. Then something changed, and I can’t quite tell you what made me take notice, but I finally woke up to the secret that I missed that was all around me. There are times, like now, when the desert puts on a show of color and then there are times when the only green is the green of the cactus.
Now that I have finally taken notice of this beauty I am enjoying taking adventures to the surrounding desert and learning all about the types of cacti that grow in our desert. I know that I knew, long ago, that saguaros grow only in the Sonoran Desert but when you take time to really stop and think about the fact that this desert, which stretches across parts of Arizona, California, and Mexico, are the only place in the world that this plant grows. That is mindblowing and gives you a reason to pause and really take a look.
On this walk I discovered the desert putting on a show with its new growth with this cholla cactus. As I told you, I am just learning about these cacti and so I am unsure if the burgundy will turn into flowers or if it is just new growth. If you know, please tell me, I have been looking but can’t find the answer.
Even though they are beautiful you still want to keep your distance, and see the wickedly sharp spines that want to lock into your flesh!? Yeah, I kept myself clear of the pokie bits and snuck in just close enough to capture the splendor of these cacti.
These guys are sometimes known as “jumping chollas” but they don’t actually jump. They just like to catch a ride on your clothes or skin, ouch, and that is how they reproduce all over the desert by humans and animals taking them from place to place and redistributing them elsewhere in the desert.
For too long I missed the beauty of a cholla being backlit, no matter the time of day, the sun shining through those white spines is magical!
So, this makes me wonder, what else is right at my fingertips that I have overlooked for far too long? What is waiting around the corner that I am going to start to notice now? What about you, what is something that suddenly came to life for you?
Metal Magnet
Metal magnets are 4” x 4”
I am excited to share a new product with you! You have seen the metal prints that I offer now this 4x4 metal magnet can bring a pop of art can be added to your kitchen! Metal magnets are going to be just like the metal prints, which you can read more about here, in the way that they are taken care of but they are versatile because they can be displayed on magnetic surfaces.
Where would you put your new metal magnet? Currently, mine is brightening up my filing cabinet in the office.
Center of it All can be found here.
June 2022 Calendar
The June desktop calendar has arrived!
June is here and the June wallpaper is full of colorful spring cacti! These purple prickly pear, Opuntia macrocentra, are one of my favorite cactus because the pads are full of greens and purples, and the flowers are soft yellow with the lower parts of the flower a bold red. There is just color everywhere, no way to go wrong with that! This type of cactus grows in specific areas such as Arizona, New Mexico, Southwestern parts of Texas, and Northwestern parts of Mexico, so if you live around there keep an eye out for these beauties in the spring when they are full of blooms!
Happy June!
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