the contrast in most of these photos is horrible since they had to be taken during the day in really bright sun; I apologize in advance...
these gorgeous flowers were on one of our newest cacti, a cholla (jumping cactus). I can't remember which variety just now, but the flowers were totally unexpected, since it's still small, and we only planted it last fall. They are called jumping cactus because they have a reputation for doing just that-- not literally, of course, but the segments break off easily, so they seem to "jump" at you.
here's what the entire thing looks like-- it's about 1 1/2 feet tall, and should get to be 4-5 feet tall eventually.
This gorgeous peachy-yellow flower is from the prickly pear... it was transplanted to this spot last summer, and has gone gangbusters ever since. If it keeps growing at this pace, it will need to be pruned back eventually, but for now, we're letting it grow.
This shot is the entire prickly pear-- I tried to count the flower buds, but lost count around 39 or 40. They open for a day or two, only a couple at a time... there will be a lot of fruits on it this year! (and no, I'm not going to try to make prickly pear candy with it... I'll leave that to the experts.)
This pic is a closeup of the sculpture below. It is outside our local casino (Harrah's AkChin; we went there last Friday for dinner), and is quite impressive- It's called "Desert Oasis" and is by the same sculptor (Snell Johnson is his name- I can't find much about him, though) who did the huge lions outside the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas. The statue is
really impressive. (the dinner buffet was pretty good, too!)
It depicts the harvest of the saguaro fruit, which is what the woman in the foreground is doing, with the long pole/hook (click on the photo to see it larger). And darn it, I know I read a story about this sculpture somewhere, but now I can't find it again! I'll let you know if I do. (sorry, it was getting dark when I took it.)
this just made me laugh-- he's waiting to go for a ride, I think! It was taken outside Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale last Saturday. There was a class going on, and the little paperclay creatures were drying out in the sun.
and this fellow was on the sidewalk down the street from the store... he made me laugh, too, for two reasons: 1) because he's sitting on one of those resin lawnchairs, and 2) because he looks like he has a bit of indigestion! Just goes to show that I never know what I'll see when I'm out and about! --or maybe it shows I have a warped sense of humor?? :D
these gorgeous flowers were on one of our newest cacti, a cholla (jumping cactus). I can't remember which variety just now, but the flowers were totally unexpected, since it's still small, and we only planted it last fall. They are called jumping cactus because they have a reputation for doing just that-- not literally, of course, but the segments break off easily, so they seem to "jump" at you.
here's what the entire thing looks like-- it's about 1 1/2 feet tall, and should get to be 4-5 feet tall eventually.
This gorgeous peachy-yellow flower is from the prickly pear... it was transplanted to this spot last summer, and has gone gangbusters ever since. If it keeps growing at this pace, it will need to be pruned back eventually, but for now, we're letting it grow.
This shot is the entire prickly pear-- I tried to count the flower buds, but lost count around 39 or 40. They open for a day or two, only a couple at a time... there will be a lot of fruits on it this year! (and no, I'm not going to try to make prickly pear candy with it... I'll leave that to the experts.)
This pic is a closeup of the sculpture below. It is outside our local casino (Harrah's AkChin; we went there last Friday for dinner), and is quite impressive- It's called "Desert Oasis" and is by the same sculptor (Snell Johnson is his name- I can't find much about him, though) who did the huge lions outside the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas. The statue is really impressive. (the dinner buffet was pretty good, too!)
It depicts the harvest of the saguaro fruit, which is what the woman in the foreground is doing, with the long pole/hook (click on the photo to see it larger). And darn it, I know I read a story about this sculpture somewhere, but now I can't find it again! I'll let you know if I do. (sorry, it was getting dark when I took it.)
this just made me laugh-- he's waiting to go for a ride, I think! It was taken outside Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale last Saturday. There was a class going on, and the little paperclay creatures were drying out in the sun.
and this fellow was on the sidewalk down the street from the store... he made me laugh, too, for two reasons: 1) because he's sitting on one of those resin lawnchairs, and 2) because he looks like he has a bit of indigestion! Just goes to show that I never know what I'll see when I'm out and about! --or maybe it shows I have a warped sense of humor?? :D
1 comment:
really nice photos, jennifer! i especially like the cactus flower macros. i have a batch from saturday's hike to try and correct for lighting...that harsh desert sun make it a challenge, doesn't it? still loads of fun! love 'em all!
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