Topic: One Subject One Roll: Cacti

[limr]

Driving through the desert in Arizona was like driving on the moon for me - so different from what I am used to. The first day was mostly spent wandering through Tanto National Forest on our way to our first destination (Cottonwood). We stopped many times to take pictures and since I tend to notice detail and close-up shots rather than wider landscapes, I found myself unable to stop taking pictures of cacti. I could have shot several more rolls, and certainly cacti make appearances in the other rolls from this vacation, but this was the only roll dedicated to them.


Needles by limrodrigues, on Flickr


Mohawk cactus by limrodrigues, on Flickr


Flowers and cactus 2 by limrodrigues, on Flickr


Cactus and mountain by limrodrigues, on Flickr


Barbs by limrodrigues, on Flickr

And I do sometimes go wide


Lonely cactus by limrodrigues, on Flickr

[jharr]

Great shots Leonore. #'s 5& 6 stand out for me. As a resident of the SW, cacti are sort of an ordinary, everyday sight, so I often forget to see the beauty of them. Thanks for sharing with a fresh lens.

[Late Developer]

Wow, Leonore, what a great set.  I love 4 and 5 (but that's being picky as they're all great).  The barbed wire and cacti go great together. 

[imagesfrugales]

Are these Jumping Chollas in the 4th picture?

Years ago I made a visit to the Sonora desert and it was a great trip. We booked a guided tour and the cowboy (our guide) came into the hotel lobby wearing a colt at his hip. Later we had to shoot with this gun at beer cans, a strange tourist attraction. The cacti were impressive, Jumping Collas, huge Saguaros and many others. Beautiful landscape. Thank you very much for the reminiscence.

[limr]

Thank you kindly, gentlemen

James, the only cacti we get here in the Northeast are the ones sold in Home Depot as house plants. Indestructible, they say. Until I bring one home, that is  The comedian Demetri Martin made a joke about killing a cactus: "After it died, I thought, Damn! I'm less nurturing than a desert!" I know what he means. So it was nice to see so many of them alive and well, and I hope they still are even after encountering me

Are these Jumping Chollas in the 4th picture?

Years ago I made a visit to the Sonora desert and it was a great trip. We booked a guided tour and the cowboy (our guide) came into the hotel lobby wearing a colt at his hip. Later we had to shoot with this gun at beer cans, a strange tourist attraction. The cacti were impressive, Jumping Collas, huge Saguaros and many others. Beautiful landscape. Thank you very much for the reminiscence.

They could very well be Jumping Chollas, but all I know is that they are prickly little devils, as my shins and fingers quite abruptly discovered.

...And I just checked Google. They are indeed Jumping Chollas and apparently, given the images I saw, I'm not the only one who has experienced them "jumping" into their skin. Luckily I only dealt with one small burr, but it was still not easy to get rid of even that small one.

[Adam Doe]

Great set of photos Leonore. A very pointy set of images. I especially like the first one, Needles.

[ManuelL]

Great series! I like the colors. Especially the last shot reminds me of the old Disney film.
When I was a kid, I brought a Cholla leaf back from Greece which has turned into several generations of large Cacti in the meantime.

[limr]

Thanks, Adam and Manuel!

Manual, you're clearly the green thumb polar opposite to my black thumb - keeping a cactus alive for many years whereas I've killed one in just a matter of months 

[Indofunk]

Might I suggest a jasmine plant? I too have a black thumb (which was laughingly ironic during the period of time that I was a plant molecular biologist), to the point that I've even killed weed-like money plants. But I've had one jasmine plant for about 15 years .... I've forgotten to water it, it's been infected with spiders twice, I've cut everything off of it except for one short stem and it's regrown, and I've repotted it exactly once in that entire time (about 10 years ago) and despite everything I do to the poor thing, not only does it survive, but it even flowers occasionally (though not as often as it did in its youth). Hey, maybe I'll do a one roll/one subject on it 

[limr]

Might I suggest a jasmine plant? I too have a black thumb (which was laughingly ironic during the period of time that I was a plant molecular biologist), to the point that I've even killed weed-like money plants. But I've had one jasmine plant for about 15 years .... I've forgotten to water it, it's been infected with spiders twice, I've cut everything off of it except for one short stem and it's regrown, and I've repotted it exactly once in that entire time (about 10 years ago) and despite everything I do to the poor thing, not only does it survive, but it even flowers occasionally (though not as often as it did in its youth). Hey, maybe I'll do a one roll/one subject on it 

Ooooh, jasmine! That sounds right up my alley. And it seems like it's on the safe list for plants that are not toxic to cats. Thanks for the tip!

[Fluminian]

Excellent photos, Leonore. 

[Indofunk]

Might I suggest a jasmine plant? I too have a black thumb (which was laughingly ironic during the period of time that I was a plant molecular biologist), to the point that I've even killed weed-like money plants. But I've had one jasmine plant for about 15 years .... I've forgotten to water it, it's been infected with spiders twice, I've cut everything off of it except for one short stem and it's regrown, and I've repotted it exactly once in that entire time (about 10 years ago) and despite everything I do to the poor thing, not only does it survive, but it even flowers occasionally (though not as often as it did in its youth). Hey, maybe I'll do a one roll/one subject on it 

Ooooh, jasmine! That sounds right up my alley. And it seems like it's on the safe list for plants that are not toxic to cats. Thanks for the tip!

And the few times during the summer when it does flower, my room smells AMAZING

[limr]

Thanks, Fluminian!

Satish: I'm sold! Going to find myself a jasmine plant