Saturday, June 13, 2009

Watch Out

And what would the Southwest be without some cacti? I hope you've got on your protective gear. First stop today on "As the Road Turns" is a trip to B & B Cactus Farm.

Check out these fuzzy cacti. They look soft enough to cuddle up with on the couch. But I wouldn't recommend it.Do you have a message you'd like to send someone? This cactus might be perfect for that.

A lot of cacti were in bloom. The cactus in front looks like it's wearing a wreath of flowers on its head. I like to think the large one on the right is the bride, and the smaller one on the left is the flower girl. Cue Mendelsohnn's "Wedding March." Now we just need a groom.

If the groom ever shows, in a few months the happy couple might end up with one of these living stone families, which can be yours for 10 smackaroos. Most of the cacti in the 2 inch pots were about $3. I snagged three as souvenirs and for their companionship on the road. Okay, I'm just kidding about the last part. But they are way better than a key chain or a snow globe as far as souvenirs are concerned.


And now, it's off to see the big guns, the saguaros (pronounced suh-WAH-roe; I mention this so that you don't have to suffer the same fate as me, being corrected in a large group of people at Saguaro National Park).

These guys are massive. They also grow very, very slowly. It is estimated that they grow 1-1.5 inches in the first 8 years of life . Can you imagine if this applied to people? It takes 50-70 years for one to start growing branches. I am going to take a gander that this particular cactus is older than any human on the planet.

Notice that holes have been drilled into the base of the cactus. These holes provide refuge for birds and small animals to raise their progeny and protect them from the heat of the desert sun.

If you'd like to read more about these giants, go to the National Park's FAQ here.

There were flowers, flowers everywhere. This is the bloom of an Octillo cactus.

A single saguaro may produce up to 40 million seeds in a lifetime, but the odds of a seed making it to adulthood are extremely slim, making the adult saguaro even more remarkable. But regardless, they seem to pose themselves so well in the Park. I think it's fun to make up stories about them ("Lovers Embrace"? "Single and Loving it?" Oh, the list goes on and on).

Next time you think you're old, just think about the saguaros. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is all I have to say about that.

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