Saturday's Prickly Pear Flower 05-07-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Saturday,  As I was walking the dogs yesterday, I saw these yellow flowers near the ground through some high weeds.  We walked through those weeds to see these beauties and noticed they were blooming from a cactus!  This cactus is almost like a ground cover so we had to be careful, especially the pups, to not step on the cacti, and I made a promise to myself to come back with a camera. 

There are many cacti in this small area all blooming, which was great.  An internet search determined that this cactus is an Eastern Prickly Pear or Opuntia Humifusa and also known as devil's tongue.  I don't know why that is unless it's because the cactus is basically flat and has sharp bristles.  After the flower dies, it leaves behind a little, red, edible fruit.  I think I might try out a recipe or two for this fruit from a website called Epicurious.com.  Finding this flower, and then finding out that it has a dual purpose in leaving behind an edible fruit and then finding recipes for this equals an awesome day for me.

I hope you had an awesome Saturday!  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Cactus Flower

Copyright 2015  AJ Horton

Hello on Tuesday.  This is another flower from my mother's Christmas Cactus that bloomed in late June.  I did a little "augmentation" of the photo in Picasa 3 and, well, here you go.  I like it.  I hope you do as well.  These delicate flowers deserve to be shown and viewed.  I have really enjoyed this flower and yes, it is still living.  Whew!  I don't have the best reputation for keeping plants alive so, cross your fingers that this one continues to live.  I'll do my best.

I hope you had a terrific Tuesday.  I hope you enjoy my photo/creation.  I thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow,

Friday's Christmas in June

Copyright AJ Horton

Happy Friday!!  Today is Christmas.  Christmas Cactus that is.  This particular Christmas Cactus was my grandmother's, which then became my mother's and now, well, it's mine, so it's been around for a long time.  I'm really trying to keep it alive.  Trust me, it has almost "bit the dust" a couple of times, but I am so very serious about it living for me.    So, it's blooming now, even though it's a "Christmas"  cactus.  I don't care, I am just glad it's alive.  Of course, I could have just gone to some website to see how to take care of it - and now I have several more of these plants - but I didn't.  Not until tonight, anyway.  So, "green thumb" land, here I come.  I will take care of my grandmother's and mother's Christmas Cacti and any other "green" gifts I acquire for as long as I am able.  Then I will pass them on to younger care givers/"green thumbers".

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas today - well, Friday!  I'm the one that had the great "Christmas" today.  Thanks for looking and enjoying "Christmas" with me.  See you tomorrow.

Thursday Heart Love

Copyright AJ Horton

Asheboro Zoo in North Carolina is a wonderful place.  And look, it even has cacti that look like hearts.  And, well, since this is February, the love month......   I thought I would share this wonderful find with you.  Hearts are lovely to see no matter the type.   Although, this particular "heart" with HURT you if you're not careful with it.  Sometimes though, it's going to hurt you no matter what you do.  Regardless, we should take a lesson from it and remember to be careful with all the hearts in our lives.  Treat them with kindness and respect.  Treat them as you wish your own heart to be treated.  Show some gratitude and love.  And I hope you get treated the same.  I know I'm going to try that with all the hearts in my life. 

I hope you had a wonderful Thursday.  Happy hearts to you.  See you tomorrow.