5/23/15

The Prickly Pear Are Blooming In Texas

The Prickly Pear are blooming!  We have had RAIN!  Those two things do not always happen at the same time.  The brilliant blooms dot our West Texas landscape precisely at this same time every year whether it rains or not.  I certainly don't know all there is to know about cactus, but what I do know is from observation and experience. 

My experience in observing these May Bloomers always makes me want to grab my camera, jump in the truck and head for the country roadsides.  This merry month of May, I have been observing the cactus and wildflowers from behind the wheel or as a passenger. 

One word keeps me in the truck and off the roadside prickly pear patches...TIME.  Not only is it Time for the Prickly Bloomers, it is Time for Sneaky Snakes.  A one Time encounter was plenty for this photographer.

It's just as well I don't have Time in my work schedule to go gallivanting around the countryside taking MORE photos of prickly pear cacti.  You can compare it to the recent 'One Thousand Posts' post.  Just substitute Prickly Pear for Posts.

Baloo...singing
Now when you pick a pawpaw...or a prickly pear.
And you prick a raw paw...well, next time beware.
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw.
When you pick a pear try to use the claw.
But you don't need to use the claw...
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw.
Have I given you a clue?
 
Mowgli:  Golly, thanks Baloo.  Bagheera:  PawPaw, ha! Of all the silly gibberish.
The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling

5 comments:

  1. That must mean the prickly pears are about to bloom in my area, too. I'm in California. They are so pretty and well protected by the thorny cactus. Some of them have long vicious looking thorns. I have yet to taste them. I heard they're pretty good.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  2. we visited Ray's aunt one year in San Saba at the perfect time for Prickly Pear blooming. It was a feast for the eyes, but yes, I wore my snow boots (my fake snake boots). Lovely pics to post

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  3. No prickly pears here. But lots of sneaky snakes in various venomous varieties. Love the Jungle Book.
    Life & Faith in Caneyhead.

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  4. The prickly pears look mighty pretty, but I definitely wouldn't have been brave enough to take photos of the snakes! Hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend, Sue. I also liked your powerful post honoring Memorial Day, but for some reason I couldn't post a comment.

    Julie

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  5. Hi Sue - love the photos and Kipling's poem .. but snakes and time-frames .. not me .. I'd be in the truck ... or as Joanne says wear my snow boots - what are they?! Cheers ... lovely post - Hilary

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