Ouch!

Tis the week for cactus blooms!

There are two varieties of the prickly plants that grow in this area. The first, shown above, is much less common and this is the first time I have been able to actually capture one in bloom. These are Pincushion Cacti. As with most things, it is pretty easy to see how they got their name. 

 Much more common is the Prickly Pear. It is hard to believe such a stand-offish plant can have these beautiful, delicate flowers, but here they are.

Although very similar, there is some variation in the color of the flowers as you can see in these three photos. The first shot shows the most typical.