Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

[Sparkle]

Beth and I visited there today. Dang, nothing but cactus, and if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all as far as I'm concerned.
I kept looking round for a Mall, where I could buy pretty pretty clothes, but no, just more cactus. A Saguaro - facinating!


An Organ Pipe, with a cristate growth. They don't know what causes it. Both Saguaro's and Organ Pipe can have them, they are pretty rare though


To give you an idea of the size, here's Beth taking its photo.


A Chain Fruit Cholla. Are your eyes glazing over yet?


Mine are. Hot dang! An arch. Woopy-doo.

[Bethers]

Listen to you- yet you were talking about going back to see them in bloom. And I bet I'd be hard pressed to get you to a mall.

That said, she didn't mention our hike - it was fun. She also didn't mention that's a double arch - look closely - there is a 2nd one above the one you first notice. You can only kind of see it in that picture. I haven't uploaded my pics yet, but if I have one that shows it - will put it on my blog later.

[mitch5252]

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Those picture are beautiful.

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[oregontocal]

I love the picture of the cristate growth - had never seen anything like it.

As for cactus in bloom, here you go. Now you don't have to go back. These are actually barrel cacti from Anza Borrego Desert in California, but I figure, it's close enough. No mall, though.

[BirdbyBird]

Does someone get a lot of cheese with her whine........

[avalen]

Sparkle, remember what I said about cactus? so lets go shopping!

[Echo]

OMG!!! That first one looks like it's got little boobs on the front!!!!!

That second one is super neat. Have no idea what it might remind me of later.........

Great pics.

[asirimarco]

Those are his eyes - he's watching Sparkle.......
I love the cactus they are so serene and majastic. Organ Pipe is one of my favorite places, right next to Joshua Tree National Park. So I'm weird Sparkle wait until you see the Boojum trees in Baja - they are really weird.

[snowball]

when you went through the museum in Tuscan did you go through the cactus gardens? It's too bad that they are blooming they are so pretty then I personally find them amazing...and be careful of chollo's they throw the spines. ouch! dh got too close once!!! loved you pictures but didn't see the second arch will have to go to your blog
sheila

[Sparkle]

Just what I needed Chris, more Cactus!
Sheila, Beth's dog Peaches keeps getting Cholla balls in her feet, then tries to take them out with her teeth. Then Beth has to rescue her and I get to listen to Beth curse when SHE ends up with the spines in her fingers. Today Beth stepped on one of them and the spines went right through the soles of her shoe. I never knew Beth could swear like that.

[VickieP]

I never knew Beth could swear like that.

Sparkle, you're a bad influence on Beth, shame on you!

[oregontocal]

Those chollas (teddy bear cactus) are nasty. When I began fulltiming several years ago, Lou gave me two adorable Sh'Tzu puppies. One day I took them out to the desert and Charlie immediately got one of those cholla segments in his paw. I felt so sorry for him. They're terrible to try and remove. Some people call them jumping cactus because it really does seem like they jump on you.

I've gotten spines stuck through my shoes when hiking several times and I don't blame Beth for swearing. Those things go right through shoes and anything else.
Yes, they do look pretty when the light shines on them the right way. But, I tend to steer really clear of them as much as possible.

[Sparkle]

Sparkle wrote:
I never knew Beth could swear like that. I guess I taught her well!

VickieP! I had to rush back to my own post and read what I wrote. Bad girl! How did you manage to edit my post! (Hmm, maybe Mitch has been right all along.)

[Bethers]

I may have cussed. But I bet listening to her whine about cactus would have caused it more than the pain. Reminds me of her view of the Grand Canyon - just another hole in the ground. Well, her view of cactus is about the same. I love both. Mentioned how pretty some cactus were the other day and she pooh-poohed me - does not think they are pretty. I pretty much ignore her And drag her to all these places anyway

[BirdbyBird]

'cause that is what friends are for.....