His nibs

Appendages begin to sprout.

Prickly pear fruit

The edible fruit of the prickly pear cactus. We've had some interesting salsa made with this fruit.

There are many places named for this cactus, my favorite being an island off Anguilla.

Prickly pear blossom

Flower today, fruit tomorrow

Graceful

A grove of cholla cacti ready to "jump" at the first opportunity.

Ouch!

Another unadorned cholla.

Transformation

While the Teddy Bear Cholla is always attractive in the light, other cholla specimens can be a bit disappointing -- until they burst into bloom. 

Teddy bears

I love how the Teddy Bear Cholla catch the light in their fine, dense spines. Tomorrow, a different cholla specimen.