The First Day of Spring!

Even in the desert where many things stay green all winter -- and some things bloom all winter -- there is evidence of new growth in the spring. This prickly pear cactus is in a sheltered corner of an RV and is definitely an early bloomer --

And the blooms are gorgeous --

In the same family, this beaver tail prickly pear has blooms of a little different shape --

If you look closely, you can see the bee busy enjoying this bloom --

This organ pipe cacti is nestled in a warm corner of this park model --

Aren't these pretty?

I'm not sure what these will look like when they are open. They seem to be fatter -- and paler pink -- than buds on the other prickly pears.

What is absolutely fascinating to me is how quickly the buds have popped out and bloomed. I didn't see any evidence of them during my walks last week.