It was over dinner Friday night that we were trying to remember the last time I visited the estates in West Texas. Our best guess was about three years ago; I had first visited in April of the previous year, which would have been 2002.
The first thing that impressed me about the property when I first went (whenever that was) was the vast amount of cactus. I mentioned to Brother Dave that it seemed to grow like a weed. He was in process of landscaping the property, and muttered that the only difference was that cactus was harder to pull than weeds.
My impression is that there is somewhat less cactus on the property than there was about four years ago. I suppose there's just no getting rid of it. Plus, cactus plays its own unique role in the West Texas ecosystem. No one who cares about the environment, as Brother Dave does, is going to try to irradicate the cactus altogether.
I've come to really like gallardias - they seem rather hopeful in their distinctive southwestern colors. I took over a dozen shots of gallardias: group shots, extreme close-ups, and so on. I especially like this shot because of the contrast between the colorful gallardia and the spiny cactus.
Somehow, it seems not only hopeful but also brave as it dares challenge the cactus' territory.
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