Not many wild flowers were to be found in southeast New Mexico
where drought conditions exist
but the cactus was starting to bloom;
it never ceases to amazes me how such a mean, nasty little plant
can have such beautiful flowers!
While out riding something spooked the horse I was riding (possibly a rattler which we saw later)
and in an attempt to buck me off (which he did), Salsa managed to back into a tall cactus.
I ended up with just a few cactus spines,
Salsa ended up with a ton!
After an hour's ride to the vet's in town and a large dose of sedation,
Salsa was cactus free!
I felt horrible for the pain his fright caused him.
cactus (ˈkæktəs)
— n , pl -tuses , -ti
any spiny succulent plant of the family Cactaceae of the arid regions of America. Cactuses have swollen tough stems, leaves reduced to spines or scales, and often large brightly coloured flowers.
