Prickly pear flowers

A few weeks ago, I noticed that the collection of Prickly Pear cacti that filled my up-the-road neighbor's flower bed by the side of the road bore a collection of flower buds. We are not, of course, in cactus country, but the Prickly Pear is unusually hardy and will, if it's covered with enough protective snow over the winter, typically not succumb to the dire weather. In fact, I think the summer's humidity is more likely to kill the cacti than the cold, and this winter certainly kept the plants out of harm's way. With summer's arrival, they were definitely ready to put on a show, which is as spectacular as it is ephemeral. Each flower lasts but a day, so you have to be in the right place at the right time to capture and record Opuntia's extremely fleeting glory. I clearly missed a few blossoms, but my timing was perfect to chronicle the flower show at least once.