The Desert in Bloom

The desert near our home is bright with wildflowers--and quail, roadrunners, and mockingbirds are going about the business of hunting and raising their young. The rain we got this winter means there is a bright carpet on the desert, and the awakening cacti, like this cob beehive cactus, are either blooming or getting ready to bloom.

This nipple beehive cactus blossom is just opening.

The prickly pear will continue blooming for weeks.

The Texas rainbow cacti have showy yellow flowers that attract a variety of insects.

This one attracted a little skipper.

Many of them were attracting wild bees that were completely covered in the abundant, sticky pollen.

The bees would completely disappear amid the stamens, only to emerge almost drunk with nectar.

Spring in the desert, with the help of winter rains, is a time of quiet beauty and renewal.