Spring Magic

It's kind of reassuring...they're always there...flowering on an annual basis.  Usually one of the first cacti to bloom, on a schedule of its own, Echinocereus engelmannii and some of its close cousins brighten the drab desert surroundings in the Spring. 

The bloom schedule has been variously attributed to temperature, the winter rains, sometimes to magic.

The contrast between this otherwise unremarkable cactus and the grasses that often surround it is brought to life when it flowers...kinda like waving a magenta flag while shouting, "Hey, look at me."

As they invariably do, bees and other insects will look and struggle through the stamens and anthers spreading pollen throughout the blossom and carry it to the next blossom, as well.

We all have a stake in this process...sometimes only to let us know that Summer is near...that there is something regular and timely in our lives.  A constant.