The Western Heritage Museum
The Western Heritage Museum in Hobbs, New Mexico, was worth visiting on May 13th.
You won’t see any pictures of the interior here, but I spent some time in the xeriscape garden out front,
and that’s where these three abstract takes of a rainbow cactus, Echinocereus dasyacanthus, came from.
§
§ § §
§
I invite you to watch Eli Steele’s 37-minute film “The Killing of America,” which deals
with the dual evils of antisemitism and the destruction of education in America.
© 2024 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Thank you, Steve, for the unusual photos!
Joanna
gabychops
June 3, 2024 at 5:38 AM
You’re welcome. The rainbow cactus was new to me.
Steve Schwartzman
June 3, 2024 at 8:16 AM
This bloom is a pretty color, and the bud’s interesting. It reminds me of prickly pear buds, although I remember those buds as being less obviously spiny than these, despite the plant’s name. I was struck by the resemblance of the spines in the last photo to the structure of a basket-flower bud. In fact, I was going to show one of those buds in a circular format as you did here, but now I may not, since it might seem as though I was imitating your presentation. On the other hand, a link back here to show the similarity of the structures might be interesting to people.
shoreacres
June 3, 2024 at 7:53 AM
Patterns do repeat in nature. Think how many plants have elements that arrange themselves according to consecutive Fibonacci numbers, for example.
Yesterday we both independently did posts about swallows. I see no reason why you shouldn’t proceed with your independent plan to show a bud circularly framed. The more the merrier, right? Linking to this post to show similar designs in nature would be appropriate, too.
Steve Schwartzman
June 3, 2024 at 8:23 AM
Of course, if I’d been more awake this morning, it would have occurred to me that your circular framing and my intention to use circular framing is just one more bit of proof attesting to the truth of that old adage: great minds think alike!
shoreacres
June 3, 2024 at 7:43 PM
You said it. Another synchronicity—and some town should rename itself Synchrony City.
Steve Schwartzman
June 3, 2024 at 8:07 PM
Wonderful macros of these, Steve. The last one is like looking through a microscope…to me anyway.
circadianreflections
June 3, 2024 at 8:56 AM
It’d be an unusual microscope, one whose tube has a non-circular ellipse as its cross-section.
Steve Schwartzman
June 3, 2024 at 9:27 AM
These are great shots, Steven!
Tina
June 3, 2024 at 12:19 PM
Thanks. It was good to have a different kind of cactus to play with for a change.
Steve Schwartzman
June 3, 2024 at 1:55 PM
Love the detail of the bud – the delicate textures of the petals contrasted with those sharp spikes. Look but don’t touch!
Ann Mackay
June 5, 2024 at 5:41 AM
Regarding that middle picture, I think the tips of the petals, while visually akin to all the spines farther down, must actually be soft to the touch, though it never occurred to me to test that out while I was there.
Steve Schwartzman
June 5, 2024 at 6:01 AM
Yes, I would suspect they are, but you would need to take care not to brush against the rest!
Ann Mackay
June 7, 2024 at 5:05 AM
Aye, there’s the rub—though I’d prefer not to rub up against them.
Steve Schwartzman
June 7, 2024 at 5:21 AM
Wise!
Ann Mackay
June 9, 2024 at 2:10 PM