Santa Rita Prickly Pear

The Santa Ritas have started to bloom in my yard.  They're really pretty flowers; different from many other prickly pear cactus flowers because they are completely one color: a beautiful bright yellow.  It makes photographing them a bit challenging .  It's an interesting cactus, too.  It's sometimes called a purple prickly pear because the pads have a purple tint.  The amount of moisture it is holding effects it's color: greener with a lot of moisture, purple when it's drier.  Here's the catch: you can tell if they are too dry because they tend to shrivel.  So even though they are drought tolerant, about once a week in the heat of the summer they need a little watering  (explains the water droplets on the flower)
Now, I know you're thinking, if thy are drought tolerant, why would any cactus need water?  The cactus which grow naturally in the desert seem to have more tolerance for the heat than those used in landscaping.  

I had PT this afternoon and started crying because I've only now begun strengthening exercises with just a couple of sessions left.  I feel frustrated that I still can't take more than a short walk to the mailbox.  No desert, no mountains.  They  decided to request extra time through my insurance as a "medical necessity."

Last thing for today is this: It's the first day of Mental Health Awareness month.  #WhyCare #ICare  I'll probably be doing some writing about it during this time.  Having been in the mental health system since 1978 and eventually diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder in 1995, I have a few things to  share.

Q: Why did the farm hand lose his job on the banana farm?
A: He kept throwing the bent bananas away.