Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Look But Don't Touch!!

Desert cholla can be nice to look at, especially in the late afternoon sun. Back-lighting on their thorny needles can make them look like they are glowing.

But don't touch! Don't even brush lightly against them. The thorns and bits of cactus seem to almost "jump" onto the unwary hiker (hence the nickname, "jumping cholla"). The thorns are barbed at the end, painful, and very difficult to remove.
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16 comments:

  1. TexWisGirlMarch 10, 2015 at 4:39 PM

    so very pretty (i'm admiring from WAAAAY over here...) :)

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  2. John @ Beans and I on the LooseMarch 10, 2015 at 5:37 PM

    I tried that - backlighting cholla, on my last desert road trip. You did a way much better job of capturing the effect than I. Well done.

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  3. StephanieMarch 10, 2015 at 6:15 PM

    They are pretty to look at!

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  4. JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes)March 10, 2015 at 6:25 PM

    Beautiful photos - and sinister spines.

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  5. Gail DixonMarch 10, 2015 at 7:23 PM

    Yikes! They do look like they could cause a great deal of hurt. Beautifully lit photos, though!!! "Glowing" was the first word that came to my mind, too.

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  6. CloudiaMarch 10, 2015 at 7:29 PM

    You are a master of light


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

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  7. AndyMarch 11, 2015 at 1:52 AM

    So this is the porcupine of the plant world.
    Yes the back lighting does add more spice to the photo.

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  8. s.cMarch 11, 2015 at 2:50 AM

    I love those backlight shots. Yep glowing is the right word.

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  9. Optimistic ExistentialistMarch 11, 2015 at 4:21 AM

    Beautiful - but I wouldn't want to prick my finger on them LOL

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  10. WayneMarch 11, 2015 at 6:55 AM

    I'm wincing just looking at that beautiful, but nasty plant.

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  11. SusanMarch 11, 2015 at 3:25 PM

    Oh yeah, we have them here too. Stay away, far away~

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  12. Sallie (FullTime-Life)March 11, 2015 at 6:02 PM

    They hurt like crazy! Sad personal experience. But they are beautiful. Even then I thought so.

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  13. AnonymousMarch 12, 2015 at 6:14 AM

    How wonderfully glowing they are!

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  14. AnitaMarch 12, 2015 at 10:20 AM

    Lovely shoots of the cactus:))

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  15. Karen @ Pieces of ContentmentMarch 13, 2015 at 7:35 PM

    You captured its beauty well, and hopefully avoided its nasty side.

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  16. John's IslandMarch 14, 2015 at 6:51 AM

    These are some amazing photos. Very nice work! I can almost feel the ouch! :-)

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