Dry Desert.

On days like today when it is raining outside and is rather dreary, I want to be somewhere that is much dryer.  Unfortunately, I can't just get in a car and drive there, so I rely on photos and my mood.  Today, I'd love to be in the desert in the fall or spring when the temperature is not too high and I can enjoy viewing cactus. 

So instead, I get creative and project a photo up on my screen so I can see them.  I love some of the names of cactus such as the barrel cactus or teddy bear cactus!   I think the teddy bear cactus looks more like a teddy bear when its quite young.

I love prickly pear cactus because I can use the fruits in so many ways.  In college, I lived near a bunch of prickly pear cactus so when the fruit was ripe, I picked a bunch and made jam, syrup, and other such delicacies.  Only problem is that you had to burn the prickers off the fruit in order to use them.

I was lucky and had a gas stove, so one afternoon, I'm using tongs to hold the fruit over the flame to burn all the stickers off.  Unfortunately, I usually missed a couple and ended up stabbing myself.  So yes, I also had on had all the necessary things I needed to take the stickers out of my hand.  It was worth all the effort to have prickly pear syrup for waffles and pancakes all winter long.  <grins>  I grabbed a few in Hawaii when I was there camping to enjoy while I was there.  Yes they grow on the big island.