@Jay (and sorry for the delayed response!) The cactus used for prickly pear margaritas is, brace yourself, prickly pear. That's the name of the cactus -- prickly pear (actually, I believe they use the fruit, though the "pads" are edible too).

@Jon - I wouldn't want to hit one of those things in a car... they've got really shallow roots, but 10,000 pounds is 10,000 pounds. And if it fell the wrong way...

Jay, that cactus has been known to eat people alive when they're not looking. I think I've actually seen it devour a car once. :)

Cool graphic. Just spent a weekend in the desert and enjoyed the sun and golf. What is the cactus that is used for Prickly Pear Margarita's?

I used to think Pine trees were really nice. Then I realized that they easily break in hurricanes and fall on my houses. Now I cut them down if they are near my house. I would never have mistaken your cactus for a pine tree. I think the cactus look really cool. I've never actually been to Arizona, but I would love to see one up close.

Jay - I have seen plenty of pine trees and that ain't no pine tree. My first thought was "those big cactus with arms" I never can remember their name. But I do know they ain't a pine tree! - Ashley

Yay a response!

Now I can go troll somewhere else...

Who's poking me?

A GNOME? Well, I suppose I do look rather gnomish standing next to that thing. And though I wasn't angry, I sorta look that way.

It was the bright sunshine shining in my face, making me squint. People in Connecticut and Washington state probably can't relate to bright sunshiny November days...

Notice how Ardell didn't argue the gnome part. :-)

poke poke poke respond Jay respond...

I had to come by to figure out where Athol was coming up with the angry gnome part on his blog. Speaking from Bellevue, WA, the land of never ending pine trees, that ain't no pine tree.

I was unable to get to your blog yesterday and hope that I am able to today. I really thought that the graphics depicted termite on old walls! How silly of me? In the comic strip Charlie Brown, Snoopy's brother in the desert keeps talking to such a cactus and it should have rung a bell!

"Is it possible for this plant to grow in other regions of the world aside from Arizona?"

Possibly. They do not tolerate frost well at all (more than 20 hours below freezing will kill them) and they rarely grow above 4,000 feet in elevation. Most "home grown" saguaro are grossly over watered leading to them falling over before the roots can be established.

You see baby saguaro sold occasionally, but they grow very slowly (1 to 1.5 inches a year) and take 35 years to flower, so make for a pretty boring houseplant.

Man those things get big! I definitely recognized the graphic, but I had no idea they would get that HUGE.

That's a funny looking pine tree and the gnome standing next it looks angry.

LOL! I guess as a fellow Arizonian I immediately recognized the Saguaro. I've even thought to myself, in the past, how much I like your graphic!! Great pic of you and the Saguaro, without you standing next to it... it wouldn't have done as much justice to the size of these beautiful plants.

Jay, for what it's worth, I also knew what it was right away, and I don't live anywhere near a cactus! Your explanation made for interesting reading :)

Arizona is a very diverse climate. I used to love it in the winter time while driving truck, and coming off "the hill" into Phoenix. You would go from 4 feet of snow in the ponderosa pines down to rain in the saguaros. In the desert where you only needed a long sleeve shirt. I love how the desert smells during and after a rain.

Saguaro are really cool. I rode my bike down the Mexican Baja, for days we passed these creatures, who I started to give names. They looked like people after 3 weeks on a bike.

Could it have been too much sun on the helmet?

kk

P.S. you need not answer that.

I thought it was pretty obvious that it was a cactus, though I wouldn't know a cactus name from a grass name. Maybe move the word "Real" off of the Cactus graphic, and it might be mroe clear to the confused. Hey, now I know where one of the thousands of street names in my area came from! (Saguaro St, in Castaic).

Athol the Troll and his sidekick the squinty the gnome.

jay (and sorry for the delayed response!) The cactus used for prickly pear margaritas is, brace yourself, prickly pear. That's the name of the cactus -- prickly pear (actually, I believe they use the fruit, though the "pads" are edible too).

Jon - I wouldn't want to hit one of those things in a car... they've got really shallow roots, but 10,000 pounds is 10,000 pounds. And if it fell the wrong way...

Jay, that cactus has been known to eat people alive when they're not looking. I think I've actually seen it devour a car once. :)

Cool graphic. Just spent a weekend in the desert and enjoyed the sun and golf. What is the cactus that is used for Prickly Pear Margarita's?

I used to think Pine trees were really nice. Then I realized that they easily break in hurricanes and fall on my houses. Now I cut them down if they are near my house. I would never have mistaken your cactus for a pine tree. I think the cactus look really cool. I've never actually been to Arizona, but I would love to see one up close.

Jay - I have seen plenty of pine trees and that ain't no pine tree. My first thought was "those big cactus with arms" I never can remember their name. But I do know they ain't a pine tree! - Ashley

Yay a response!

Now I can go troll somewhere else...

Who's poking me?

A GNOME? Well, I suppose I do look rather gnomish standing next to that thing. And though I wasn't angry, I sorta look that way.

It was the bright sunshine shining in my face, making me squint. People in Connecticut and Washington state probably can't relate to bright sunshiny November days...

Notice how Ardell didn't argue the gnome part. :-)

poke poke poke respond Jay respond...

I had to come by to figure out where Athol was coming up with the angry gnome part on his blog. Speaking from Bellevue, WA, the land of never ending pine trees, that ain't no pine tree.

I was unable to get to your blog yesterday and hope that I am able to today. I really thought that the graphics depicted termite on old walls! How silly of me? In the comic strip Charlie Brown, Snoopy's brother in the desert keeps talking to such a cactus and it should have rung a bell!

"Is it possible for this plant to grow in other regions of the world aside from Arizona?"

Possibly. They do not tolerate frost well at all (more than 20 hours below freezing will kill them) and they rarely grow above 4,000 feet in elevation. Most "home grown" saguaro are grossly over watered leading to them falling over before the roots can be established.

You see baby saguaro sold occasionally, but they grow very slowly (1 to 1.5 inches a year) and take 35 years to flower, so make for a pretty boring houseplant.

Looks like a pine tree to me.

Another wonder of nature. Is it possible for this plant to grow in other regions of the world aside from Arizona?

Man those things get big! I definitely recognized the graphic, but I had no idea they would get that HUGE.

That's a funny looking pine tree and the gnome standing next it looks angry.

LOL! I guess as a fellow Arizonian I immediately recognized the Saguaro. I've even thought to myself, in the past, how much I like your graphic!! Great pic of you and the Saguaro, without you standing next to it... it wouldn't have done as much justice to the size of these beautiful plants.

Jay, for what it's worth, I also knew what it was right away, and I don't live anywhere near a cactus! Your explanation made for interesting reading :)

Jay -- being in Phoenix, it was pretty obvious to me too! I have had some tell me they have never seen a cactus and often times when I have out of town folk visiting, we make it a point to hit the desert and take such a photo as you have. Love the header by the way, simple, clean and effective!!

Arizona is a very diverse climate. I used to love it in the winter time while driving truck, and coming off "the hill" into Phoenix. You would go from 4 feet of snow in the ponderosa pines down to rain in the saguaros. In the desert where you only needed a long sleeve shirt. I love how the desert smells during and after a rain.

Saguaro are really cool. I rode my bike down the Mexican Baja, for days we passed these creatures, who I started to give names. They looked like people after 3 weeks on a bike.

Could it have been too much sun on the helmet?

kk

P.S. you need not answer that.

I thought it was pretty obvious that it was a cactus, though I wouldn't know a cactus name from a grass name. Maybe move the word "Real" off of the Cactus graphic, and it might be mroe clear to the confused. Hey, now I know where one of the thousands of street names in my area came from! (Saguaro St, in Castaic).