Mono Monday: Texture

I've been fascinated by what I call the "skeletal remains" of the cactus that grow in our area. The fibrous network that you see is what remains of the fleshy pads of cactus after a period of decay. Some of the cactus shrubs grow in spreading clumps to 10 or 12 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide. It is quite interesting to see the many different phases of development in the same plant--ranging from tiny new green buds, open and closed flowers, ripe and unripe fruit, and both living and decayed pads.