"Stumbling Upon..."

...some golden Barrel Cactus fruit...

(click on images to enlarge)

found on the grounds of the Westward Look Resort

(...advertised as the "Soul of the Southwest"...)

where we stayed

during our delightful getaway in Tucson

a couple of weeks ago.

The brown tops are actually the dried cactus flowers

of the plant.

These pots of gold popped right out at us...not difficult to spot at all!

Don't these little fruity gems remind you

of tiny pineapples?

Now, according to Wikipedia:

"The flowers are pollinated by cactus bees.

Mule deer, birds, and javelina eat the fruit.

The birds especially like the seeds.

The people of the Sonoran desert use the fruit for candy and jelly.

The Seri eat the flowers and the O'odham use the fruit,

which is sour, as emergency food.

Tradition says that the barrel cactus

is a source of water for people lost without water in the desert.

There are records

of the southwestern Native Americans using it for that purpose,

but the water contains oxalic acid

and is likely

to cause diarrhea if ingested on an empty stomach."

(Ewww...okay...

Waaaay too much information...)

Here's hoping that you

"stumble upon" something wonderful this Cactus Monday ! :)

"Don't miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow

looking for that pot of gold."

~Author unknown