"Location, Location..."

...Location!!!
I imagined that when I returned to the midwest this summer
my favorite wildflower garden would greet me
with hundreds of Indian Blanket flower blooms...
just like it seasonally did every summer
year after year...with out fail...

Until now...

Apparently, when I wasn't "looking"
there had been some kind of an early summer "territorial battle"
over prime garden real estate in my flowerbed.
My Siberian irises and yarrow had multiplied this spring
beyond belief
and
along with bountiful heaps of weeds
shut out any ground space for my faithful
flowering Indian Blankets.

So...in honor of their gorgeous gold and deep red-orange blossoms...
I post these similarly colored "fantasy blooms" which were
drawn and painted from my imagination
and then preposted before my trip
to now celebrate "what might have been".

Ah, yes..."Location, Location, Location..."
Guess what they say is true...
even if it's simply a teensy bit of a space in one's garden!:)

"Cactus Monday Blues..."

...On Tuesday!!!
Well,
in a nutshell,
remote posting is NOT for me!
Plain and simple...
I have been drawing like a mad woman
and have no way to share it all with you until I return to the desert!

I missed a Cactus Monday post entirely...
and it really made me blue! :(
(Hence, today's post of the blue wildflowers
drawn from my imagination before my trip)
BUT...
I did celebrate the day by doing yard work...
SEVEN LONG HOURS OF YARDWORK...
14 huge compost bags full of my results!!!
And
I have the typical battle wounds...so many scratches and cuts
it appears I really did fall into a spiny cactus patch.

I know this is a stretch for a Cactus Monday post...

I promise good things when I return! :)
I do...I really do!!!

"Imagine..."

...Visualize and Perceive...

Only positive things.

"In the midst of movement and chaos,

keep stillness inside of you."

-Deepak Chopra

For JWS on this day...Love you!

"Have You Ever Seen A..."

...Opuntia zactanglia imaginnia...?

...A unique species of cacti-born of a prickly pear and a zentangled pen.

Shown during the Day...

bathing in warm sunlight, just soaking in life,

and at Night...

...With sweet moonlight coloring her dreams

And setting her edges aglow! :)

Have a Happy Cactus Monday ...and a glowing Night! :)

"Out Of My Mind...! "

Fantasia imaginina

Characterized by frequently changing form and color.

Natural habitat located somewhere between the subconscious

and

the tip of one's paintbrush.

Classified into two categories according to flowering cycle:

Nocturnal dream blossoms

and

mid-afternoon day-dreaming blooms.

The ancients of Bloggerama noticed cacti of this type

mysteriously appearing like magic out of thin air

on Mondays.

Hence, they celebrated these sightings with special

festivals and regalia.

Then, under the leadership of their Queen,

TeriPaintedDaisyius,
these festivals where passed down through generations
and became commonly known as

Cactus Monday

celebrations.

This species of cacti needs minimal care...

thrives in the rich environment and wonders of blogland

and is intrigued by

the casual passing by of interested visitors.

So,

In the words of the those very wise ancients...

Happy Cactus Monday All!