Only I didn’t. It wasn’t a desert rose I saw at all. It was a cactus flower.

 

The bud showed up without any fanfare, and it was quick. This is my first go-round with a cactus, so I’m Schultz-y on this one: I know nothing. The bud was sizable, and extended straight out of the side of the cactus, several feet below the top. I thought it would take several days to pop.

 

And then the danged thang just exploded, that very evening. I thought it would last a while, so I just marveled and let it be. There would be plenty of time for photos, right?

 

Wrong. That beauty of a flower had her one full day (and night) and then began to hide herself away. And that was it. She had made her debut and taken her final bow, all in the same evening. Astounding.

 

I’m glad I managed to catch it. Glad I opened my eyes and looked. Glad I saw.

 

What a beauty.

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