This is a Santa Rita prickly pear cactus flower. Every species of cactus is unique. Santa Rita’s are special. They are native to our immediate area, named after the mountains I can see from my backyard; the mountains in which my beloved Madera Canyon can be found. What makes them especially unique is their color. Not so much the small yellow flowers but of the cactus pads. The more stressed Santa Rita’s are by cold weather or drought, the more purple they become. It was an exceptionally cold winter so most I have seen are very purple. I stumbled across this fascinating article about how cactus get water in the desert if you’re interested.

I had an appointment with a new pulmonologist. I really like him. My previous doctor had ordered a chest CT but she flew the coup. Not only did this new guy review the results, but he show me the film layer by layer and explained everything.

When I got back to Green Valley, I stopped for an early dinner at one of the plethora of Mexican restaurants in the area for a chicken fajita. It came with a couple of tortillas, refried beans, pico de galló, rice, guac and sour cream. I brought half of it home. A nice treat after that 2 hour round trip into Tucson.

In other news…. I spoke to one of my former Dynard Elementary colleagues in Maryland for two hours. It was so great to catch up. About 10 of my former colleagues, all retired, get together for lunch once a month. That’s got to be fun. Something would love to do! I think the best parts of being a teacher are the kids and the camaraderie.