These are two cactus flower buds getting ready to blossom.This species only blooms at night. You'd probably never look twice at the cactus when it's not in bloom, but during a 12 hour period its buds produce beautiful flowers that are about 4-5 inches in diameter. One of the many beauties of the Sonoran Desert. I'll also post a picture of what the full bloom looks like, but I thought this view of the buds was a special look at what's about to happen during total darkness.
And, here's the result of the all-night blooming glistening in the next morning's sun. The blossom lasted about five hours and then withered away. The left over bloom was later eaten by a passing javelina which seem to love these tasty morsels. Nothing's wasted in the desert.
Man, I would have a conundrum in deciding which to post, both being great shots, but that open bloom has a special quality to it, especially with the skill used to maintain the detail in those whites, which are easy to over-cook!
