Saguaro detail.
Virtually every mature saguaro bears 'scars' of some environmental insults or attacks.  They're kind of the cactus equivalent of wrinkles, I guess.
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Ponce de Leon Drive, Catalina foothills, Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (morning)
Saguaro detail.
I liked the way the shadow of a branch of palo verde revealed the contours of the cactus stem.
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Ponce de Leon Drive, Catalina foothills, Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (morning)
Saguaro detail.
In this shot, it was the shadow of one rib, cast by the early morning light onto the neighboring rib, that appealed especially to me.
Close inspection of the shot revealed to me (seen best on the left-most rib) that many of the spines appear double.  I believe, in fact, that most if not all of those 'double' spines are the result of the original spine splitting.
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Ponce de Leon Drive, Catalina foothills, Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (morning)
Welcome to Tucson this saguaro seemed to be saying.
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Ponce de Leon Drive, Catalina foothills, Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (morning)
Chris - 1/11/13 - Karen Hardwick
Yogi - 1/11/13 - Karen Hardwick
Saguaro detail.
I liked the way the shadow of a branch of palo verde revealed the contours of the cactus stem.
.
Ponce de Leon Drive, Catalina foothills, Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (morning)
Saguaro detail.
I liked the way the shadow of a branch of palo verde revealed the contours of the cactus stem.
.
Ponce de Leon Drive, Catalina foothills, Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (morning)
Saguaro detail.
I liked the way the shadow of a branch of palo verde revealed the contours of the cactus stem.
.
Ponce de Leon Drive, Catalina foothills, Tucson, Arizona
December 20, 2012 (morning)
See photo in original gallery.