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Hilltop Saguaros With Teddy Bear Cholla

By Mike Jones

Mortgage and Lending with SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) NMLS 223495

September 22, 2011 03:27 PM

Hilltop Saguaros: Mike in Tucson, AZ mortgage lender

~ Hilltop Saguaros with Teddy Bear Cholla ~

Much of the Arizona-Sonoran desert looks as if a landscaper had come by and cleaned it up. This hilltop is one such place. The completely natural landscape looks like an austere garden, doesn't it?

Don't get too close to Teddy Bear Cholla cactus: Mike in Tucson, AZ mortgage lender 'Teddy Bear' My Kiester...

There's nothing cuddly about those Teddy Bear Cholla, by the way. These fuzzy looking cacti are 360 degrees of needle-sharp thorns.

Fawn with Cholla cactus stuck to her little head. When hiking in the desert, I always carry a comb. It's not to keep my snowy locks in place; a comb is pretty much the only way to get "unstuck" from a thorny piece of this cactus.

The young fawn drinking from my birdbath has a piece of Cholla stuck to her little head, just above the right eye.

_____________________

I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender

NMLS #223495

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE LLC ~ Correspondent Mortgage Bank
Offices in Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista & Nogales

I don't copyright my photos. It's okay for you to use them.

Right click on my image, copy and use it!

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William Johnson

Retired - La Jolla, CA

Retired

Hi Mike, Congrats on the feature. Your photos in particular the first one is just stunning. Enjoyed the information on the Teddy Bear Cholla prickers look they could hurt. I have a weed ( as hard as I try not to ) with little tiny sticker things that would catch in my little dogs hair and stick in my finger when trying to remove them.

Sep 23, 2011 02:40 PM

Mike Yeo

3:16 team REALTY - Frisco, TX

Great pictures. I love the scenic drive from Phoeniz to San Diego. See lots of cool landscape much different from TX

Sep 23, 2011 04:51 PM

Evelyn Kennedy

Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA

Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Mike:

The photo of the cacti is lovely. The saguaro are so stately and the Teddy bear cholla look feathery.

Sep 23, 2011 05:04 PM

Janet Jones

Just Your Style Interiors, LLC - Kihei, HI

Home Staging, Interior Redesign Kihei, Maui, Hawaii

Hi Mike--great photos. You are making me homesick for Tucson--which was home for eight years. My husband (also named Mike Jones) always said that the everything in the landscape in Arizona was hostile. I remember all too many run ins with cactus on hikes.

Sep 23, 2011 05:05 PM

Tom Arstingstall, General Contractor, Dry Rot, Water Damage Sacramento, El Dorado County - (916) 765-5366

Dry Rot and Water Damage www.tromlerconstruction.com Mobile - 916-765-5366 - Placerville, CA

General Contractor, Dry Rot and Water Damage

That looks like it hurts Mike, hope you are okay now. Thanks for the photos.

Sep 23, 2011 05:11 PM

Bryan Robertson

Los Altos, CA

Nice top pic but that one with the prickly ball looks really painful. Tell me that's a Photoshop trick!

Sep 23, 2011 06:04 PM

Michael Thornton

RadnorLake Video - Nashville, TN

Nashville Area - Photography & Videography

Good morning, Mike. I can relate to your story. BTW. Happy Birthday...

Sep 23, 2011 11:49 PM

Beverly Jo Cole

Southern Cross Real Estate, Inc. - Fort Lauderdale, FL

Yikes!!! After seeing that "sticker on steroids", I vow that I will never again complain about our little weed stickers here. (ours are the size of an english pea)!!!!!!!!!

Sep 24, 2011 12:16 AM

Gita Bantwal

RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA

REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Thank you for sharing the pictures. I just stopped by to wish you Happy Birthday.

Sep 24, 2011 12:43 AM

Gabe Sanders

Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL

Stuart Florida Real Estate

Ouch, those stickers look like a pain. Love those deer by your fountain. Really cool!

Sep 24, 2011 01:26 AM

Michael Setunsky

Woodbridge, VA

Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Mike, now I know why my Sister and her Husband live in Tucson. I'll have to ask them if they carry an extra comb with them.

Sep 24, 2011 01:39 AM

Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional

Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL

Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

Mike - thanks for sharing these photos - we have sand spurs here in Florida but nothing like this!

Sep 24, 2011 10:01 AM

Gabrielle Kamahele Rhind

KGC Properties LLC, Tucson Property Management & Real Estate - Tucson, AZ

Broker/Owner

GOOD MORNING MIKE! I was in tears for a week when I landed in a pile of Teddy Bear cactus. Not fun and not cuddly! Cute post!

Sep 25, 2011 02:28 AM

Mike Jones

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) - Tucson, AZ

Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Gab,

...and not tears of joy, either. Ouch!

Barbara-Jo,

You're welcome. I've never been 'bit' by sand spurs.

Michael,

I'll bet they do!

Gita,

Thanks for the birthday wishes! See you on your blog.

Gabe,

I couldn't find a plug-in compatible with Firefox to view your video! Do you have a link to Youtube?

Beverly Jo,

Come on out for a visit!

Michael,

You don't look like yourself today... :) Thanks for the birthday wishes!

Bryan,

It's no photoshop trick! The comb got rid of it for me.

Tom,

Something like that only has to happen once. It was three years ago.

Janet,

He's right. The desert flora and fauna either stick you, sting you or bite you!

Evelyn,

They look feathery, but the truth is that they're NOT! LOL

Mike,

We drive the other way each April, and enjoy most of the Texas landscape. The exception is the stretch around Odessa...

William,

Thanks for saying so! See you on your blog.

Jon,

A leatherman tool will do the trick (usually.) See especially minute 2:14 and following...

Deb,

No I don't!

Lisa & Robert,

So you have some firsthand experience... It is beautiful out here.

Gina,

It's a newborn, maybe a week old, and still learning about life...

Debra,

I imagine you're right! The desert is unforgiving.

Bill,

Thanks for stopping by to comment! We had neighbors over last night, and were discussing this family of deer. They appear to like the neighborhood!

Mike in Tucson

Sep 25, 2011 02:52 AM

Anonymous

John Morgan

Beautiful landscape design... know the Designer? Hi Mike, I am looking forward to a desert walk with you one day soon.

Sep 26, 2011 01:24 AM

#25

Juli Vosmik

Dominion Fine Properties - Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale/Cave Creek, AZ real estate 480-710-0739

Having experienced more than my share of the Teddy Bear Cholla AND the staghorn cholla, I, for one, know the PAIN. Poor little fawn.

Sep 27, 2011 11:57 AM

Heather Tawes Nelson

Live Better in Arizona - Scottsdale, AZ

Associate Broker, ABR, CLHMS, CRS - Scottsdale, AZ

I love the desert landscape, but not when one of these decides to "hop on" to me or my dog. Sorry about your leg and the little fawn.

Sep 27, 2011 05:55 PM

Dawn Maloney

RE/MAX Trinity Northeast Ohio Real Estate Specialist - Hudson, OH

330-990-4236 Hudson & Northeastern Ohio

Just saw this - I love your photos, always!

Oct 03, 2011 02:31 PM

Not a real person

San Diego, CA

We have jumping cholla over here. And they really do jump, or at least it seems so. They might be the only thing that I kind of dislike about San Diego.

Oct 05, 2011 03:35 AM

Mike Jones

SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) - Tucson, AZ

Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Russel,

You've got to watch that stuff. I didn't know you had cholla in San Diego!

Dawn,

You are so kind!

Heather,

We both survived. LOL!

Juli,

I wonder how the fawn got rid of the cholla? It did, though.