Currently the Chama Canyon wilderness where we live is alive with a super- abundance of blooming cholla cactus.
Recent rains in our area seem to have been very favorable to the plants, which don’t make such a spectacular splash every summer.
Summer is indeed the season of the cholla, predictably in bloom between the Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist on June 24th and the Solemnity of Saint Benedict on July 11th. Of course, July 4th is always sandwiched in between, and this year celebrated next Sunday.
While beautiful to behold, the cholla cacti are not user-friendly for flower arrangements. Best to keep one’s distance from their barbed spines and simply admire the magenta-colored flowers from afar.
In the midst of desert beauty, we send our greetings and keep you in our prayers.
Abbot Christian and the monk
