White Cactus Flower

By Jan Verhoeff

This flower caught my eye as I returned to the vehicle after taking the photo of the dry river bed. Brilliant white blossoms surrounded by those tiny yellow buttercups filled the barrow ditch beside the road.

I leaned down close to the cactus to shoot this vibrant picture in the sunlight and took several photos. Between shots, I moved the camera away from my face and during the last shot, I saw motion just to the right of this particular screen.

In the flowers to the right a rattle snake coiled slowly, preparing to strike. Before he realized I'd spotted him, I jumped to the left and took off for the vehicle. After I was a safe distance away I looked back at him, still coiling in the flower, with his head up as if he was searching for the missing prey.

There are beautiful flowers on the prairie, but be aware that there are often ugly critters behind them.