In Canada, prickly pear cactus can be found in small pockets scattered through the western provinces. They only grow to about the size of a football. Travelling through Arizona, I was amazed how big they grow when given year round sun. This plant sprawled out and was about 5 feet tall.
As the sun breaks through the pines, the softened shadows reveal the contours in the meadow of each cluster of grass.
The giant flowers of cow parsnip fill the lower altitude meadows of the Rockies. With the plants reaching four to five feet tall, it can be quite intimidating to walk through. Grizzly bears love grazing this environment. I can't begin to count how many bears I have scared out of meadows similar to this, all much too close for comfort before we each noticed one another.
