One of the best things about Scottieblogging is seeing how the dogs in the other blogs live and the difference in the environments. Although I’m almost ten, one is never too old to learn. Here’s something about here for you. I guess if I titled this post “Botanical Lesson” you never would have looked. In retrospect, I should have included pornography in the title and gotten lots of readers. I’m talking about our giant cactus-the saguaro. These can get huge-higher than telephone poles. They don’t start flowering until they’re about 50 and don’t start growing “arms” until about 70. They planted a few in our place about ten years ago. Here’s the biggest:
This picture was taken on the 18th of March (notice the snow on the mountains in the background). The saguaro is pretty tall right now. It was only six foot high when it was transplanted here ten years ago. It got more watering and fertilizer than it would in the wild and that’s why it had a growth spurt. The two things to notice are the hole in the top left and the smoothness elsewhere. A woodpecker drilled the hole and that’s common. In the future, small bird will use it as a nesting site. It is now May and the cactus is preparing to flower. Here’s a picture from May 17th:
The next day, there’s even more growth:
and now, today:
Last year this saguaro attempted to flower for the first time. It produced one pod which fell off when it got this size so we had no flower. We’ll post when we get a blooom. Saguaros are said to be able to live three to four hundred years and there may be one alive that was a baby in the 1600s.
kylascott 
Oh Kyla we hope the blooms make full flowers and don’t drop. Keep us updated.
Lee was in the hospital had emergency surgery so that is why we were not around.
Lee’s appendix went BOOM.
Sweet William the Scot
OMD-I hate hospitals and surgery (I remember a particular surgery but that’s another matter….). Glad to see you up and about. Update for you, Daisy has computer problems and hasn’t posted a real post since the first of the month. Douglas’ pack is splitting up and he’s too busy right now. Now you with having to take care of Lee. What’s a dog to do except to offer moral support.
Oh I am of no moral support ~ when Lee is sick I hide, I don’t like it one bit. I am the only scot she has had that will not lay with her. Her other two would not leave her side even for food. We knew Daisy was down we sent an e-mail. Thanks for the other update.
Sweet William The Scot
Don’t know which to respond to. I guest, first to Sweet William, you go and take of her, we will wait for all to get better, then give us the lowdown, have miss you! Next never been around a cactus, they look awsome, we like the whole back yard thingy.
Kyla, you are so helpful. Now I know about those sticky things that poke up out of the ground where you live. I guess you have to be careful about getting stuck. No wait…you wouldn’t be climbing up that thing. I have to say that I’m glad you squat to pee…I’d hate to cock my leg on that thing.
Aroooo! Stuart
Kenzie uses small bushes. He doesn’t try those-maybe he learned the hard way and nobody saw it.