Our Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminar is over (it was great and we met MANY TQS members there) and we are now heading back to La Veta. We are taking the 'scenic' route home. I know many of those in the U.S. have been to the Southwest and seen the magnificent Saguaro Cactus, but for those who live in other parts of the world, or for those who not been to the Southwest, here is a photo showing a bit of what we saw on the drive this morning. (sorry, but my camera battery was dead so I took the photo with my laptop.)

The bloom of magnificent Saguaro Cactus is the state flower of Arizona. The plant has a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem, 18 to 24 inches in diameter, often with several large branches (or "arms") curving upward in the most distinctive conformation of all Southwestern cacti.

The Saguaro grows very slowly - perhaps an inch a year - but will grow very tall - up to 50 feet! The largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be 200 years old. An average old Saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30 feet tall. Visit Charlotte Warr Andersen's webite and see her quilt featuring these magnificent plants.

What unique flora, fauna, or geological features are in your neck of the woods? Do you find inspirational from your surroundings (or from your travels) that influence your creative efforts the same way Charlotte was inspired by the Saguaro?