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Skipjack Joe
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Cardons
A couple of images of evening cardons from the last trip.
These were taken south of El Rosario, near St. Augustin, I believe.
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Paulina
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Thanks Igor, I think the Cardon cactus is very interesting. On our last trip home from Bahia, as I was staring blankly out the passenger side window,
I was taking a visual inventory of all the Cardon that grow on the north side of the road between the town and the highway. As I was doing this I was
wondering if the Cardon has to get a certain height before it starts growing arms. What do you think?
P<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Skipjack Joe
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I haven't thought about it much, Paulina, but it makes sense. The young ones never seem to have branches. When I first started coming to baja I
thought the small straight ones weren't Cardon at all.
A couple of years ago we had a poll here for 'your favorite cactus'. As I remember the Cardon was the overall winner. I just like their bold thick
bands of lines that rise to the top. Especially in the evening light.
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Mexitron
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Nice Skipjack! You don't know how hungry seeing those pics makes me for Baja............
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Skipjack Joe
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Have you painted anything of that part of baja that you like?
I always feel so inspired when I drive through that section of baja. But I just can't seem to get across to my satisfaction whatever it is that makes
me feel that way. I should probably just spend some quality time there instead of driving through, and it will come to me.
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Paulina
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
... I just like their bold thick bands of lines that rise to the top. Especially in the evening light. |
Me too. Maybe that's why I keep taking photos of our two Cardons in Bahia.
I like this one because it shows the different colors in the bands at the top. I'm guessing that it leaves those marks every time it has a growth
spurt?
A close up during the daylight:
This is our other one. We measure it every time we're down. I noticed that this one is growing higher on one side than the other. I'm curious to see
if it has evened out come Spring break.
Thanks Igor for starting this thread.
P<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Skipjack Joe
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How fast is it growing?
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Paulina
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I had a feeling you were going to ask that. Now I'm going to have to dig out all my baja journals and figure it out. It's kind of like the science
fair experiment that was turned in late because of being too lazy to add up the results.
I just so happen to have this year's journal right here, so looking back to July 08 measurements, then comparing them to Jan. 09, here are the
results:
"Cardon Jeff" was 36" in July and the same in Jan.
"Cowfood" was 59" in July and 63" in Jan. Cowfood grew 4" in seven months.
"Big Guy" was 66" in July and 69" in Jan. Big Guy grew only 3".
That's a beginning, now I have to do some homework to find their sizes when we first planted them.
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Skipjack Joe
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That's a lot faster than I expected.
Remember DavidK's before and after pictures separated by 40-50 years. Most people thought that old-man cactus in the two photos hadn't changed much
during that time frame.
"Jeff" must be the runt of the family. I once grew a cherry tree in my back yard from a sapling and it had the same growth pattern your Cardons are
showing. There was very slow growth initially and then it just took off. I liked to watch it grow every day. I'm strange that way.
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Paulina
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"I'm strange that way."
I don't think you're the only one.
I was trying to figure out what Jeff's problem is, besides being vertically challenged. He's fairly new to the scene and tends to get soapy water at
times, where as Cowfood gets run off water from our water tank. I was worried that it was getting too much water, but from the results of the last
measurement, he's kinda liking it.
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\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Skipjack Joe
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An amusing story about Cardons
Back in 1977 we made our first trip to Puerto Escondido during winter school break. The main purpose was to fish but it was windy so often that we
probably spent more time bird watching.
Well, this one particular day we were following a gilded flicker from tree to cactus trying to get a better look. Every time we'd get close enough and
I'd start to adjust the focus off it went to another plant.
Finally, the last time, it left it's perch and came straight towards us, settling on a small cardon, no more than 6 feet, directly in front of us.
Aha! I thought to myself. This should be good. I slowly circled the plant with camera in hand and to my surprise - no bird! I had kept my eye on the
cactus and there was just no way it could have flown without me seeing it.
Slowly I circled it several times, muttering in disbelief, before I had a distinct feeling that I was being watched. I looked at the plant and I
thought I saw a head. I looked again and there was nothing. Strange. There was a hole about shoulder high but when I looked inside it was just dark.
So, I waited patiently and sure enough, a head appeared out of the hole and looked around to see if it was safe to come out.
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Paulina
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That gilded flicker was probably thinking the same thing about you. Just as it was getting a good eye on you, you would move. Your story made me
remember that I have two children's books somewhere that I used to bring out during my Desert theme; Cactus Hotel and Desert Giant. I wish I had all
these photos to use back then.
They really are more than just another cactus.
P<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Natalie Ann
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Igor and Paulina... I very much enjoyed your pix and stories of cardons.
That first picture of yours is my favorite, Igor - those cardons in the foreground are really neat. It looks like the big one has one large part that
has died and that green arms are growing from the 'dead' part. I've seen that before but don't understand how it happens.
Once I took a desert plant tour with a guide. He told me that the average annual growth of a cardon is 1 inch. He said that in years with mucho
rain, they grow a bit more... but in years of drought they may grow even less than that inch. Would seem that Cowfood is very happy with the runoff
water, Paulina.
Nena
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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Paulina
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Nena, it seems so! I was worried at first that I was drowning them, but now I've changed my mind! I may have to move my water hose over to Jeff's side
of the garden for a while so it can catch up to the others.
Thanks,
P.<*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Mexitron
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Have you painted anything of that part of baja that you like?
I always feel so inspired when I drive through that section of baja. But I just can't seem to get across to my satisfaction whatever it is that makes
me feel that way. I should probably just spend some quality time there instead of driving through, and it will come to me. |
Mostly I've painted Cirios, but Cardons...oh, when you catch a little forest of them in the morning or evening sun they're magnificent! Cardons are
on the list!
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Paulina
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Hopefully towards the top of your list!
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Taco de Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mexitron
| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
Have you painted anything of that part of baja that you like?
I always feel so inspired when I drive through that section of baja. But I just can't seem to get across to my satisfaction whatever it is that makes
me feel that way. I should probably just spend some quality time there instead of driving through, and it will come to me. |
Mostly I've painted Cirios, but Cardons...oh, when you catch a little forest of them in the morning or evening sun they're magnificent! Cardons are
on the list! |
You've done some nice Agaves too....and some nice beach scenes....Don't be modest 
Truth generally lies in the coordination of antagonistic opinions
-Herbert Spencer
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Skipjack Joe
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Mexitron, I would encourage you to create a thread in the photo gallery forum displaying your baja paintings. I would really like to see them and I'm
sure other members would also.
I have a plant list also, with them ranked from top to bottom. The ocotillo has been on top for years now but last time it did little for me. Agave's
are way up there. As is a cactus that is seldom anyone's favorite: the candelabra.
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fixtrauma
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Few favorite Cardon pictures
Thanks for the tread Skipjack Joe. Here are a few of my favorite cardon pictures........Don
Notice the moon in the picture!
I love this picture!
[Edited on 1-29-2009 by fixtrauma]
[Edited on 1-29-2009 by fixtrauma]
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Skipjack Joe
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Thanks, Don.
The first one reminded me to refill my prescription of Viagra.
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