In other news, Lou’s cactus bloomed. It was one of the strangest, most beautiful things I’ve ever seen: over the course of 10 days, the cactus “birthed” this sort of umbilical-like six-inch-long tube, with a long, pointed bud at the very end. The cactus itself is not very big, nor has it ever done anything other than sit ever so quietly in its little pot, so just the appearance of this appendage was cause for excitement and great anticipation. We had heard that cacti only bloom at night, under the light of the moon, so we were especially vigilant after dark each day. And then, late one evening, the bud unfurled into this luminous white flower twice the size of the cactus and with a heady fragrance something like jasmine, but more… wild. Like what you’d imagine a moon-worshiping desert flower to smell like. The blossom lasted about a day, then shriveled up and the tube fell off.
At the risk of giving away how boring my life truly is, this event was a highlight of my year.
