Minnesota has three species of cactus, typically all are in bloom during late June. The brittle prickly pear cactus seen here is the most common and found on exposed rock surfaces along the Minnesota River Valley. These were photographed on Rock Ridge SNA near Jeffers.
It's been a tough week looking for butterflies. Monday afternoon I was out briefly before the clouds drove them to ground. The good news is once they are there it is easy to get close up shots. They just don't move. I'm always interested in common names. According to Greek mythology the Gorgon was a female creature with large eyes. Apparently it was the head of three sisters with serpents for hair. Technical: 180 mm macro, f stop worked from 22 down to 3.5 to get best background
