Barrel Cactus Flower

It's a deep red with hints of orange and pink. It's so bright, it pulls your eye. It is the flower of a barrel cactus.

I walked the dogs down the street and saw this by the side of the road. I had to come back and take the snap.

There are lots of amazing flowers in the Sonoran Desert. Many bloom a second time during the monsoon rains. But there is something haunting about the color of a barrel cactus flower, something that a photo cannot capture.