We have had record breaking cold temperatures the last two days, single digits both night and yesterday never got above freezing. The cold has not been kind to certain cactus.
That is ice at the break.
Can you see the icicle hanging?
Today the temps are finally getting above freezing and the cactus is beginning to thaw, causing cactus juice to seep out at the breaks.
Other types of cactus do not appear to have suffered any.
I took these pictures at the wrong time of day, around noon, so the glare and shadows are rather intense. Sorry.
This cold has been quite an adventure, as we have been without gas since Thursday morning. No gas for us means we have no heat, no hot water and no stove. Luckily I had the car yesterday and was able to pick up some electric room heaters, some of the last to be found in town. That has enabled us to stay at our house rather than camp out at friends. My three crockpots work well for heating water (think dishes and sponge baths) and for cooking (a roast beef dinner is cooking away) and we do have a small toaster oven, so we are not going hungry. Now we are just waiting for the gas company workers to come around, turn back on our gas and relight the pilots, something that could take a couple of days, given the number of households they have to visit, one by one.
Awe poor cacti!
Yikes, that is some cold weather. I’ve never seen a frozen cactus before.