Thank You. This shot screamed for the Black and white transformation. I don't do that usually. It is so easy these days with digital that it feels like cheating. I am an old Black and White photographer and lab printer back in the day so the ease just feels sinful. I guess I need to get over it. The first day of the bloom they are very Yellow and the second it goes more yellow silver. If it is more in the sun it gets hints of pale salmon in the silver. I have it more in the shade now with morning sun. It got new sun scars this year due to my inattention when we soured early to 108 and it was still out in the all day sun area while I was out driving around working. I have had two small ones bloom this year. I fertilized with More Bloom an alaskan product that is no Nitrogen . I use it once a week at 1/4 dilution. I think this large one has bloomed 4 or 5 times this summer.

On #3, I have slugged through lots of images and at this time I am thinking that if it develops more fine secondary needles around the clusters with age , it is a M. rhodantha sp. rhodantha or M rhodantha rubra. If those fine needles don't develop, maybe it is a hybrid with one of the M. magnimamma like M. zuccariniana. The site below has a lot of this family and one can see the simmularitis in the needle structure. Now I have to go cook dinner and get my life back. Or my family will have me for dinner. http://mammillaria.forumotion.net/t926-mammillaria-magnimamma-family-post-in-progress Here is a link that might be useful: M. Rhodantha

Snow in Texas is much more rare than snow in Canada, but I wish I could post a photo of the snow that we've gotten up here. Several days of constant snow and blowing winds, the snow itself in unshoveled areas like the garden, and back of the house, is up past your waist. And that's not saying anything about the drifts created by plows and people shoveling. You can't see around street corners when driving. Parking lots are halved in size by the snow piles. It is unbelievable. We've had record snowfall amounts up here for the past 2 months and it makes you wonder what it going on this year!

Looks like you're coming right along with the camera work. Love your rainy day pics. That rose looks good enough to eat! It's raining here today also....a slow drizzle. I did manage to get the dead heading done and see what new ones were blooming today, although, I got a bit wet in doing so. :) I haven't taken the camera out...don't want to get it wet. If it stops long enough, I'll run out and do some photos with rain drops too. Thanks for the show. Jan