prickly pear

I found this guy back when I worked in DE. So it was at least 4 yrs ago. I think it was even longer than that. It was growing behind a guide rail that I was running an extended arm mower behind. I saw it at the last minute and stopped to take a closer look. I could tell by the many healed cuts and grooves that it had been hit before. While I was looking at it one of my foreman drove up to see if I was ok. We both decided to take some of it home. All I had was a paper cup from McDonalds and actually it stayed in that til the cup fell apart. It stays outside year round. It the winter it pretty much dies ( I guess goes dormant would be more like it). It shrivels all up and turns an ugly green-brown. Then once again in the spring, it plumps up again and starts growing more pads. This year I saw new little things that I never saw on it before, so I kept an eye on it. After a couple of days those yellow flowers came popping out. First time in all the years that I've had it.. Pretty cool.