After a summer of extremes with skin-cracking dryness, and copious sweat-producing heat the likes of which we rarely see at 7,000 feet in elevation, it appears the monsoon season has finally arrived.  Two months late, albeit, but we are grateful nonetheless.  I can only imagine the cheers exploding from every building in the city when the rain began this week.  It reminded me of a tango seminar in which we participated many years ago in Taos.  All of the participants were practicing specific moves and nuances being taught by teachers from Argentina.  Suddenly, everyone in the room (except the teachers who didn't have a clue what was happening), ran to the windows.  It was raining.  The poor teachers did not know rain is a spectator sport in New Mexico (and I suspect much of the arid Southwest).  It is an unsurpassed gift, that almost instantly made all growing things much happier.  The native grasses are even starting to become green again.  And flowers and plants that did not do particularly well this summer, took the gift and are running with it.  

One of these is Datura wrightii or Datura meteloides.  It belongs to the nightshade or Solanacae family.  Although plants such as tomatoes, chile peppers, potatoes and eggplants are in the family, many nightshade plants are poisonous and psychoactive.  But its large white flowers are figuratively, the top of the cake and are spectacular, and the blooms were prolific after the rain.  Flowers bloom in the evening (thus nightshade) and can also be seen in the morning hours before noon.   

Flowers - Datura 4 2026

The datura flower here is beginning to fold and close, but there was just enough sunlight to make the center part of the flower glow, as shown below.

Flowers - Datura 7 2026

Although the fullness of the flower is stunning, I find the entire package fascinating.  Each flower is attached to a pedicel at the base that is wrapped by the calyx or outer whorl comprised of five green sepals.  Sepals protect the white trumpet shaped flower (Corolla).  The ends of the five fused petals have curls or points that make the flower even more fascinating.  The flowers in their entirety are extremely photogenic from almost every angle.
 

Flowers - Datura 1 2026 Flowers - Datura 3 2026 Flowers - Datura 2 2026 Flowers - Datura 5 2026 Flowers - Datura 6 2026  

Thanks to all of you who got in touch about last week's blog, including Deb, TTT, Tim A., Louise & Jim, Pater, Jean & Sam, Steve, and Terry T.

This Tuesday, 22 September, is the autumnal equinox.  The sunlit days are becoming shorter, but also more brilliant, creating that perfect light for photography.  I hope you enjoy the feel and light of the coming season.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image©