With social distancing, I’ve been spending more time observing at my house. Maybe it’s the isolation, but I’m finding beauty in unusual places. Because of the drought this summer (no monsoon rains in 2020), my grass dried up and the outdoor-living tortoises ate more plants than usual since they had no grass to graze on. I discovered that they had eaten an entire aloe vera plant. It had been quite a large specimen. Now, all that was left was this stump.
I find the geometric organization of the leaves interesting and artistic. I don’t know if the root is still alive, but I’m hoping it is and new growth will come up when it rains again. Until it grows or dies away, I will enjoy this unusual offering of nature and my tortoises.
This is an intact aloe vera plant, protected by a clay pot, so the tortoises can’t eat it, too!
