“Diamonds in the Rough”

Cholla (choy-ya) Cactus, Broomcorn, Nylon cord, LED accent lights
In the Spring of 1997 I took a 3 week trip with my father, Ralph, to show our brooms at festivals in
Texas. While driving along the back roads of the Texas Hill Country we pass a roadside stand that had
bins full of goat horns, antlers, mesquite wood, and cactus ribs. Dad whipped a quick U-turn and found a
broom makers paradise. The old Native American gentleman who ran the stand turned out to be a
kindred soul. Like ourselves, he appreciated the inherit beauty in the found natural objects and could see
their potential even in their weathered state. We spent hours gleefully digging through dusty bin after bin
until we could no longer fit anymore into the van. Dad took notes on the different species and where they
came from. The old gentleman said that he gathered this piece of Cholla from the deserts of Arizona. I
know that he and my Father would have loved to see what this piece blossomed into.