It started as a single segment in a tiny plastic pot in the Walmart garden section. It was only a matter of time before someone else snatched it up. Fast forward to now — nine segments, a slight hint of variegation, and absolutely no signs of slowing down.

Some mornings the cacti just decide to put on a show, and you might as well have your camera ready. That's what happened when I walked into the greenhouse and found two of them had synced up perfectly — both in full bloom, same day, right next to each other. Yellow and red.

Sometimes the thing that feels like a disaster is really just the universe forcing you to do something you should have done anyway. One TBMC, a bad day, and four grafts later — I'll take it.

What starts as "I'll just build something simple" never stays simple. Here's how a blog idea generator turned into a full-blown cactus collection management app — and why I wouldn't have it any other way.