In their natural surroundings – just as in case of other plants – some of the old pads of a healthy Opuntia (prickly pear) cactus plants begin to die. It is a long process – and nature’s elements play a big role in this process: the sun and the wind dries it out, heavy rainfalls wash the soft parts away, then sun and wind comes again doing their part – and it goes on until nothing else remains than the strong inner skeleton of the cactus. And once these sturdy inner fibres are revealed to human eyes, they amaze us: they have an amazingly intricate structure which looks like a meticulously created filigree or lace.