Tenacious

I saw this small "chimney" of uneroded soil in the middle of a small arroyo east of the house yesterday.
Closer examination showed that a matt of prickly pear had anchored the soil in place while everything else around it eroded away. Looking at the size of the arroyo and the stability of the vegetation in it, I would guess this was a decades long process.

When I went over to take the close-up of the cactus, it was also evident that this
"cactus island" is a favorite place for owls to hang out, as the ground around was littered with these pellets.