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Mystery of the Giant Cactus solved 2014-06-12 - Downtown Columbia, KY - Photo by Ed Waggener. Melvin C. Branham cleared up the mystery of the disappearance of the giant cactus on Russell Road this morning. For those who drove his house, located between the Circle R and the Dollar General Store on Russell Road regularly, it was likely no mystery at all. Less frequent travelers may have thought the owner had removed it, but that's not what happened. The harsh 2013-14 winter killed it, Branham said this morning while on a regular walk around the Square. He said that as it was rotting, it had a stench as bad as any he knew about. Cleaning it up was a huge problem, he said. It wouldn't burn, and the needles kept anyone from picking up the pieces even with gloves. He finally had to shovel up the pieces, load them on a pickup, and have them hauled away. Not to worry, the the plant is started anew, surrounded by tiger lilies and other flowers he's a master at growing. Paired photo: Big cactus at 804 Russell Road, a photo of the cactus almost 5 years ago, when it was a grand sight with mature "tunas" ripening on it, but not as enormous as it was right before it died. Permalink | Comments?

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