The first manned spacecraft, fired from an English launchpad, is first lost from radar, then roars back to Earth and crashes in a farmer's field, and is found to contain only one of the three men who took off in it; and he is unable to talk but appears to be undergoing a torturous physical and mental metamorphosis.

Ben is given a Cactus as a gift for his 18th birthday. He places it down on his desk. As this cactus's life passes so does Ben's. He graduates high school and finds himself in a tumultuous period of his life. Full of emotional highs and lows we witness the life of this cactus and an uncertain slice of Ben's life.

The drive from Riverside, California to Phoenix, Arizona is affectionately known as the Cactus Trail. Starting in Riverside, sights of note include: the Mission Inn in Riverside whose unique style was the brainchild of Frank Miller; the Chapel of St. Francis in Riverside, which because of its dedication to aviation is the site of many weddings associated with aviators; the Camelback Mountain outside of Phoenix, so named for its shape.

On an isolated cacti farm, three stressed out birds ask a cowgirl to help stop the elusive Ax-Man.