Tuesday, August 30, 2005

CACTUS... CACTI

I took this picture just seconds before I took my fall on Sunday.  Fortunately this cholla is not the cactus that I fell onto.  This picture is smaller than lifesized and those spines are vicious!  Even the dead and dried plants pose a threat because the whole branch will break off and stick you.  It is difficult to remove as the spines all grow in different directions and while pulling one out you will inadvertently push another one in.  Not to mention there is no safe spineless place to grasp the cactus for painless removal.  Yes, this is experience speaking.

This prickly pear cactus is similar to the one I fell on.  The large spines were painful and drew blood, but the hairlike spines that grow at their base were probably the worst.  Many broke off just under my skin and are still embedded in my face. My foot improves daily.  I have a bruise on my torso from when I fell onto my camera, I laugh every time I see it.

Best of all though, my lense appears to be okay now.  I guess it just had a little dust embedded in it, but a good brushing has it focusing now without any problem.  So, with my body and my camera all healed, I'm ready to set off again on another adventure... hopefully a painless one this time.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your photography is magnificent!  My dau and granddaughter live outside of Denver. When I was there one of the many things I noticed was the beautiful blue, blue sky and clouds that looked like you could reach up and touch them. I visited the sand dunes, and Mother Cabrini shrine. Do you have any pictures taken at these places? Hope you recover from the pricklies and am glad that the camera survived without damage. Good luck in the future - I love looking at the pcs. NRoulie56@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I do pray your excursion out this time proves to be a painless one also!!!!!!!

http://journals.aol.com/rjet33/CountryLivingSouthernStyle

Anonymous said...

Feel better!!!! And be careful!!!!!
Betty

Anonymous said...

Be very careful friend. Those embedded could become infected.

Anonymous said...

Good news... both about your recovery and the recovery of your lense <g>. Be more CAREFUL please!

Anonymous said...

Thank God the camera's fine!  ::wink::  How are you now?  Lisa

Anonymous said...

I hope those spines will remove in due time.  Camera is OK,  fantastic.  No. 1 is created interestingly with the sharp detail of the cactus, against the soft detail of the background.  One of my earliest childhood memories is of me being seated on a huge cactus at the elbow and a photo was taken.  I hope my sister has it with her collection.  Being so young just the thought of the desert was so different from my Chicago area suburb environment.  Take care,    mark

Anonymous said...

oh it's painful just looking at that cactus, let alone even think about those spines stuck in your face!  thank Goodness you and your beloved nikon are on the mend.  good news all around!

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