Sunday, April 16, 2006

The Return of the Cholla!

The last day called for a last long bike ride down a black diamond dirt bike path under power lines...

still in the 'gated community' of where my great uncle's condo is, here is a sample of what desert landscaping can include:


wild flowers not usually found in landscaping


we descend down the dirt biker path...


under the powerlines, that did electricute us actually


the name of David's enemy, the prickly cactus that digs its spikes in, that work like arrows (so pulling them out is really hard), is a cholla, and I brushed one up against my ankle!


"David! I can't pull them out!"


David begins the surgery with the sticks...he pulls very quickly and the cholla flies out...I feel no pain, until...


"Oh no!"
let me tell you, that those are not simple pickers. they are arrows that are embedded in your skin. when they are pulled at, they pull your skin with them before you rip them out.


"WaWeeeee!"
the pain makes me sing some soul.


"This is worse than ANY wax I've ever had!!!"


"I would be a terrible Scientologist in labor."


cholla all gone.


brief pause for scenic beauty


how not to hug a cholla bush


see the little rock under the big boulder
"David! Leave the boulder alone."


david after a day in cholla surgery



we'll be back soon!


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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does Trek make that biking shirt you're wearing?

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with you two? Stay away from the freaking cacti!

Unknown said...

Yeah, I'm sporting the new look for bikers. hehe. Kidding. It's actually Sweet Pea that was on sale, and it's mesh, so it really doesn't really matter what happens to it. Plus, I don't like Sweet Pea for a few reasons, and I really needed to lose my jogger's tank top tan lines and that shirt was my only option.

We couldn't help running into the cacti! I didn't even see that one! There I was, just walking up a hill to get to some boulders, and pow! My one foot brushed against a loose one, and planted the cholla firmly into my ankle!