UllrsIshtar
Posts: 3693
Joined: 7/28/2012 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: PeonForHer Thanks for the info. Jesus. A place where even the lawn-grass is out to get you? Sod that for a lark. Arizona has something like that. Though not quite as inconspicuous. It's called jumping cactus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylindropuntia_fulgida The kids' grandparents recently moved to AZ, and so earlier this year we were out there and the youngest (boy 6) wanted to go play out on the open lot next to their house. He was warned repeatedly it wasn't safe, but insisted, so I went with him. We're trekking around a bit and I'm keeping my eye on him, constantly warning him to be careful. But what do you know, I take my eyes of his LITERALLY 15 seconds, and turn to see him standing next to a cactus (about 1.5 feet away) and the wind picking up and blowing a branch of the stuff right into him. Jumping cactus spreads by getting stuck on something and breaking off from the main plant and letting go off balls of needles that, when they get wet (from like say, being embedded in skin) expand and curl up into hooks, kinda akin to fishhooks that are just impossible to remove. He screams in pain, and immediately sticks his hands in there to try and pull loose, so by the time it takes me to close the 4 feet between us and grab his arms so he stops touching it, it's everywhere. A pair of pliers, lots of tears, and 2 hours later, we've slowly removed about 60 such balls of needles from his legs, butt, arms, hands, stomach and feet. In the process several times getting some on my and my husband as well, which hurts like holy hell. We all had a rash for a few weeks that itched as hell as well. Jumping cactus indeed. We were back there a few weeks ago, and his grandfather made the casual remark: "do you want to go play in the field again?" to tease him. The boy started SCREAMING and crying "no", until we'd adequately convinced him he didn't have to play outside in AZ... Lesson learned... One of the biggest things for me as a European to have to adapt to after moving here is that there's a ton of stuff around that wants to eat/kill/bit/sting/make you sick/hurt you around here. Ullr last year was bitten in the neck by a teeny tiny unidentified spider that had him full out hallucinating and get a fever for two whole days. I just this year alone killed over half a dozen black widows INSIDE the house, including one that had made a web in the kids' breakfast cereal box. And I've lost count how many I've gotten outside. Really freaky when you're used to the worse thing that can happen in regards to plants/wildlife is coming across stinging nettles in tall grass.
< Message edited by UllrsIshtar -- 10/3/2015 3:11:50 PM >
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I can be your whore I am the dirt you created I am your sinner And your whore But let me tell you something baby You love me for everything you hate me for
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