K's Cactus Encounter - an homage to maintaining ones humor even when as one is losing ones pants

I discovered early morning hiking on my annual Sonoran escape. The awakening desert thrilled me with its subtly shifting shades of morning sunlight.

The flora and fauna captivated me. I did my best to keep up with the group, nevertheless stopping long enough to just enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

As the group trekked down an arid, stone-slippery section of trail, it happened.

Just like that. In an instant.

A slight misstep. A slip over a couple of loose pebbles. A hand goes out to break the fall. Down goes the rest of me.

I get up - no worries. Nothing broken.

And then ... Enter a hundred tiny, fuzzy pricks - right up my amply padded arse!!!

 

Edward. Eddie. My Eddie. Eddie, the Man. What can I say? Here was a professional, totally committed to my well being. To taking care of me. Valiantly, he came to my first aid, armed with cheater specs & tweezers.

Eddie. The ultimate survivor man. Hard at work. On my butt. Oh dear G-d, did he have to have his face so close ... I just kept reminding myself that I had given birth 3 times & nothing can humiliate me anymore ... well, not much ...

 

His dedication to alleviating my pain & sufforing was selfless beyond believe. Talk about committment to getting the pricks out, one by one by one ...

The more he tweezed & tugged at the highly offensive, brittle spines, the more the little buggers revealed themselves, hiding not only in the weave of pants ... but also underneath, inside my black knickers as well!!!

 

And it just got better & better!

The sun had long risen but so had the moon - again!!! One valuable lesson I must share: when out on adventures that involve any proximity to cacti, wear dark colors (over & under) as it is the only way to espy their pesty little, protective pricks.

 

Many thanks to Kelley Warnol, her 20/20 vision & her ultra sharp nails. Her hanging back from the walking pack was my great fortune & we laughed & laughed & laughed!!! It has made for a brilliantly hysterical memory of an otherwise extremely prickly situation.