For Mikem and regor

[LL]

Cringe food:

http://woa2.com/beware-of-the-cactus/

 

[kilted1]

OUCH :affraid:

 

[robertw1249]

you can say thats going to leave a mark

 

[regor]

That hurts just looking at it!!!

 

[Mikem]

Wow, what was he thinking. I got one needle in me once from a Saguaro and wanted morphine. I can still remember trying to pull the barb out. This guy has my sympathy.

 

[LL]

Mike & regor --

Most people have no idea what cholla is, but figured you guys probably had at least one run-in with it somewhere along the line, so would understand the significance of the pics.


Board --

That quad rider will spend many painful days in the hospital, and before the invention/discovery of antibiotics would almost certainly have died. The needles are barbed with a "one way fur" sort of surface, which besides making the needles impossible to pull out---they have to be cut out, one at a time---harbors all manner of nasty bacteria.

Southern AZ & Cali desert dwellers literally grow that stuff in their yards. :twisted:

 

[Carlos]

Southern AZ & Cali desert dwellers literally grow that stuff in their yards. :twisted:

Kinda like having a moat around the place. :twisted:

 

[regor]

Southern AZ & Cali desert dwellers literally grow that stuff in their yards. :twisted:

Kinda like having a moat around the place. :twisted:

It works :sunny: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Dubbya]

Southern AZ & Cali desert dwellers literally grow that stuff in their yards. :twisted:

Kinda like having a moat around the place. :twisted:

It works :sunny: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

I'm sure it's good for keeping stray cats out of the garbage.

Man that looks painful.

 

[ftrplt]

We got briefed "big time" on this stuff during USAF Survival School. Both on how to avoid being stung by it and to use it as a survival tool. FTRPLT

 

[LL]

Man that looks painful.

The pain for that guy has barely even started. Because the majority of the needles break off, the docs have no way of knowing their location accurately enough to cut them out until after they become infected. Waiting until then is accepted post-cholla-encounter procedure, believe it or not. :affraid:

General info if you ever visit the Sonora or Mojave deserts: At rest stops, do not let your dog off its leash, and watch young kids like a hawk. Dogs not raised around cactus will chase small critters into it, and kids are so busy looking around at all the new sights they'll walk into it.

 

[LL]

We got briefed [on how to] use it as a survival tool.

You read that right, BoB'ers. :lol: Believe it or not, each Spring a cholla plant produces a large number of plum-sized pods that are not only edible, but considered a delicacy. Near Congress, AZ, there's even a large commercial farm that grows and harvests it like a vineyard.

Cactus is quite a fascinating plant (and surprisingly delicate). Cactus gardens are amazing:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=%22desert+botanical+garden%22&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=

 

[kilted1]

As anyone who has spent time in Texas knows, these grow everywhere.

Both the fruits and 'leaves' are edible. I like Nopales (the 'leaves') diced up fine and mixed into scrambled eggs or made into salsa usually with tomatillos or tomatoes, onion and green chilies.

Prickly Pear Sweets & Treats De-barbing the 'leaves' or fruits can be an adventure until you learn how, but the reward is well worth the effort.

Some recipe ideas: Prickly Pear Sweets & Treats

The Cholla Cactus looks like a great deal more trouble than its worth as a food source :lol:

 

[Mikem]

Prickly Pear Jelly........................uuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.