From: george.kincaid@worldnet.att.net   
      
   That was strange country for a bunch of kids from the green hills of West   
   Virginia. We thought the desert was just sand, like Lawrence of Arabia or   
   something. I remember one poor guy, decked out in his frat gear in shorts,   
   was walking in front of me and some kind of cactus shot a ball of thorns   
   right into his left calf. He didn't say shucks! Tear blanket is a good   
   term-even the big rugby player was in tears! I think I was wearing jeans and   
   heavy boots at this point--I had enough cactus in me to make tequila :) ! I   
   had a lot more understanding of cowboys and folks who work and live in that   
   terrain. Man, there was a whole lot of nothing bewteen Marathon and the park   
   I recall. Thorns or not, I'm glad I got to see that part of the country.   
   Thanks   
   "Gerald Clough"  wrote in message   
   news:VIWdnS7B5J7D9v3fRVn-1g@texas.net...   
   > George Kincaid wrote:   
   >   
   >> A case for Gerald' comment. I took a trip to Big Bend National Park in   
   >> the 80s. It was a class field trip for a geology course. We hiked all   
   >> over the park, got lectures and comments. I got attacked by an eagle claw   
   >> cactus I think it was called. I wish we had been told to wear at least   
   >> jeans. Most of us went tramping around in shorts. I recall my mom--and   
   >> later the family doctor--digging needles or whatever got shot into my   
   >> leg. We got scorched and sunburned and Lord knows what else. Could have   
   >> used a canvas jacket and a big hat--and leather covers over our pants.   
   >> Now I see why cowboys wear chaps!   
   >   
   > Eagle claw cactus is a little barrel type cactus with long straight   
   > spines. Very firmly set, so they really sink in. If a shrub, it might have   
   > been an acacia. My favorite and, I think, most descriptive names for it   
   > are "wait-a-minute" and "tear blanket". Also "car claw."   
   >   
   > Even worse, I think, are the ones with thousands of tiny, delicate thorns.   
   > Tape gets some of them out. A razor will pull some of them. The rest just   
   > have to fester out. In that country, even if there were no other reasons   
   > to wear gloves, ropes pick up thorns.   
   > --   
   >                       Gerald Clough   
   >    "Nothing has any value, unless you know you can give it up."   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)