Tale of a Jumping Cactus

Here is a picture of a plant called a jumping cactus. It is made up of round "balls" of barbed spikes coming out. If you walk close to one it seems to "jump" out and attach to your clothes or skin. Let's ask Jilliann how it feels....

We were all hiking. John and the boys went on ahead of us because Jilliann was walking slow and playing around. Once they were well out of sigh and out of yelling range Jilliann decided to jump off a rock and into one of these. Of course, because they are round and spiked I could not grab them to get them off of her so after thinking I decided to get a rock and try to hit them off. In the mean time some of the ones on her were jumping off and getting on me. So, now she is full of barbed thorns and I have these stupid things all on me. It was REAL fun. After much deliberation I decided to call 911. I had my cell phone but John didn't have his. I needed tweezers or pliers or gloves to get all this off of us and I had none. Eventually 6 good looking paramedics made their way to us and proceeded to pull all this out of us. And, as a cruel joke all mine were stuck in my inner thigh and knee so these men had to pull cactus' out of my inner thigh. Oh yeah...that was totally embarrassing.

Once back at the car I forced the paramedics to leave before John and the boys showed back up. They were hesitant to leave us but I begged them as I knew John would make fun of me! I was right...when he got back and I told him the story he laughed and called me a dork. Although, when we got home and I showed him all the bruises these things left in both Jilliann and I he was shocked. Needless to say, next time he wants to go hiking, Jilliann and I are going to the mall to buy new shoes!!