Desert Messenger

December 7, 2016 www.DesertMessenger.com 15 SEE GYPSY PAGE 31 ATTENTION DIABETICS on Medicare Accredited by the Joint Commission 435274 CASA MEDICAL 480-941-9493 on Please join CASA MEDICAL (A Participating Medicare Provider) Find Out How You Qualify for DIABETIC SHOES at No Cost to You! (In most cases) IN QUARTZSITE QUARTZSITE SENIOR CENTER 10:30 am - 12:30pm - in the Dining Room MONDAY, DECEMBER 12 TH Traveling with Gypsy Jane Twister is about the cutest dog I've ever seen. One of those small, black and white, Boston Terriers with that kind of fl at face that causes her to snore -- her only fault. She's smart, quick, full of energy, and VERY loving. I pet sit her whenever I get the chance, and I refuse to charge because being with her is a delight and payment enough. Twister knows me now and is always happy to see me -- exuberant is a better word: jumping up and down, turning in circles, running to and fro until I FI- NALLY subdue her with my 100% un- divided attention in the form of convey- ing sweet nothings and lots of petting. Would that everyone were that glad to see me! Actually, I think of Twister as my dog; she just lives with the couple down the way. One lovely evening in Quartzsite, a friend joined me for my evening walk. "Have you seen the beautiful cac- tus gardens behind the homes at the northwest corner of Desert Gardens?" I asked. She hadn't; so we walked that way, about a half mile from my home. The cactus were sooooo beautiful! After oohing and aahing for a few minutes, I said, "Let's go get Kay and Ernie, friends who live nearby." When they appeared at their door, I said, 'You have to come see the cactus; they're spectacular." To my surprise, they didn't know about the two homes with the amazing cactus even though they lived nearby. It took a little convincing, but I fi nally talked them into it. "Bring Twister along," I said. We took the back route along the wash, stepping carefully over rocks and debris and, as usual, keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes. Twister was ev- erywhere, enjoying her adventure into unexplored territory. The fi rst yard we came to was obviously loved. Some- one had spent hours and hours placing bricks around many of the cactus and building paths throughout. There were numerous bird feeders and pans of wa- ter, plus many new cactus starts. (Cac- tus are one of the easiest plants to start: just remove a leaf, dig a hole, plant it in the ground, and water it until it takes hold.) We moved on to the next garden, even more spectacular than the fi rst. Peer- ing over a pile of brush in the back of the yard, my friends were amazed at what they saw: huge cactus, many taller than we were, the varieties too numer- ous to mention. I don't know the names of many cactus, but I recognized a tall saguaro and an organ pipe. My favor- ite had large, round, purple leaves with yellow blooms on each leaf. Who knows how many years it took to get cactus that large? It was nearly dark as we continued around to the front of the houses, mak- ing a circle back to Kay and Ernie's home. As we headed back, we paused to view the cactus in the front of a house. Suddenly Twister started yelping at the top of her lungs. She didn't stop, and my worst fear was that she had been bitten by a rattler. Kay ran over to her and picked her up. That's when we saw the two-inch long, teddy bear cholla cactus stuck to her front leg. What was worse, spines were stuck in her face, mouth, and under her tongue. Appar- ently Twister had tried to remove the cactus by biting it. The teddy bear cholla is so named because of its abundance of thin, white spines give it a fl uffy, cuddly appear- ance. It is a particularly deadly cactus, not because it can kill, but because segments come off the plant so easily. Just brush by it, and it attaches to you with hundreds of spines. Try to remove it, and the spines stick in your fi ngers. Heavy, leather gloves and pliers are the only way to remove it. Because Twister was in such agony, Barbara folded up her light jacket and tried to remove the cactus, but the spines came right through the material. Ernie decided to go back to their house to get what he needed to remove the needle-sharp spines, while we slowly followed with by Jane Finley writer * artist * teacher (stretching, exercise, relaxation, meditation) Twister, the stuck up dog, Quartzsite

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