Once, as a young man, while hiking in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains, I tripped while descending a sandy slope and instinctually fell backwards to avoid going farther downhill. In doing so, my right hand came down on a prickly pear cactus. The spines were tough to remove from both flesh and clothing. I have respected the cactus since.
This year, the unusually heavy rains have helped the sometimes miserable cacti of Utah to find a little cause for celebration…and, for me, perhaps a little reconciliation.
The Desert Toad 