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violet_girl

What is your Nettle or Sticker Story?

Violet_Girl
20 years ago

I have looked around these forums for stuff on stickers and nettles, but didn't find what I wanted. So here is a place to put all those rather embarassing stories of That Time When I-

While walking around my grandparent's three acres,I came across a large thing I thought was a small wild cactus. It was kind of viny, and covered in spines...

Vaguely, the sensible, I-have-been-here-before-and-this-looks-bad part of me said, NETTLE! but I didn't listen. The thing was already mowed down mostly and, with thoughts of the little siblings' bare feet in mind, I thought I would just crush it a bit further to ensure no regrowth. So with my mind full of thoughtfulness, and my heart full of, well, big-heartedness, I attempted to smush it.

Surely those very mean-looking spines would not slip around the edge of my FLIP-FLOPS!

Well, I should have listened to myself.. After I stopped seeing stars and pulled out all the spines, I spent THREE WEEKS nursing a line of

stingy blisters and, towards the end, their corresponding itchy scabs. Bad, very bad.

Then there was the time I SAT on one of those inncocent looking nettles...

And the time I ran/backed (don't ask how!) into a Prickly Pear Cactus..

Well let's just say, I don't grow cacti over six inches tall anymore!

Comments (5)

  • Wendy_the_Pooh
    20 years ago

    When I was six, I had to go to the "bathroom" in the woods, so I pulled down my plants and sat smack down on a stinging nettle with my little bare bottom. I will never forget it.

  • Wendy_the_Pooh
    20 years ago

    Not plants (Freudian slip), pants!

  • nwrose
    20 years ago

    Stickers? As in briars?
    I was about 14, an age when a young girl expects total fairness in the world.
    We had about 5 head of horses in the back pasture. The pear tree was loaded with fruit for the picking, so I doled them out, one by one to the animals who waited ever so patiently. NOT!!!
    Rocky, the biggest, wanted another pear out of turn. He didn't see the sense of my system of equality. I had chased him off several times.
    I picked another pear and gave to Babes, the next to Pal, and out of the side of my eye, I saw Rocky. Engrosed as I was, I missed the warning signs. Then as if in slow motion, he connected both hind feet and my hip, catapulting me into the briars.
    The creek was host to these massive vines which covered the 15 foot enbankment. In one way I felt lucky to have escaped being tossed into the creek. On the other hand, I had to figure how to sort out stickers and torned clothes and scratches all over me, to get myself out of this mess.

    While I stayed in this animated state, knowing it would be worst getting out than it was getting in, I looked up to see Rocky looking over the bank at me. His look said it all, "That'll teach you."

  • Growin_Crazy
    20 years ago

    I have a sad one. One day at the beach, a little girl of about 3 was running along trying to catch up with her older brothers who were running off and leaving her behind. She ran right through a patch of sandspurs. I saw her stop and stand there screaming at the top of her lungs, so I put on my flip flops and carefully walked over and picked her up. I carried her back to our picnic table, and pulled every single spur out of her tiny little feet. Her mother had by that time come looking for her when her brothers came back alone, and got there just when we had them all pulled out. On that particular day I had three small boys in tow, so I had Bactine with me, with which I soaked the bottoms of her feet. Then I gave her some cookies, and her mom carried her off, chewing her brothers out all the way.

  • norar_il
    20 years ago

    It was in a greenhouse and the plant was marked "chamomile". I was curious to see what chamomile smelled like and stuck my nose on it. Seems it was a stinging nettle that some kid had switched tags on. My nose burned all the rest of the day.

    You'd think that after walking around most of an afternoon, smiling back at so many friendly people, then finding out I had lily pollen all over my face that I would learn to keep my nose out of plants!

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