I love the rain. When I lived in South Florida we got 110 days of rain a year and it still wasn't enough for me. Out here in the Phoenix area we can go months without rain so when we do get it it's a treat. The last couple weeks we got a few winter storms that greened up the hills and made the flowers bloom. I'm out of shape due to my surgery back in October and trying to get some weight off by hiking Daisy Mountain.
Everything good in life has a down side.
- Sugar - Obesity, diabetes, renal failure.
- Alcohol - Alcohol abuse, drunk drivers, cirrhosis of the liver.
- Sex - STDs.
- Boobies - Boob sweat.
- Desert rain - Flash floods and SCORPION WEED
Scorpion weed is nature's herpes. Like a lady of the night it tries to lure in the naive with its flowers. You think you've stumbled on something that brings you joy but two days later you're in urgent care getting shots and ointments regretting that you fell for the trap.
Scorpion weed comes with no warnings. There are no thorns, no spikes, no bright warning colors, no signs that say Achtung. Just pretty flowers that look like lavender inviting those who have not yet been scarred to come in for a closer look. Who would create such a flower? If I hadn't given up on the idea of a higher power this flower would have changed my religion to Norse Paganism. I cannot accept the idea that a loving God would create this flower. This seems more like the act of Loki, the God of Mischief, God of Trickery.
My first couple years in the North Phoenix area I got a mild rash every spring while hiking. I've seen this rash before, it's the poison oak rash. For 2 years I was looking around for poison oak wondering how the hell I managed to get poison oak in the desert. It seems like if there is poison oak within 100 miles I'm bound to get it. Well the spring before last the usual mild spring rash was far from mild. One week while taking pictures on my hike I got the rash on my arms. The next week after another hike I ended up in urgent care getting a shot in my butt when my calves swelled up and didn't look like the calves of a healthy stallion such as myself. My calves looked like they belonged to Hillary Rodham Clinton. I spent an afternoon online trying to figure out what could have done this when I stumbled on an article about scorpion weed. Scorpion weed, the pretty flowers that look like lavender, spawn of Satan, contains the same urushiol oil found on the leaves of poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac and in the sap of injured mango, pistachi, and cashew trees. It is believed that 85% of humans develop a rash when they come in contact with urushoil.
If you live in the Southwestern United States do not fall for the trap. During the Winter/Spring months no matter how warm it is keep your clothes on. Hike in long pants and avoid the purple flowers. When you get home throw your clothes straight in the washer and shower with lots of soap. Avoid touching everything! The rash is not contagious but the oil can be passed from people, pets, dirty clothes, and if you're really unlucky even the plant's tiny hairs blowing in the wind. Around Daisy Mountain this flower grows right up on the edges of trails. Carry something to wash your hands in case you have to tie your shoe laces. The oil can easily spread from shoes to face to any other body part you happen to touch.
A field of Scorpion Weed growing between Gavilan Peak and Daisy Mountain.
My Hillary calves 2 years ago.
