The desert strikes back

Another week in the bag. This week was the roughest, and longest week of our trip. The weather has turned hot in the last week, and the desert seems to have remembered that it is a harsh environment and should kick our ass a little. The first dishing of ass kicking was in the form of cactus spines in the fingers. I fell one day and got about ten cactus spines really deep in my finger, many of which broke off and are still inside. I decided to keep them. I hear the mother won't give them back after they are handled. Actually, it is because tweezers wouldn't get them out, and I don't feel like going at my pinky with a knife. I also managed to get a cactus spine under my fingernail, which is a thing I don't recommend anyone doing.

The other form of ass-kicking the desert delivered was MARV's first wound. In our field area, there are access roads that have many plants hanging over the road, which we have gotten used to hitting the truck. Well, one hit the driver's side window in some magical way that shattered it. Seriously, it was a one and a million shot. So now we have a broken window, and are going to head into Miguel Aleman and try to find someone to fix it.

So, asses kicked, tired, sunbeaten, but fish tacos and ping pong here at the Prescott field station can heal any wound. Tomorrow we head back out into the desert, and plan on returning the favor of ass kicking right back.