I still likely have pieces of one or more of these cactus barbs in one of my legs and possible a foot somewhere because they are barbed like a porcupine quill and they break easy and so they don't come out sometimes ever.
So, a cholla cactus barb is likely going to leave pieces of itself in your legs or feet or wherever you get them potentially the rest of your life. Here are some pictures of cholla cactus prounouced "choi ya" because I think it is Spanish.
My father loved the deserts of California especially places like Borrego Desert which we started visiting when I was 4 years old when we first moved from Seattle to san diego. But later when I was 12 his best friend owned 2 1/2 acres between Yucca Valley and Landers so we used to fly out there in his friend's plane and I got to fly the plane sometimes (in the air) flying back from Yucca Valley airport then when I was about 10 years old I think. I didn't take off of course just flew it after taking off back towards Los Angeles County from Yucca Valley airport.
Then I started riding my small mini-bike which is made by Bird called the wren which was metallic blue with a 2 1/2 housepower Tecumseh engine with a centrifugal Clutch and not much of a brake. Sort of like a Go kart on two wheels maybe 2 1/2 to 3 feet high at the handlebars. but it could go 30 miles per hour if I got it going with the Centrifugal Clutch first. then I bought a 1960 Matchless 600 hillclimber set up for hill climbing with a huge rear sprocket with a top speed of only 30 to 40 miles and hour because of the gear ratio for hill climbing. I had to start it in 2nd gear on the level or it would raise up and dump me on my butt it was geared so low. But, it was an off road vehicle not street licensed. Then later I traded it for a BSA 500 used in North AFrica in World war II. that thing was a tank that had no battery and even the head light worked on the magneto in the engine so kick or bump starting was a must. However, I sometimes didn't ride it for 1 year or two when I lived in mt. shasta in my 30s and it still started up right away. Amazing motorcyle that started no matter what but without good suspension so you had to protect yourself from breaking your spine going over a rock by standing up on your foot pegs so you didn't destroy your back. So, not entirely safe when going off road unless you really knew what you were doing. But, the put the handlebars so you could easily stand up to protect your back too from breaking.
Here are some pictures from Google images regarding Cholla Cactuses found in California Nevada, Arizona and I think New Mexico and possibly Texas too.
begin quotes from Google images:
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