Pluses and minuses of gardening

There have been some wonderful rains and everything is exploding with growth.

I have my first successful hand of plantains and wow, something I had not experienced before, eating a fresh sweet plantain right off the tree, surprisingly sweet and tasty.

On the minus side, there lots of cacti and agave in the garden, all with serious spikes and spines.  I am used to bleeding every time I work on the agave and getting thorns in my hands.  However, every now and then, one gets in so deep, it simply will not come out.  I have had a couple in my thumb for several days.  They hurt.  I know that after a while the body pushes them out or else, encapsulates them inside, choosing to hold onto it.  So, after harvesting the plantains and feeling that nagging sharp pain I had been feeling for the last few days, voila, look what finally worked its way out. 

I couldn't believe it.  The thing was invisible under the skin, it was in that deep.  Ahhhh...