暖冬cool夏
这里一年四季温暖如春，没有酷暑没有严寒......
正文
秋天了，这里的山是荒凉的。山路因为好几个月没有雨水，厚厚的层土，没走多久，就沾上了我们行人的裤脚和鞋子。秋天的山谷真是没什么好看的，没有东部的秋色，有的只是枯黄一片。我和LD走着走着就觉着boring, 觉得脚下的路好漫长。
当我们从一条新路折回时，在山顶一个平坦的休息处遇到了一支华人爬山队伍，就前去搭讪。自己的队伍散了, 常常三三两两的，好像也很难重振旗鼓, 潜意识里总是想寻找新队伍。这支十来个人的队伍也来自附近一带的，领队的是个面目和善的中年男。LD和他各自加了微信后(加入他们的爬山群后), 就开始聊起来了，后来一问，那人跟LD还可以算是个老乡。聊了一会，他又把队里的一位校友介绍给我们，我们就和校友一路走一路聊，聊孩子，聊工作，话很投机，脚下的路再也不觉漫长，不久就到了终点。独乐乐永远不如众乐乐! 准备分手时，随意和校友聊起住处，居然还住同一个社区，靠得很近，可以算邻居了。
这世界真是太小了！
只是他们每周六爬山出发的时间太晚，要到八点半，要不然，今天真算是找到组织了。
今日除了这一大收获之一，还有一大收获，就是再次见到这满山遍野的仙人掌梨果。
话说这仙人掌，浑身上下都是宝。仙人掌本身可以做药。家中院子就种有一棵，身上偶尔发个脓疱之类的，剪下一点点，捣烂，效果极佳。仙人掌还可以吃。同事曾经告诉我，店里有处理好的仙人掌卖。仙人掌花是墨西哥国花，花的美丽娇艳让它登上宝座，网上说花朵还可以作色拉吃。仙人掌果子可以生吃，可以榨汁，也可以当药。其果子高纤维，富含维生素C， 维生素D，抗氧成分，可降血糖，消炎，辅助治疗关节炎、痛风，有抗癌等功效。
其实自己也是最近才发现这个果子。说起这个仙人掌果子，也是起源于八月底的一个周六，在爬山途中，见到半颗被什么动物吃过的梨果遗落在路边。那玫瑰色般紫红紫红的果肉让我想起火龙果(红肉品种的), 也就在那时，我的好奇心被激发了起来。
没过几天，就在常去的超市里看到有卖，发现有红皮和绿皮两种(见照片。绿色的更甜，水分更多)，而且处理过的，不需要担心那些细小的刺。尝过后才知道，这其貌不扬的果子还真是味美价廉 (这里的商店的价格是5个99美分)。第一次吃这果子给我带来的惊喜不亚于第一次见到盛开的美丽娇嫩的仙人掌花。惊讶的是，这生长在极其干旱地带的植物，它结出来的果子居然如此香甜多汁。虽然我知道店里卖的是农场种植的，但是植物品种是一样的。(下图中大的果子是店里买的，小的是野生采的)
为了了解野生梨果的味道，几个星期前的一个周六，我还特意带了夹子，偷偷拧下几颗毛绒绒的梨果，回家十分小心翼翼地切开品尝。结果发现野果子味道虽然更浓郁，更纯正，但酸些，且里面像石头一样的籽更多(上图中大的是商店买的，小的是野生的)，绝对不建议摘(那个刺很厉害的，摘了后果自负的)。野外的果子还是留给动物们吃吧，它们一定比我们人类更需要它们。
今日再见这簇拥而生的梨果，我又掏出手机照了几张照片，特贴于此留作纪念。大自然真是神奇的，它总是尽其所能，奉献它的珍奇和瑰丽。
When we talk about flowers, cacti normally don’t immediately spring to our mind, even though the flowers turn out to be stunningly beautiful. So are the cactus fruits. It is hard to associate juicy and sweet fruits with the prickly and uninviting plants grown in the drought area. That may be the reason that I never try the cactus fruits in my life till lately，even though the prickly pears can be sold as cheaply as 5 pieces for $0.99, even though I know that they have a wealth of nutrients, very high vitamin C, calcium, fiber, antioxidant, etc.
A couple of weeks ago, while hiking on a dirt road on the barren hill, I saw a cactus pear bitten by an animal and left unfinished under the cactus bushes. The sight of the red meat, which looks much like the color of red dragon fruit, stirred up my interest.
Then a few days later，I found myself tasting the store -purchased prickly pear for the first time. I was thrilled at discovering two different types of fruits, one with red meat and the other green, within two weeks. The juicy and tender meat is a striking contrast to the prickly and spiky outlook. They taste just as delicious as any other fruits, likening much to the pear.
My curiosity towards the newly discovered fruit culminated when one Saturday I took a tong with me and snapped a few prickly pears off the cactus pads in the wilderness. Compared with farmed fruits sold in the store, the fruits off the wilderness tastes stronger, more indigenous but a bit sour. They are full of gravel -like seeds that I need to spit out constantly. Would not recommend at all. Let's leave the nature's produce for the animals to enjoy.
Yes. It's all your fault--I finally realized that ;-) Just kidding.
That lone fruit is sitting on the counter waiting to be properly eaten ;-)
I have to learn it the hard way, today. :-))
不过吃这果子吐籽比较麻烦。
我觉得好像是第一次见到这个仙人掌梨果。也许以前没注意。一定到店里寻摸一下，买回来尝尝鲜。
The scene where a hyena falls into prickly bushes must be from an animation movie (?), which you might watch together with your son, and make both of you laugh:))
Thank you for stopping by, my friend. Have a nice new week!
I used to think of the scene where a hyena falls into prickly bushes every time I saw a bunch of cactus plants ;-)
My parents used to relieve the pain with cactus juice when I got stung by a bee.