BAJA TRIPPIN!

[willowbrooknursery]

Several times a year I escape the rat race and go looney tunes in Baja primarily on surf missions. My father has been taking me down there since I was about 6 and we know pretty much every grain of dust down there. Over the last 5 yrs of my travels down there I've fallen in love with the native fauna and flora of this wind sticken coast. My favorite group of plants to study down in baja are becoming dudleyas.

It seems like virtually every 10 miles up or down the coast the species varies dramatically. D. brittonii has so many forms it makes me crazy! When I am down there on a surf mission and the waves get funky, my husky (LOBO) and I take off in the desert checking out plants.....at least I am looking at plants while Lobo is eating rabbits.

Last decemeber, around Xmas time I took a trip down about 14 hrs south of the border with a few friends that I will never forget. The swell was pumping, one of the biggest swells I've scored in baja ever. Day two of the trip I got absolutly drilled by a wave and thought I blew my back out. I barly was able to swim in, I ended up laying on the sand still in my wetsuit hurling sea water out as if I had too many beers to drink. I have taken some good wipouts before, but nothing compared to the pain I was going through.

We planned on staying for approximatly 10 days at the location we were posted at. After day 2 when I got smashed, my trip was basically over but I didn't want to spoil it for the others so I held strong. It was in the 90's out and for 4 days after my wipout I was seeing things, throwing up non-stop, couldn't eat or drink anything...not even a little sip of water. My pain was a 10 out of 10. I haven broken numerous bones, but never pain like this! At about day 6, my buddies looked at me in fear and tossed me in the truck, put it in 4 x 4 and we split out making a giant dust cloud in the dessert in pursuit of the hospital USA bound.

Somewhere along the way home, we stopped to stretch or water some plants if you know what I mean....

I stumbled out of the car, fell to my knees, and hurled again on the desert river wash. While on my knees I looked to my side and Lobo was standing right next to the most insane dudlyea I've ever scene. Somehow even when I was this "jacked up" I managed to take a cutting of this plant and bring it home with me. Whenever I travel there I like to bring a few seeds or pups back and grow them in my garden, it's really cool to see the differences.

Into the ER I went and I had a catscan taken. Turns out I had a 9mm kidney stone that would not pass. Into surgery I went.....and it was awlful. I went from 220 pounds to 200 pounds within 10 days, and had to have a water I V for 3 days.

Anyway, story is I'm a crazy plant freak that still likes plants even when I'm dazzed and confused!!!