Got by the Glochids!

We forgot to bring some of the delicious mandarins from Frogknot back to Brisbane but Will did bring back 2 of the prickly pears he found in the garden.You are probably not surprised to learn that the prickly pear is an invasive plant species introduced from Brazil in 1788 for use as a natural agricultural fence and as a dye. It quickly spread and in 1925 a moth Cactoblastis cactorum was brought in, also from South America, whose larvae feed on the prickly pears and the plant was almost wiped out.I tried the fruit at Frogknot. Will handed me a spoonful of the bright red fruit scooped from the prickly pear. It was quite pleasant but a bit tart for me.Today Dulcie and I stood in the cool of the air-conditoned kitchen happily watching Will bringing in the washing from the 30 degree heat of the garden. I looked down and by the sink was a plastic box holding the pair of purple pears. They didn’t look prickly; in fact their skin looked perfectly smooth. I reached out and picked one up...big mistake!You would have thought I would have learned by now that nothing is as it seems here on Danger Island!The Glochids got me!Glochids are the tiny, and on this prickly pear, almost invisible hair-like spines that penetrate the skin of unsuspecting British numpties!Attacked by a fruit!I had to scrape the skin on my fingers and palms of my hand with a scourer to get most of them out but every now and again... I still feel a prick!