Sometimes, it's not worth the climb

There are days when you just get beat up on no matter what you do.  First, something happens that destroys or sets your mood wrong.  It could just be waking up, but typically this is easy to overcome with mindset.  Bigger things like having to scrub a carpet or find that you forgot to start the laundry with that days clothes in it can do it.  From there your mood seems to attract things that just keep that bad day bad.  So, when you try to do something you normally love, it ends up not so good.  I had one of those days on Saturday.  I don't even remember what set it off now, but I do remember the continuation down the toilet the day had.

We decided to go on a hike which we love to do and normally this time of year I get a few bird pictures or sightings to share.  This trip was different.  My 2 year old picked up my bad mood and developed one of her own refusing to walk and not wanting to leave.

There was horse poop everywhere and normally the trail is fairly clear with some here or there.  Not to digress, but why is it that there are signs everywhere to pick up my dog poop on trails, but horses can poop in the middle of the trail with no clean up?  I only ask because as far a size is concerned my dogs poop doesn't take up most of the trail like horse poop does and it seems odd to allow the larger one? Anyway,  I also felt like I was getting a cold and had a minor headache which normally isn't anything to blog about, but I'm just piling it up for you so when I tell you about the straw that turned the camel around on the trail you'll understand how a bad mood can literally jump up and bite you.

We continued on the trail the husband with the dogs and our son on his back and me with our unhappy daughter.  We were passed by a bunch of horses and then a bunch of hikers. Suddenly, I felt something bite me in the leg!  I thought it was a bite, one of the passer-biers had kicked up a cholla and it was now lodged in my leg.  For those who aren't aware, these are a cactus that is often spread by coyotes by attaching itself to their fur with its barbed needles and eventually getting dislodged from friction.  They are nasty and not fun to have in your leg since they are fish-hooked in.
My husband was a little ahead and I tried to dislodge it myself and couldn't,  I tried to hobble and couldn't, so I had to call him back.  My husband, ever the trooper, had been putting up with my bad day and therefore bad mood all day and to his credit, didn't laugh at my bad day/bad mood Karma.

He dislodged it and we decided to turn back and head home.  For me it wasn't worth the climb to see what else the bad Karma I had en-sighted by letting my bad day get to me would bring.  So, when they say Karma can bite you, yes, yes it can and as you can see by the photo, it leaves a bruise!