Great Off Grid Info Web Site

I know there are a ton of web sites with off grid info and products. I found one that has a ton of useful information and would like to pass it on anyone interested. See http://www.off-grid.net/
From their site “Off-Grid reports on the people, technologies, events and influences throughout the global off-grid community.”
They have an Off-Grid 101 section, a forum, along with other helpful links.

Cactus Juice in your eye

Here goes another unrelated off grid story but wanted to pass it on.

I have several Euphorbia Grandicornis, Big Horn cactus, that I have grown from buying cuttings years ago. They grow like crazy in the summer, I am talkin about a few inches a week. So yesterday I decided it was time to take a new cutting. I had a hard time with my old pruners but got through it. I have been told several times any cactus that has a white sap make sure and wash it off and never get it in your eyes. Well of course I had the sticky white sap on my hands and the pruners. I went over to the faucet and did a quick rinse on both. I then quickly patted dry the pruners and worked on them a bit to reshape the pulled apart blades. I went on about my morning and all of sudden my left eye was burning. I put in eye drops and it just burned more. The pain got intense so the first thing I did was wash my hands with soap and water like I should have done earlier. I then flushed it with more eye drops and washed around my eye. The pain got worse and worse. I have had jalapeño juice, cajun spices, gasoline, hot slag, and all kind of other crap in my eye but nothing that burned like this. Sandy ended up flushing the eye with 2 shot glasses of purified water and it did not help. It was the most excruciating pain ever. I got the shakes and erratic breathing thinking I was going to pass out. I was all but going into shock. After about an hour the pain was down to tolerable and another thirty minutes later I could actually open the eye and use it. It really felt like a mini cutting torch trying to cut through my eye. Today is feels swollen and sore and is really red.

So; If working with cactus and any sap gets on you wash it off thoroughly with soap and water and don't stick you finger in your eye. Lesson Learned!