Friday, August 19, 2022

Seeing Red

We finished the stairs today. It was a bloodier day than usual. Tim was cutting off steel posts that he'd driven into the ground to provide extra reinforcement to hold the stairs in place in case of flooding. I'm not sure what happened, but he partially cut one, gave it a pull, it snapped and he whacked himself in the head giving him a shallow cut and a big knot. 

He insisted he was fine, and we continued on. 

I am the able bodied assistant to Tim, aka 'hold-this-right-here-like-that-person'. We were putting up the railing on the steps down the bank. Long story short, he told me to hold this right here like that, and I did what I was told. Except that he miscalculated. 

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, back it out, you've got my finger!" He reversed the drill, and I looked at my finger. Sweet merciful heavens. The screw went through one side of my finger and came out the other. It looked gruesome. We were quite nearly done, and Jim gave me some bandaids which I applied extra tightly to stop the bleeding. 

I insisted I was fine, and we continued on. 

William sniggered a little. He was nailing shingle strips down to the treads to make the whole thing slip resistant. Both tenants are in their 70s and this needs to be as absolutely safe as possible. (Before anyone questions our sense in installing the stairs, I should report that one of them was rappelling down the bank regularly. This is definitely safer than that.) 

Anyways, William had the poor sense to say, "I'm the only one who hasn't gotten hurt." It was about then that he smacked his finger with the hammer. There was no blood, but there was plenty of tears. 

But the stairs are done. I am sure the blood splatter will wash away in the first good rain. Jim is pleased, but Paula wasn't home. We're going back to install solar lighting tomorrow, but that is merely a matter of drilling some holes which my fingers will be nowhere near. 

William was being a bit of a snot today, but he got very excited about an expedition. I had spied, with my little eye, cardinal flower growing on the other side of the creek. Since Paula has an interest in putting a garden using native plants, I decided to teach William about river safety, about still waters, running deep, to cross where you see the ripples, because that's where water is lowest. He was quite enthusiastic about our adventure, and found a clam shell as big as my hand. We made our way safely across (it is probably about 40 feet wide) but we went down river following the ripples, and then angled up along a small island where the cardinal flower was. On the way, I found a pink wildflower I had never seen before (LATE EDIT: It's called a cleome, also known as a spider flower), so I dug that up and set its roots in a shallow while I continued on. I not only found the cardinal flower, but growing behind it was BLUE cardinal flower (both are lobelias). We gathered everything up and headed for home. 

William is quite cheerful now that we've had an adventure and he's gotten paid for his work today. I'm musch more cheerful now that I've had a shower and soaked my hand. Tim's just glad we're done. 

27 comments:

  1. OMG woman that sounds painful! Glad you all survived the stair making.

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    1. It wasn't, not really. I've got a pretty high threshold of pain. It happened so quick it was through my finger before it even registered. Now that it's been soaked, it hardly hurts at all. I'm using a glove to wash dishes though.

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  2. Yes, a light will be excellent. Glad you could liberate some flowers for Paula's nascent garden.

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    1. I never saw a cleome before. I was amazed.

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  3. Each project has it's own adventures. Everybody will just be a little more cautious for the next project.

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  4. As a casual date in town, uh, the two of you might want to consider a trip to the Urgent Care or your primary doc's office for a current tetanus shot. I wouldn't be surprised if a doc wants to get a look at hubby's head; brain bleeds can be very sneaky. Wow! Maybe wear some leather gloves. Linda in Kansas

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    1. I've been very careful about soaking my hand and watching for any sign of infection. Tim? Go to an urgent care? Let me tell you, that is a fight, every single time. I'm not an idiot about it, but I do tend to adopt a 'wait and see' attitude. Most of the time, a thorough cleaning and careful watching is all that I need to do.

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  5. Well wise words from Linda above Debby. You were all lucky to escape with minor injuries and William has learnt one thing which is concentrate on job in hand. But the good deed is accomplished for your renters. Nice find the wild plants, though here in England you would get a fine slapped on you for removing anything.

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    1. Really? You sent me scrambling here. I knew that digging up mountain laurel is against the law, but it is not against the law to move unprotected wildflowers here. Some federally owned land makes it illegal, but this was on an island in the middle of the creek.

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  6. Oh crikey. I would have been down to our local hospital straight away to have my wound cleaned and checked. But then, I am such a wimp when it comes to blood and gore.

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    1. Oh, I cleaned it very well after I got home. I'm also soaking it in very hot water with epsom salts. I use gloves when washing dishes. I am changing the dressing multiple times a day and looking for signs of infection.

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  7. It's a good job you've got a high pain threshold. It's getting the screw out again that is usually the worst part. There's no surprise and you can see what's happenning.

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    1. Actually, I couldn't see it. My finger was under something. Also, a drill is so fast that it didn't hurt at all. I think my finger was in shock.

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  8. Glad you liked my post, might ad it is only a couple of miles away from me. I remember the kids going around the local town. Nice house in the photo if that is what you are doing up. You are not the only one to come a cropper like that, I've cut myself on many occasions needing stitches. Next time keep your had well away from where the screw is going.

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    1. I have totally begun to rethink the whole 'hold this right here like that'.

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  9. You folk are like those old Timex watch ads. You take a lickin but keep on tickin — as it were.

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    1. Well, today, I'm home catching up on my laundry (which includes washing a couple pair of very muddy sneakers.

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  10. Dear God! That sounds like a pretty bad injury. You probably need to get it checked out by a doctor, no? Maybe get some antibiotics? A tetanus shot?

    I bought some Cleome once at a flower market when I live in NYC. I remember thinking it was very strange and I'd never seen anything like it before.

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    1. It is a very strange looking plant. I've never seen it before, or at least I don't remember seeing it before (which means doodly squat, actually.)

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  11. I'm glad he was able to quickly reverse the screw back out. I'm picturing a very large screw, though it couldn't have been or your entire finger would have been mangled. Do check and see when your last tetanus shot was. -Kelly

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    1. It wasn't a lag screw, thank goodness, but it was a long one.

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  12. Is your tetanus up to date? Glad that tears were the only outcome of the misfortunes and love that you found those flowers.
    Jeanie (who is mighty sick of the constant battle with google over finding her login every time she wants to say something)

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    1. Yes. I'm good. Blogger commenting is a p.i.t.a.

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  13. Whaaat?!?! The screw went through your finger and you guys kept on working. Arrrrrghhhh! You have nerves of steel. I am in total awe! I would have gone to bed with a cup of ice cream to calm my nerves.

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  14. I'm guessing if you are a typer and not a pecker, your wpm will go down significantly for a few days. At least Tim was able to back the screw out. I imagine that was much less painful than having to full hour finger off over the threads.

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  15. full hour = pull your

    I'm not injured even!

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