Well, we got to Missouri and it only took one day for me to screw up. We went with our hosts, Tommy & Ginger, to herd some cattle from one pasture to the other and despite my lifelong “love” of horses, I got up on one… And then down. One way considerably faster than the other! I did okay for a few hours then my horse found 3rd gear and I didn’t. I remember seeing my hat fly through the air, wondering what is was doing way over there, and nothing when I hit the ground. I woke up with my head in Melinda’s lap.
Me: “Where the hell am I?”
Mel: “In a field.”
Me: “What am I doing in a damned field?”
Mel: “Riding horses.”
Me: ” What the hell am I doing riding a horse?”
Answer: Evidently, falling.
I was out for a few minutes and then they drove me to Lake Regional Hospital for some CT scans and x-rays. 6 days and 1 surgery later, I was released from captivity.
- 1 broken wist
- 3-4 broken ribs
- 1 clavicle fracture
- 1 L1 vertebrae fracture
- some minor road rash along my right side
- 2 brain bleeds
- some minor facial fractures
- and a minor fracture in the right wrist
Who says you can’t screw up a beautiful day? We’re stuck in Missouri until I get some follow-ups. I’m pretty well banged up, can’t use either arm for anything (right-side clavicle and ribs busted, left-side wrist broken). The brain bleeds and L1 turned out to be ‘wait and see’ and the pain-killers a blessing.
Melinda LOVES the farm life. Bush-hogging fields, gathering eggs, rounding up cattle, and she is having a blast.
