TIMBER!
We were working on cleaning up the mess in our yard from a December ice storm. We weren't able to clean it up at the time, because our yard was under many feet of snow. So, as always, we had to wait to work on the yard until the snow melted.
This was our first weekend of not skiing. So we could finally tackle the yard. I was working on raking all of the limbs and collecting the big ones and bringing them over to our wooded area to dump.
Steve was busy with the chainsaw, cutting up nice manageable pieces to eventually be firewood. I was almost finished with the front yard, and I asked if he wanted to go take a lunch break. He said sure, but first he wanted my help moving this precarious limb before it came crashing down on our fence it was already hanging over.
He had nicely placed some slingshot looking pieces of wood to help stabilize the limbs that were on the fence. There were two major pieces leaning over the fence that needed assistance being moved to the other side.
Keep in mind this limb was precariously leaning on the tree it had fallen off of, and was attached in no way to the tree.
"Lucky me" was on the side where the limb would fall, so I had to be sure and run out of the way as quickly as possible. However, this teamwork was not thought out properly beforehand. So, we both lift our pieces of the tree up, Steve lifts his over the fence and immediately lets go. I am unaware that this has already occurred, thinking I need to carefully let go and run once Steve gives me the word.
Instead, I feel a powerful crushing of my shoulder, I let my knees give in, and I come crashing to the ground. The limb lands on my forearm with such force, my breath was taken away. I immediately push the limb off of me, then grab my arm because it is in great pain. And of course, the tears begin to fall. Steve asks me if I am crying because I am hurt or because I am scared. I said "BOTH!!"
I lift up my jacket to see that some flesh was slightly scratched, so I tell Steve, "I need to go get a bandaid." Bandaids always make you feel better, no matter what age you might be. So, I go in and ball my eyes out, very scared that my hand seems to be quite numb.
But no worries. All I had was some bruises. I didn't work on the yard for the rest of the day. I took a bath, which really helped my arm feel better. And I kept ice on it for a few hours.
On Sunday morning, my arm hardly even hurt! So, I was able to finish up my raking. YEAH! Now, I have a very clean yard. Now lets see some green stuff!
"Timber!" was not called out when Steve let go of the tree. Lesson learned. Talk through this situation a little better before picking up large limbs that might fall on top of you.
This was our first weekend of not skiing. So we could finally tackle the yard. I was working on raking all of the limbs and collecting the big ones and bringing them over to our wooded area to dump.
Steve was busy with the chainsaw, cutting up nice manageable pieces to eventually be firewood. I was almost finished with the front yard, and I asked if he wanted to go take a lunch break. He said sure, but first he wanted my help moving this precarious limb before it came crashing down on our fence it was already hanging over.
He had nicely placed some slingshot looking pieces of wood to help stabilize the limbs that were on the fence. There were two major pieces leaning over the fence that needed assistance being moved to the other side.
Keep in mind this limb was precariously leaning on the tree it had fallen off of, and was attached in no way to the tree.
"Lucky me" was on the side where the limb would fall, so I had to be sure and run out of the way as quickly as possible. However, this teamwork was not thought out properly beforehand. So, we both lift our pieces of the tree up, Steve lifts his over the fence and immediately lets go. I am unaware that this has already occurred, thinking I need to carefully let go and run once Steve gives me the word.
Instead, I feel a powerful crushing of my shoulder, I let my knees give in, and I come crashing to the ground. The limb lands on my forearm with such force, my breath was taken away. I immediately push the limb off of me, then grab my arm because it is in great pain. And of course, the tears begin to fall. Steve asks me if I am crying because I am hurt or because I am scared. I said "BOTH!!"
I lift up my jacket to see that some flesh was slightly scratched, so I tell Steve, "I need to go get a bandaid." Bandaids always make you feel better, no matter what age you might be. So, I go in and ball my eyes out, very scared that my hand seems to be quite numb.
But no worries. All I had was some bruises. I didn't work on the yard for the rest of the day. I took a bath, which really helped my arm feel better. And I kept ice on it for a few hours.
On Sunday morning, my arm hardly even hurt! So, I was able to finish up my raking. YEAH! Now, I have a very clean yard. Now lets see some green stuff!
"Timber!" was not called out when Steve let go of the tree. Lesson learned. Talk through this situation a little better before picking up large limbs that might fall on top of you.
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