There was a break in the clouds, ..and the snow, ….and the wind, this morning, and I took the opportunity to snow blow the driveway and my paths.  It seems I do less and less of the driveway as the years go by: just enough to get the car into the barn, or out onto the road.  The wind was really fierce yesterday and the drifts got pretty deep in some spots, but it’s a good machine and I just had it tuned up.  All of it, including the paths to the woodshed and the small barn, took me only an hour.  After I shoveled the steps to the sliding door, I salted them down; out of habit I guess.  Then I shoveled the steps to the pantry entry, and cleaned up the edges of the walkways the snow-blower can’t get; another 10 minutes.  The sky over the Big Lake seems perpetually black lately, heavy with lake-effect snow.  Time to bring in more wood; it’s a daily thing now, just to stay ahead of it.  Going thru the pantry, with the double door system, helps keep the cold air out and the warm air in; a needed thing when it’s only 15 degrees out!

I was just about done bringing in the wood, when I……. slipped.  I hadn’t salted down the back steps.  There are only three steps, but I slipped on the second one going out, and landed hard.  I’m going to have one hell-of-a bruise on my hip tomorrow!  But I don’t think that’s going to be the problem:  I ultimately landed on my left ankle; my weak ankle.  I have over-extended the ligaments and tendons in that foot twice before, each time it was worse.  Ligaments don’t heal like tendons do.

After I caught my breath, I scooted so I was sitting with my legs stretched out in front, and ran my hands down, checking for breaks.  I was already certain that wasn’t the case, but wanted to be sure.  I pulled myself up right and tested the foot.  Sore, but not too bad.  In hindsight, I should have stopped right then, but nooooo, I just had to finish.  Stupid me.  Two more loads of wood and I was set for several days.  After removing my outer gear and hanging it to dry, I sat down in the kitchen to take off my boots; and couldn’t get the left one off; the ankle had swollen.  I hobbled over to the junk drawer and got the shears.  They were old boots and I had to get it off.  As I set my foot across my right knee, I saw that the zipper wasn’t completely down!  Once fully unzipped, I managed to get my foot out, but barely.  Not good, not good at all.  At least I saved the boot!

The pantry where Tufts litter box is also my dry goods storage, plus bins full of medical stuff.  I pulled out the one marked ‘bandages’, balancing on my right foot.  After retrieving an Ace, I sat back down, took off my sock, surveyed the bruising and wrapped the elastic bandage around tight, but not overly tight.  The two gel packs I usually use for my wrists in the summer were still in the freezer, but now warm.  I took them and two large baggies as I once again hobbled to the door.  On the deck, I set the ice packs on the spare ice block, and then scooped snow into the baggies.  Back in the kitchen, I put one baggie into the fridge, and sat down once more, propping my foot up on a kitchen chair, draping the snow filled baggie over the bandages.  I could feel tears of anger and frustration building; and the ankle started to throb.  This was a stupid and preventable accident.  Now what am I going to do?

Tom stopped over around 4:00 to invite me over for dinner and his birthday.  I had just taken the second snow pack off, and was feeling a bit numb, or that might have been the effect of the four Ibuprofens I took.  I really wanted to go, but I doubt I could walk that far, so I had to decline.  However, at 5:30, I saw flashlights bobbing in the dark, and the two of them brought the party to me!  Norene had even thoughtfully brought me a slice of the rib-roast she had saved for Tom’s dinner, knowing that I might not get up to fix something for myself.  She was right; I had contemplated just warming up some soup later, now I didn’t have to.  They had brought a beer for Tom, a bottle of white wine for her, and I had Tom get and open a bottle of my favorite red wine out of the pantry.  I had already lit one of the brighter lamps to read by, but Tom got two more off the shelf and lit those, setting one on the island and the other on the second table.  The lamps gave a nice glow to the room and chased the shadows out of the corners.

Before they left at 7:00, Tom filled the woodstove, and gave me a look with a shake of his head, like only a brother could do.  I stuck my tongue out at him.

My foot really hurts!