How I Spent My Thanksgiving Vacation (long)

["Thomas, Barb" <thomas@amgen.com>]

...or how not to spend 4 days off.
Thanksgiving day.  Carol and family were off to June Lake for the weekend,
leaving the barn in the hands of us boarders and a capable neighbor.  Jim,
resident farrier, reset Wind Dancer, trimmed Whisper.  As I was leaving to
change and come back to ride, I hear water running at the end of the
driveway.  Investigation shows that a landscape boulder, in the wrong place,
had depressed the ground and cracked the water main.  I thought Moses had
been by and struck another rock, just for kicks.  Being Thanksgiving and
all, we made arrangements for repair the next day and shut off the main,
except for watering the horses a couple of times.
Friday.  It was beautiful, the horse was clipped, everything was great.
Repair on the water main is "underway".  I throw Carol's horse, Myste and my
old fart, Whisper out in the arena to play while I tack up Wind Dancer.  WD
has come a long way.  After being diagnosed with fibrotic myopathy in the
spring, we started a cautious exercise program, chiropractic, stretching,
and mechanical massage of the scar tissue.  Now, the end of November, I had
my "Gumby" horse back.  She was supple, rounding up, getting fit, still with
a stilted walk, but no compensatory lameness.  We were going to Go For Gold
30 next month.  Friday we went about 12 miles in the park, up and down hills
at a steady trot/canter, working heart rate of about 106, maxing 160 on the
steep climbs at a gallop.  Absolutely beautiful!  Twinkle Toes never put a
foot wrong.  On the way back, we saw a Bobcat sitting on a rock and stopped
to admire each other.  You know if you say here kitty, kitty, kitty that
they turn and look at you?  What a great ride!  
Of course, when things go this well you should know that all hell is just
around the corner.  Trotting back through the development on the horse
trails, 1/2 mile from home, it happened.  Ambush!!  Two dogs that are always
penned up were having their day off in their orchard.  They flew out to the
corner of their property, just as we got there.  Wind Dancer leaped
literally 12 feet sideways off the trail, into the road.  I followed.  Sort
of.  Airborne!  I landed in a graceful sequence, pinkie of the left hand,
entire left hand, left knee and shin, helmet visor, top of head.  OK, that
hurt and my hand is numb.  What's my pinkie doing pointed up?  The horse
left the scene... monsters in the trees, plus flying bodies was too much.  A
jogger helped me up, the owner of the dogs came home and drove me back to
the barn, mortified and apologizing the whole time.  Wasn't his fault, the
dogs were fenced and just doing their doggie duty of protecting the
property.  The barn neighbor came over and untacked Wind Dancer who was
helping herself to the back lawn.  I looked over and Myste's gone!!  This
little houdini, I must have not closed the carabiner lock on her corral
tight enough.  She's nowhere to be seen.  What do I tell Carol?  What if I
can't find her?  What if she was stolen????  My hand hurts, my leg hurts,
the water main isn't finished yet, the horses are thirsty, Go for Gold is
gone for me, can I cry now??!!  Jim the Farrier shows up.  I blabber all
that's happened, grab some vetwrap and half a sweat scraper and say, splint
my hand, we've got to find Myste.  Jim, ex Army Ranger, grins and says he's
done a tracheotomy before.  That won't be necessary, just splint the damn
hand, thank-you-very-much.  We go Myste hunting.   Five minutes later, Myste
shows up ridden by Ashley.  Didn't know Carol had told her to ride but Whew,
what a relief!  I drive home (yeah, yeah, crew cab, stick shift), get my
neighbor to take me to the ER where I spent the evening.  Nice splint job,
they say.  Injuries...dislocated pinky (now relocated), fracture to the
radius (sliver below the thumb), fracture to the pax dominus vobiscum...I
don't know, one of those latin-named bones in the wrist, torn muscles,
ligaments, tendons in the hand and forearm up to the elbow.  Your basic
trashed left arm, ask Karen C, she knows.  Severe road rash to the left
knee, 5x7, "suitable for framing" green bruise on the left shin, with a knot
on top so you can hang it up.  Stiff and sore, sucky attitude accompanied by
intermittent tears because my horse if finally ready and I'm messed up.  We
were so careful with her, too.  Never thought I'd crash.  Spent the rest of
the weekend in a massive splint, feeling sorry for myself and making my
roommate drive me all over creation to by extra large men's shirts.  Best
news is the orthopedist says none of the breaks are severe, don't need
surgery but the soft tissue damage will take time...hate it when they say
that.
Insult to injury, I dropped the overhead door to one of my file cabinets on
the splint today...ouch!

So how was everyone else's Thanksgiving!?  ; ))

Barb (no pain, no gain!)
Wind Dancer (time off??...no, I'm splinted and mobile, you little twit!)
Whisper (I was good, really I was)
Katie (mom, sorry you're hurt, can we go herd sheep now?)


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