hobbled inside to declare to the missus
that “I’ve had a bit of a fall”.
She took a look at the wounds and already
increasing swelling and said a colourful
word... or two.
While she packaged me for the lift to the
emergency doc’ she also gave me a dressing down.
She’d always rebuked me for taking too
many risks but my response was also a laugh
and the usual Kiwi mantra “she’ll be right”.
So, this is my sixth day of recovery and
thankfully no broken bones, and that astonished
the doc’ given the massive bruising which
erupted. So I’m sore but getting there. In
fact, last night I trimmed the bush out by the
letterbox, although no ladder was involved.
I’m sort of used to this bodily discomfort as
through the years I’ve had a few tumbles off two-
wheeled trees and ladder. So, just got to take it
easy and recover. Although as the doc’ said “you’re
63 not 33...for heaven’s sake remember that”.
So, driving back from the chemist two days after
the fall I stopped at a red light (a traffic light you
grubby-minded soul) and two great booming
Harleys were in the lane beside me. They must have
spotted the Kiwi Rider sticker on the rear and the
Colin Edwards sticker (in his Castrol Honda days).
I was a motorcyclist, they determined. So one
glanced over and saw the great swather of
bandaging on my left arm and shook his head
and made a revving motion before pointing
at my arm. He figured I’d had a crash.
So, not wanting to disappoint him (and
to actually make myself feel better) I did a
revving gesture and tumbled my head and
then with a smile. He shrugged in sympathy
and smiled, waving me a quick recovery.
Well, I mean... what was I going to tell another
rider of the roads? That I did it falling out of a tree?
So if you end up reading this mate I apologise for
my little white lie. But his concern made my day.
And believe me matey, I’ll be calling the tree
pruner bloke in next year. That’s it for this
branch basher.