With both a heavy and a joyful heart, I am here today to tell you all that my grandfather, Lawrence C. Neitling, went to heaven last Monday evening, January 9th, at the age of 94 years!
I last posted here on the 5th, and then got the news the following Monday evening from my dad. With so much to do, and with wanting and needing to be with family, we headed to Oregon shortly after, and have been there until just this recent Wednesday. We had grandpa's funeral services on Tuesday.
There is so much I could write about of our time spent in Oregon, but don't really feel the need to. Instead, I would simply like to say here that I miss my grandpa, absolutely love my grandpa, and that I am so very happy for my grandpa now..... he is at rest, at peace, and in heaven with Jesus!!!
Grandpa was my hero. He was a simple man, who loves God with all of his heart. He worked hard to provide for his family, even in the midst of some very difficult times in their lives. He loved just about everyone, and could easily befriend complete strangers. He loved to smile, talk and sing.....and he prayed!!! He prayed a lot. Grandpa loved camping and fishing, and especially if these things involved his family and friends. The Metolius River was a special place for grandpa for so very many years, and we were so fortunate to have been able to spend his last trip there with him this past summer!!! We will go there again this summer, without him, in remembrance of him, and share our stories around the camp fire about days gone by with him.
I could write about my grandpa all day long, and still not be done...so I will wrap this up now instead. I just want everyone to know that grandpa has gone to heaven....that he was ready to go to heaven....and that heaven is so very lucky to have him there!!! :-)
We will miss grandpa here on earth, in our daily lives.....and yet, we will move forward with our lives, knowing that we now have him watching over us every day.
Rest easy and enjoy heaven for eternity, grandpa. I love you forever and ever.....Amen!!!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
So Far, So Good.................
Well, here we are 5 days into January, and a brand new year..... and so far, things are going smoothly!!! YAY..... the kids are back into school routine, without any major problems as of yet, I started my first shift on my new schedule, at my new station....and it was good, and I successfully completed my first bike commute to and from work for the year, despite the nasty wind and rain storm on the day I was heading home!!!
Of course, not everything is going completely as planned just yet. There always has to be something to hold things up, and allow the month to get away from us......and this year is no exception to that. Tracie has been sick since we started this new year, with a fairly nasty head cold, that just doesn't seem to want to go away, even as of this morning! :-( Along with that, and perhaps because of that as well, we still haven't started working on taking down Christmas decor inside the house, and getting the place back to "normal" mode once again. It IS still just the very first week of January, and we DID actually do nothing on the 1st and 2nd, as it was New Years holiday routine.....and then I DID go to work on the 3rd......so I would say that we are NOT yet actually behind!!! :-)
So, as this first week of January comes towards an end, and we come to our first weekend of the new year, I am confident that we will begin to get productive around here. We will start with taking down Christmas stuff and getting it all put away until the end of November. We will then clean and organize and get the house put back together once again. As soon as the weather allows outside, I will work on taking down and putting away Christmas lights once again. And we will start making plans and check lists for accomplishing some indoor, winter weather projects.....such as working on the kids' rooms upstairs.
This Friday and Saturday, we will be helping some really great friends to paint the inside of their recently acquired Salon business in Bellingham. I am ready for some fun and some laughs, and some serious painting this weekend.......who knows, maybe I will earn myself a free hair cut or something!!! ;-)
OK, time to get today started. Kids are off to school, and Tracie is still NOT feeling well, so we need to figure out what we plan to try and get done today.
Thanks for caring enough to read along.... I hope I haven't bored anyone with too much rambling on. :-)
Of course, not everything is going completely as planned just yet. There always has to be something to hold things up, and allow the month to get away from us......and this year is no exception to that. Tracie has been sick since we started this new year, with a fairly nasty head cold, that just doesn't seem to want to go away, even as of this morning! :-( Along with that, and perhaps because of that as well, we still haven't started working on taking down Christmas decor inside the house, and getting the place back to "normal" mode once again. It IS still just the very first week of January, and we DID actually do nothing on the 1st and 2nd, as it was New Years holiday routine.....and then I DID go to work on the 3rd......so I would say that we are NOT yet actually behind!!! :-)
So, as this first week of January comes towards an end, and we come to our first weekend of the new year, I am confident that we will begin to get productive around here. We will start with taking down Christmas stuff and getting it all put away until the end of November. We will then clean and organize and get the house put back together once again. As soon as the weather allows outside, I will work on taking down and putting away Christmas lights once again. And we will start making plans and check lists for accomplishing some indoor, winter weather projects.....such as working on the kids' rooms upstairs.
This Friday and Saturday, we will be helping some really great friends to paint the inside of their recently acquired Salon business in Bellingham. I am ready for some fun and some laughs, and some serious painting this weekend.......who knows, maybe I will earn myself a free hair cut or something!!! ;-)
OK, time to get today started. Kids are off to school, and Tracie is still NOT feeling well, so we need to figure out what we plan to try and get done today.
Thanks for caring enough to read along.... I hope I haven't bored anyone with too much rambling on. :-)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2012...... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
We made it!!! Another year come and gone, and the start of a brand new year is officially underway as of today..... Happy New Year one and all. :-)
The month of December was fairly fast and furious for us this year, with lots of events, road trip to Oregon and back, family visiting after Christmas, etc. We had a really good Christmas, and the kids have had a great Winter break from school......staying up way too late practically every night now!
Today I am allowing the kids to sleep in as long as they want to...... as they need the rest, and must start getting ready to go back to school tomorrow. Today we will lounge around the house and watch football on the TV, watch a movie or two or three, and just relax and rest and take it easy! :-)
Tomorrow we get back into the groove again, and really get the new year started.....the kids will be back at school, I will be back in the gym, and we will start taking down and putting away the Christmas decor for the next 11 months. Outside lights will come down as the weather permits, and we will start cleaning up and organizing around the house throughout the month of January.
In February and March, I have plans to start working in the kids' rooms upstairs, first with Evan's, and then on to Sierra's. Evan and I are planning to design and build some loft beds in his room, re-organize, put up some shelves, posters, etc. The goal is to make his room more user-friendly, and better equipped for having his buddies spend the night on occasion. Sierra' room is in need of painting for sure, as well as some serious organizing.
For me, things are changing fairly significantly on the work front. I start working a 4 platoon schedule this month, after working a 3 platoon schedule for the past 20+ years!!! In my career, I have worked on A-shift, B-shift, and C-shift. Now, I will be working on the new D-shift. Also, I am moving from station 2 in Fairhaven, and am now the assigned driver of engine 4, Yew St. station. A new crew, a new station, a new shift, and a new schedule........ yep, just a little bit of change!!! :-)
Another change for me with work...... I am planning to commute to and from work on my bike as often as possible this year! I have the right gear, the bike is ready, I have been doing it a fair amount for the past couple of months already, and it will be so good for me in so many ways! Logging more miles on my bike for the year, getting exercise regularly, saving on gas and wear/tear on the Honda....... I am actually looking forward to this challenge. Of course, I wish every day could/would be warm and dry for my rides, but I suppose I will have to wait for Heaven for those days! :-)
So, for now, I wish everyone who reads this a very Happy New Year. I hope that each of you can look forward to having a wonderful year in 2012........ see ya soon!!! :-)
The month of December was fairly fast and furious for us this year, with lots of events, road trip to Oregon and back, family visiting after Christmas, etc. We had a really good Christmas, and the kids have had a great Winter break from school......staying up way too late practically every night now!
Today I am allowing the kids to sleep in as long as they want to...... as they need the rest, and must start getting ready to go back to school tomorrow. Today we will lounge around the house and watch football on the TV, watch a movie or two or three, and just relax and rest and take it easy! :-)
Tomorrow we get back into the groove again, and really get the new year started.....the kids will be back at school, I will be back in the gym, and we will start taking down and putting away the Christmas decor for the next 11 months. Outside lights will come down as the weather permits, and we will start cleaning up and organizing around the house throughout the month of January.
In February and March, I have plans to start working in the kids' rooms upstairs, first with Evan's, and then on to Sierra's. Evan and I are planning to design and build some loft beds in his room, re-organize, put up some shelves, posters, etc. The goal is to make his room more user-friendly, and better equipped for having his buddies spend the night on occasion. Sierra' room is in need of painting for sure, as well as some serious organizing.
For me, things are changing fairly significantly on the work front. I start working a 4 platoon schedule this month, after working a 3 platoon schedule for the past 20+ years!!! In my career, I have worked on A-shift, B-shift, and C-shift. Now, I will be working on the new D-shift. Also, I am moving from station 2 in Fairhaven, and am now the assigned driver of engine 4, Yew St. station. A new crew, a new station, a new shift, and a new schedule........ yep, just a little bit of change!!! :-)
Another change for me with work...... I am planning to commute to and from work on my bike as often as possible this year! I have the right gear, the bike is ready, I have been doing it a fair amount for the past couple of months already, and it will be so good for me in so many ways! Logging more miles on my bike for the year, getting exercise regularly, saving on gas and wear/tear on the Honda....... I am actually looking forward to this challenge. Of course, I wish every day could/would be warm and dry for my rides, but I suppose I will have to wait for Heaven for those days! :-)
So, for now, I wish everyone who reads this a very Happy New Year. I hope that each of you can look forward to having a wonderful year in 2012........ see ya soon!!! :-)
Sunday, December 25, 2011
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Today is Christmas..... and the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. So not only do I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, but even more than that I want to say..... Happy Birthday, Jesus!!! :-)
As we all celebrate Christmas today in our own special ways, I pray that for each and every one of us, we will all keep in our minds and our hearts, the true meaning of this very special day. Beyond the presents and the food and the lights and the tree and the music, let us remember the greatest gift that every was given..... Jesus Christ, sent to us in the flesh, some 2000+ years ago, so that each and every one of us could have the opportunity, if we should choose, to have a personal relationship with our awesome and most loving God. Pretty amazing gift....... even way better than the new bicycle I have been longing for now for the past year or so!!! :-)
This morning, before we open presents together as a family in our home, we will stop first to pray...... and then we will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus!!!
I wish each and every one of you who reads this a very Merry Christmas this year!!!!!
As we all celebrate Christmas today in our own special ways, I pray that for each and every one of us, we will all keep in our minds and our hearts, the true meaning of this very special day. Beyond the presents and the food and the lights and the tree and the music, let us remember the greatest gift that every was given..... Jesus Christ, sent to us in the flesh, some 2000+ years ago, so that each and every one of us could have the opportunity, if we should choose, to have a personal relationship with our awesome and most loving God. Pretty amazing gift....... even way better than the new bicycle I have been longing for now for the past year or so!!! :-)
This morning, before we open presents together as a family in our home, we will stop first to pray...... and then we will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus!!!
I wish each and every one of you who reads this a very Merry Christmas this year!!!!!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Middle of December.... Merry Christmas
WOW..... boy does time just get away from me anymore. So much going on all of the time, family life, kids, work, fitness, fun, other obligations......the list goes on and on and on. Jeesh!!! :-)
The first week and a half of the month wasn't all that exciting for me, as I developed a head cold, which then turned into a fairly nasty chest cold. I was miserable, and it made me cranky. I don't like just sitting around doing nothing for more than a day, so I kept going out for exercise, etc.....and of course, that just made me worse! :-(
I am happy to say, though, that as of this week, I am finally on the actual mend. Feeling a whole lot better, and able to be active like I want to be once again.
With Greg Bass' help, I got our Christmas lights up before the 1st of December this year..... and they really look good. We were able to put up more lights this year than in any years past, as we had access to a ladder tall enough to get up to the higher end of our house..... this makes it look a whole lot nicer.....and it certainly has made Evan a lot happier!!! :-)
Grandma and Grandpa Fornshell came up for a short weekend visit since I last blogged. And more recently, this past weekend, Grammy and Papa also came up for a short weekend visit. This coming weekend, we will head to Oregon, to celebrate my grandfather's 94th birthday, as well as to visit family and do a little Christmas with those we won't be seeing for actual Christmas this year. It will be a fast and short weekend, but hopefully we will accomplish everything we set out to while we are there. :-)
This past Sunday was most awesome!!! Brother Brad was baptized at CTK......and I got the honor of baptizing him!!! What an amazing journey he has been on these past couple of years, and this was no small miracle that our amazing and mighty God performed.....for us, and for Brad!!! I am so happy for him, and so excited to have been a part of his journey of recovery and restoration.... I pray we will have many wonderful adult years together, sharing a love for Jesus, and a passion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle!!! :-)
This Friday our kiddos will take part in their school's annual Christmas program..... Tracie and I are both very excited to see them sing and dance, and whatever else they will be doing on stage. Both kids actually seem a bit excited about it this year! :-) After the program is over, we will take off for Oregon, with Brad and our niece Jessica along for the ride as well...........
Yes, that is a whole other story in and of itself...... but the short of it is this..... Jessie has made reconciliation with her aunt Tracie, and with me as well. Very long talks were had, and things were discussed in great length and detail....... I believe many tears were shed as well. And with this, Jessie has also moved in with us for a few months, as she works to get herself on her own two feet, and financially stable enough to find a place of her own. So far, so good.... things are working out well, and we are all learning to let go of the past that caused us all so much pain, and we are building a future together...... I am praying that God will use Tracie and myself as He sees fit, to do anything we can to help Jessie out...... especially in establishing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So, if you are the praying type, please be saying prayers for Jessie, but also for Tracie and I, that we will be a positive influence and support family for her. :-)
We got our Christmas tree a weekend earlier than we normally do this year, and that has been great. We drove out to Alpine Meadows tree farm...... fantastic place, with wonderful trees and amazing views!!! We picked out a very nice tree. Tracie and I put it in the stand and trimmed it, and strung the lights on it.....from there, Evan and Sierra decorated the tree all by themselves!!! And I must say, it looks really great!!! :-)
I am certain I am leaving things out...but with letting so much time pass between blogs, what should I expect?!?!?!?! My fault...... no one else to blame! So, I will try hard to remember and post more frequently....say, at least one every other week. ;-)
I will see how next week shapes up after we return from Oregon...hopefully I will have more to blog about then..... in the mean time, Happy Holidays to you all... and have a safe and wonderful time with your Christmas shopping adventures. We haven't even started yet!!! LOL :-)
The first week and a half of the month wasn't all that exciting for me, as I developed a head cold, which then turned into a fairly nasty chest cold. I was miserable, and it made me cranky. I don't like just sitting around doing nothing for more than a day, so I kept going out for exercise, etc.....and of course, that just made me worse! :-(
I am happy to say, though, that as of this week, I am finally on the actual mend. Feeling a whole lot better, and able to be active like I want to be once again.
With Greg Bass' help, I got our Christmas lights up before the 1st of December this year..... and they really look good. We were able to put up more lights this year than in any years past, as we had access to a ladder tall enough to get up to the higher end of our house..... this makes it look a whole lot nicer.....and it certainly has made Evan a lot happier!!! :-)
Grandma and Grandpa Fornshell came up for a short weekend visit since I last blogged. And more recently, this past weekend, Grammy and Papa also came up for a short weekend visit. This coming weekend, we will head to Oregon, to celebrate my grandfather's 94th birthday, as well as to visit family and do a little Christmas with those we won't be seeing for actual Christmas this year. It will be a fast and short weekend, but hopefully we will accomplish everything we set out to while we are there. :-)
This past Sunday was most awesome!!! Brother Brad was baptized at CTK......and I got the honor of baptizing him!!! What an amazing journey he has been on these past couple of years, and this was no small miracle that our amazing and mighty God performed.....for us, and for Brad!!! I am so happy for him, and so excited to have been a part of his journey of recovery and restoration.... I pray we will have many wonderful adult years together, sharing a love for Jesus, and a passion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle!!! :-)
This Friday our kiddos will take part in their school's annual Christmas program..... Tracie and I are both very excited to see them sing and dance, and whatever else they will be doing on stage. Both kids actually seem a bit excited about it this year! :-) After the program is over, we will take off for Oregon, with Brad and our niece Jessica along for the ride as well...........
Yes, that is a whole other story in and of itself...... but the short of it is this..... Jessie has made reconciliation with her aunt Tracie, and with me as well. Very long talks were had, and things were discussed in great length and detail....... I believe many tears were shed as well. And with this, Jessie has also moved in with us for a few months, as she works to get herself on her own two feet, and financially stable enough to find a place of her own. So far, so good.... things are working out well, and we are all learning to let go of the past that caused us all so much pain, and we are building a future together...... I am praying that God will use Tracie and myself as He sees fit, to do anything we can to help Jessie out...... especially in establishing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So, if you are the praying type, please be saying prayers for Jessie, but also for Tracie and I, that we will be a positive influence and support family for her. :-)
We got our Christmas tree a weekend earlier than we normally do this year, and that has been great. We drove out to Alpine Meadows tree farm...... fantastic place, with wonderful trees and amazing views!!! We picked out a very nice tree. Tracie and I put it in the stand and trimmed it, and strung the lights on it.....from there, Evan and Sierra decorated the tree all by themselves!!! And I must say, it looks really great!!! :-)
I am certain I am leaving things out...but with letting so much time pass between blogs, what should I expect?!?!?!?! My fault...... no one else to blame! So, I will try hard to remember and post more frequently....say, at least one every other week. ;-)
I will see how next week shapes up after we return from Oregon...hopefully I will have more to blog about then..... in the mean time, Happy Holidays to you all... and have a safe and wonderful time with your Christmas shopping adventures. We haven't even started yet!!! LOL :-)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Time for Christmas?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
So, after my last post, where I had a close brush with significant head trauma, I was forced to lay low for a week, resting and recovering. I am so very blessed to be here to say just how lucky I am that I came through that whole accident relatively unscathed. No brain bleed, no broken skull or bones, and I have healed up fully now.... praising God for His protection during that ordeal. :-)
However, with that, I also left my blog unattended for the past couple of weeks. Obviously, I wasn't feeling up to blogging while I was recovering. Then, we just got busy with the Thanksgiving weekend holiday, and headed out of town to Oregon, to celebrate with family. We enjoyed a nice, but rather short weekend in Oregon, and had Thanksgiving with my soon to be 94 year old grandfather, which is why we chose to go to Oregon..... it was really special, as it was very likely our last Thanksgiving we will spend with him here on earth.
We returned home late on Saturday night, the 26th, as I had to work on Sunday the 27th, couldn't get anyone to work for me this year. I managed to catch the start of a head cold while at work, and got hit with it hard starting on Monday afternoon. I have been miserable here at home the past two days now, and have not been productive really at all.....and am not happy about it!!! :-(
Still sick this morning, and didn't go meet Brad at the club to work out. But, the weather is supposed to be nice today and tomorrow, so I plan to get outside and put up our Christmas lights....it will be nice to do them in good weather for a change, and even nicer to have them up and on at the start of December this year!!! :-) Tracie is already getting the inside of the house fully decorated....and so, I would say that the Christmas season is now fully upon us here!!! :-)
My prayer for all of my family and friends is that we will all NOT get caught up this year in the commercialism of Christmas, but that we would rather truly celebrate the real Christmas...... the birthday of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!! :-)
Now, if I can just get over this head cold, all will be well once again...... arrgh
However, with that, I also left my blog unattended for the past couple of weeks. Obviously, I wasn't feeling up to blogging while I was recovering. Then, we just got busy with the Thanksgiving weekend holiday, and headed out of town to Oregon, to celebrate with family. We enjoyed a nice, but rather short weekend in Oregon, and had Thanksgiving with my soon to be 94 year old grandfather, which is why we chose to go to Oregon..... it was really special, as it was very likely our last Thanksgiving we will spend with him here on earth.
We returned home late on Saturday night, the 26th, as I had to work on Sunday the 27th, couldn't get anyone to work for me this year. I managed to catch the start of a head cold while at work, and got hit with it hard starting on Monday afternoon. I have been miserable here at home the past two days now, and have not been productive really at all.....and am not happy about it!!! :-(
Still sick this morning, and didn't go meet Brad at the club to work out. But, the weather is supposed to be nice today and tomorrow, so I plan to get outside and put up our Christmas lights....it will be nice to do them in good weather for a change, and even nicer to have them up and on at the start of December this year!!! :-) Tracie is already getting the inside of the house fully decorated....and so, I would say that the Christmas season is now fully upon us here!!! :-)
My prayer for all of my family and friends is that we will all NOT get caught up this year in the commercialism of Christmas, but that we would rather truly celebrate the real Christmas...... the birthday of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!! :-)
Now, if I can just get over this head cold, all will be well once again...... arrgh
Sunday, November 13, 2011
A Scary Thursday Afternoon at LBF.....
This last Thursday afternoon, November 10th, I was out working with Greg Bass to take down standing dead trees on our property......both for the purpose of firewood, and also for safety, so as to not have dead trees or widow makers from these trees come down and hurt or kill anyone....especially our kids!
We had been working for more than an hour, and had taken down a half a dozen or more trees without any real trouble, with exception of one big tree coming down across our fence, leading to more clean-up and fence repairs. So, as Greg continued to take down several more trees, I began working on clearing and mending the fence, so that we wouldn't lose our last two beef cows to the neighbors.
Greg came across a tree that had a significant amount of weight at the top, leaning towards the fence line once again. We really didn't want it to go down over the fence a second time, so Greg asked me to bring the tractor in and place the bucket up high and put gentle pressure with the loader bucket against the tree, away from the fence line, as he made the final cut, so that the tree would fall in the direction we wanted it to. As I placed the tractor up against the tree, Greg began to cut. The tree began to move a little, and so I applied a bit more pressure with the loader. As I did this, I heard a loud noise from above. I stopped and looked up, just in time to see a very large widow maker coming out of the top of the tree, falling directly down towards me. It was very large, and falling too fast for me to even think to try and get off the tractor. Instinctively, I threw my arms above my head and yelled loudly at Greg, as I began to try and duck away......... but too late.
I was struck very hard in both arms and the top of the head by a widow maker, about 5 inches in diameter and a good 8 feet long!!! It broke into pieces as it hit me and the tractor. Greg had been smart enough to run backwards with his hands up for protection when he heard me yell.....he looked my direction just in time to see me being hit. I was hurting badly, and my brain was in a disconnect...... I was fighting to stay conscious, and couldn't coherently communicate with Greg for a while, though I knew he was there, and could hear him talking to me. I knew I was hurt, but had no idea just how bad...... my head hurt a lot, as did my arms. I could feel that things weren't right inside of my mouth, and I just wanted to stay awake, fearing the worst as far as head trauma goes.
A long story made somewhat shorter..... Greg checked me out and looked me over. I slowly began to get my brain to connect again, and we began to assess the damages that we could see to me..... head trauma in the way of significant abrasion and hematoma on the outside, not knowing what damage had occurred inside.... bruised and abrased arms and shoulder..... a torn up inside of my mouth, to go along with several broken teeth.
We managed to find a dentist that day, and got my two upper teeth repaired. We didn't know at the time that also have broken lower teeth.....of which I will need to have taken care of sometime soon. I chose to not go the ER for my head injury, but to rather wait it out at home, and have myself and Tracie carefully watch me for any signs or symptoms of closed head injury. I am thanking God that three days later now, I have not shown any signs of a brain bleed!!! I am healing up slowly, still hurting on the top of my head from the abrasions and bruising. My headache inside is gone, however, which is very good. My left side jaw is stiff and sore and aches a bit. I have broken teeth still in need of repair, and I am still stiff and sore n my neck and back and shoulders and arms. The inside of my mouth is trying to heal, but still hurts as well.
Yes, this was a very scary event. Yes, I was very scared for myself, and for my family. Yes, I could have very well been significantly hurt worse than I was, and am actually very, very, very lucky. Any number of things could have been just minutely different and the outcome could have been tragic and horrible. I am thanking and praising God for taking care of me through this event.
We still have a lot of trees out there to take down and deal with. However, from now on, we will be wearing helmets, and if we use the tractor at all, it will be with long chains from a distance. Only the guy with the saw will be at the base of the tree. We will take all precautions we can to be as safe as possible....which is why we will continue to take these trees down.... they can be deadly if left standing!
So, I have been taking the weekend off, laying low and relaxing and recovering......and counting my blessings. Today we will go to church as a family, and I will give utmost thanks and praise to our God who loves and protects us when we need it most.
Tomorrow, back to life again........ :-)
We had been working for more than an hour, and had taken down a half a dozen or more trees without any real trouble, with exception of one big tree coming down across our fence, leading to more clean-up and fence repairs. So, as Greg continued to take down several more trees, I began working on clearing and mending the fence, so that we wouldn't lose our last two beef cows to the neighbors.
Greg came across a tree that had a significant amount of weight at the top, leaning towards the fence line once again. We really didn't want it to go down over the fence a second time, so Greg asked me to bring the tractor in and place the bucket up high and put gentle pressure with the loader bucket against the tree, away from the fence line, as he made the final cut, so that the tree would fall in the direction we wanted it to. As I placed the tractor up against the tree, Greg began to cut. The tree began to move a little, and so I applied a bit more pressure with the loader. As I did this, I heard a loud noise from above. I stopped and looked up, just in time to see a very large widow maker coming out of the top of the tree, falling directly down towards me. It was very large, and falling too fast for me to even think to try and get off the tractor. Instinctively, I threw my arms above my head and yelled loudly at Greg, as I began to try and duck away......... but too late.
I was struck very hard in both arms and the top of the head by a widow maker, about 5 inches in diameter and a good 8 feet long!!! It broke into pieces as it hit me and the tractor. Greg had been smart enough to run backwards with his hands up for protection when he heard me yell.....he looked my direction just in time to see me being hit. I was hurting badly, and my brain was in a disconnect...... I was fighting to stay conscious, and couldn't coherently communicate with Greg for a while, though I knew he was there, and could hear him talking to me. I knew I was hurt, but had no idea just how bad...... my head hurt a lot, as did my arms. I could feel that things weren't right inside of my mouth, and I just wanted to stay awake, fearing the worst as far as head trauma goes.
A long story made somewhat shorter..... Greg checked me out and looked me over. I slowly began to get my brain to connect again, and we began to assess the damages that we could see to me..... head trauma in the way of significant abrasion and hematoma on the outside, not knowing what damage had occurred inside.... bruised and abrased arms and shoulder..... a torn up inside of my mouth, to go along with several broken teeth.
We managed to find a dentist that day, and got my two upper teeth repaired. We didn't know at the time that also have broken lower teeth.....of which I will need to have taken care of sometime soon. I chose to not go the ER for my head injury, but to rather wait it out at home, and have myself and Tracie carefully watch me for any signs or symptoms of closed head injury. I am thanking God that three days later now, I have not shown any signs of a brain bleed!!! I am healing up slowly, still hurting on the top of my head from the abrasions and bruising. My headache inside is gone, however, which is very good. My left side jaw is stiff and sore and aches a bit. I have broken teeth still in need of repair, and I am still stiff and sore n my neck and back and shoulders and arms. The inside of my mouth is trying to heal, but still hurts as well.
Yes, this was a very scary event. Yes, I was very scared for myself, and for my family. Yes, I could have very well been significantly hurt worse than I was, and am actually very, very, very lucky. Any number of things could have been just minutely different and the outcome could have been tragic and horrible. I am thanking and praising God for taking care of me through this event.
We still have a lot of trees out there to take down and deal with. However, from now on, we will be wearing helmets, and if we use the tractor at all, it will be with long chains from a distance. Only the guy with the saw will be at the base of the tree. We will take all precautions we can to be as safe as possible....which is why we will continue to take these trees down.... they can be deadly if left standing!
So, I have been taking the weekend off, laying low and relaxing and recovering......and counting my blessings. Today we will go to church as a family, and I will give utmost thanks and praise to our God who loves and protects us when we need it most.
Tomorrow, back to life again........ :-)
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