Dad's Big Day Out

Since Dave and I were in NYC and DC this last week, Dad decided to spend some time with his sister at the ranch to pick apples and pine nuts and enjoy the lovely fall weather. It was a little sad to come home from our trip and not have Dad here. We're going to be so sad when his house is done and he moves out. We're still trying to convince him to build a little apartment on our property. :)

Dad called me today to let me know he was on his way home, and I was really excited to see him. Then he informed me that he thought he would probably need some stitches. He was hunting for some pine nuts on a mountainside about 15 miles north of the ranch. He decided to do some exploring downhill to search for a better hunting spot. Unfortunately, the path he was exploring was all rock (big 10 to 20 pound rocks that looked like a rock slide). He said he had the thought about five seconds before his accident that he probably shouldn't be walking down the path he was. He fell down the hill and stopped his fall partially with his left wrist and hit his head on a rock. I was so worried about him driving home I almost drove out to escort him to the hospital but he seemed lucid and okay so I just waited anxiously until he came home.

I took him to see my hubby when he got home. Dad was so brave. I was not. (I had to leave when Dave first opened the wound. Dave said I chose well when I decided to be a writer instead of a nurse.)

Dave had to probe the wound to figure out how deep the gash was and how much damage was done. Turns out Dad severed his eyebrow muscle but managed not to sever any nerves. And it came *thisclose* to the bone. Thankfully, no skull fractures.

That sucker took 16 stitches to close: 4 on the inside to repair the eyebrow muscle and 12 on the outside.

This is just me being proud of my husband's handiwork.

All stitched up!!! We got done too late to get over to the hospital to x-ray his wrist, so we'll head over there tomorrow morning and see if it's broken or not. Fingers crossed it's just a sprain! Dad's biggest regret over the incident is that he couldn't spend the rest of the day hunting for pine nuts (don't worry, he actually thought about continuing his hunt but decided against it when he couldn't get the bleeding to stop). :)