The minor perils of pruning...

Plumbing, pruning, and working on a car engine: what do they have in common?

I may be wrong, but it seems to me that each of these activities are controlled by some minor deity that requires a blood sacrifice. Usually it's only a bloody knuckle, but never-the-less it's annoying and somewhat painful.



Case in point: This Sunday I undertook the second and final backyard spring pruning job - the pink tabebuia. As anticipated, it was easier than last week's project which was the 50' liquid amber. But two thirds through the project, I somehow rapped myself soundly on a knuckle with a pruning saw. I did not hit the knuckle with the flat part of the saw, no, I managed to deliver a sound blow to my knuckle with the saw-toothed edge of the saw.

Ouch!

After the infraction I inspected the pain-site expecting to see blood, but I was surprised to see it blood-free: for about 20 seconds.



What I had done was give myself a bone bruise and two puncture wounds. Puncture wounds can take a bit longer to get going, but then... look out!

Fifteen minutes later after some occasional blood-sucking, the flow stopped leaving a nice patch of dried blood.



This evidently was enough for the evil god of pruning, and I finished the chore without further mishap.

Two days later, I still have the remnants of the bruise and two tiny scabs bearing witness to a job well-done and some minor tree-pruning deity appeased.



I no longer work on my own cars and my plumbing is holding up, so until I decide to prune something in the front yard, I'm safe.

(Maybe I should try work gloves?)