Tuesday, March 10, 2009

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?)

5 comments:

  1. Been there; done that. I feel your pain.--Pete

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  2. Lol, I can't usually survive a pruning without a blood sacrifice either Don :)
    Your wife read Sue Grafton to you while you paint? Now that's love my friend.....but, you already know that I can tell. I love Sue Grafton and am an avid reader.
    Why don't you come help us paint and the lil lady can read Sue to us. We'll play a little B.B. King and have a couple of Bloody Mary's....wait....I hear a country soung in the making don't you???

    Steady On
    Reggie Girl

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  3. I see you too can recognize "true love." And the room turned out lovely ta boot!

    Maybe you and Prince can take turns reading and painting? (We've done that too, except nobody paints when I read.) ;-)

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  4. Changing out a tape dispenser. You wouldn't think it would require blood. But it does.

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