Accidents

Young Finch drying off in unplanted deck planter

After an accident with a cleaver last week, wherein I almost sliced off the tip of my finger, I find I still have quite a few plants yet to slip into the warm and welcoming Earth.

I was trimming and cutting Carrots, my mind elsewhere in the stratosphere, when the accident occurred. The Carrots were juicy, making my hands  wet and orange, when the knife slipped and became embedded in my fingernail.

I stared down at my finger, which still had the cleaver inserted in the nail. I became aware of a huge pain in my shoulder and chest...vaguely, I wondered if I was having a heart attack.

Shock is an amazing thing. There was no pain...as yet...from the finger impaled by the cleaver. I was more concerned about the pain emanating from my shoulder and chest, telling myself to remain calm...just in case.

Sparkling white Saskatoon Berry bushes glimmer throughout the Forest

The sharp twinge in my shoulder receded, although the aftermath was still unpleasant. It was time to deal with the cleaver.


This all occurred in seconds. It astonishes me how many thoughts and ideas occur, racing through the mind, after an accident. Would the tip of the finger be salvageable, where was a towel to stanch the flow of blood which was sure to spurt once the cleaver was removed, would I need to go to the hospital, would I need to call Graham?


The only reason the cleaver was still impaled in my finger was because of the nail. Had it only cut flesh, it would not have stayed stuck.

Tulips did really well this Spring!

Blood flowed freely once I rescued my finger from the cleaver. Once I removed it, that's when the pain from the deep cut just above the quick of the nail hit. That's when I forgot about the pain in my shoulder and chest.


I managed to clean and bandage the slice, happy to find my fingertip still attached. Truly, this cut bled an unbelievable amount and I wanted to make sure it bled out of the nail and not underneath, where I knew it would be a mess if I had to release old blood later.


It was unbelievably painful. Cleaning up after the fact with one hand and a sore shoulder and chest was not pleasant, either. Because my chest and shoulder pain worsened when I moved them, I decided I was not experiencing a heart attack, only another muscle pull.

Lilacs thrive in this climate

It was not until later that I realized I had effectively stopped any idea I had of continuing to place bedding Plants, for the next while.


And I had to face the fact that I was not able to type very well either, so writing on the computer was put on the back burner. I apologize to all my bloggy friends for not commenting for a time...


Time is travelling on; it is now almost the middle of June. My bedding plants are still not all in their respective places. Because of a bandaged hand, I am unable to work very fast...and planting with one hand hampers the whole thing further.


But here, in the Cariboo, Sun shines very late into the evening, and rises very early. One thing I've learned, living here, is that gardens, be they Vegetable or Flower, bounce...one can almost see them grow. The plants not yet placed will catch up to the others in no time.

The Deer didn't find these!

I've also strewn a great amount of Seeds directly into the ground this year. I experimented with it last year, never dreaming of the lush, perfumed growth that occurred in August. The climate is so dry here, the Earth forms a deep, dry crust and in my mind, it would be difficult to keep the Seeds wet enough to germinate.


To my astonishment, germinate they did! And I believe they did better than any of the greenhouse grown Seedlings. This year, my Seeds germinated just fine, but the cool weather has held their growth back.

Amazing colour combo...yellow and red Tulips!

The weather lately has reminded me of coastal climates. It has Rained a great deal, making Vegetation prolifically luxuriant, keeping the Dust down and if I'm not mistaken, keeping the Pollen from bothering me as much.


The Rain and Thunderstorms we experience at this time of year have helped with my impatience to work outside. As much as I love Rain lashing against windows by Wind...it takes the pleasure out of gardening, for me, at any rate.


Even if I were well, it is doubtful I would be outside in stormy weather.


It was a small, irritating accident. It came out of nowhere, when my mind was involved in something else, other than what I was doing.

One of the young Kits from our Squirrel family

My mother, early on in my life, would constantly admonish me to watch what I was doing, where I was going. She knew I was not one to keep my mind involved in the task at hand.


You would think I would have learned that lesson by now.