Saturday, January 26, 2013

26 January 2013 One small step One large slip.



Cassi Creek: 
          The ice that covered everything yesterday is even more treacherous today. 
          As the air temperature climbed upward of the freezing point, I put the dog on her long lead and headed off for the newspaper.  One tenuous step down and then another.  The 2nd did me in.  I don’t know if the dog pulled on her lead or if the fault lay entirely in my actions. 
          I found myself falling outward and down.  I managed to land sitting on the steps.  No apparent harm but the rapidity of losing all control over ambulation is a warning that I can’t ignore.   I found it best to simply slide down the remaining steps until I could stand up on the ground. 
          The ground and driveway were equally treacherous.  It took, I believe, ten minutes or so to shuffle out and back with the newspaper. 
          I have a pair of cable crampons that would have prevented, I believe, this fall.  I wore them yesterday and had no problem on the ice while bringing in firewood.  They are the largest size the company makes and have to be worn over regular shoes.  Unfortunately, my feet are large and it is difficult to climb into the crampons and strap them on.  Yesterday, Gloria helped me strap in.  Today, I didn’t want to bother her.  I think I’ll be smart and let her help me put them on before going out to retrieve the mail. 
          The back deck is still a solid sheet of water-covered ice melting slowly in the sunlight.  The front will still be mostly in shadow at 1100 and I can only hope the ice melt I scattered this morning will have made some difference.
          

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