The Wheeler and the Blue Rope

In Alaska we refer to our 4wheelers and quad runners as 'wheelers'.  So, one day I was dragging out deadfall with the wheeler when all of a sudden the rope slipped down around my leg while I was riding forward.  All at the same time, as the rope slipped down around my leg both ends got caught under the back wheel as I was moving forward and totally strangled my leg.  It's a good thing I was only going about 2 miles an hour or I would have been in far worse trouble.  Here' a pic.

At first I didn' think I was hurt very badly.  I walked around my wheeler picking up the rope but soon decided to have Raz look at it.  The pictures following may be too graphic for some people.  Sorry for that, but here are some.

Now, I don't have skinny chicken legs to begin with but you can see how much swelling happened just within the first hour.

Over the next 24 hours this is what evolved.

The next day.....

One might ask why I didn't

 go straight to the doctor.  Well, Chad and Casey had been up helping us build (and laugh, and eat, and laugh some more) but when they went to go home their car broke down and so we lent them our rig to get back home in.  They were to return in a few days.  In the meantime I went over to visit the EMT's in town and decided it could wait a few days.  So I took a bunch of pictures for the Doc to see later.

And talk about color!

Now it's about a week later.  Still at the cabin but headed home today.  Think I'll stop by the emergency room on my way home.

When I saw the doctor she told me I did all the right things and that it was going to run it's healing cycle and that it would look a whole lot worse before it got better.  Boy, was she not kidding.

Pain, you ask?  Not really.  My surface nerves were temporarily damaged and also squished off from the swelling.  I didn't feel much.

After about a month out from the accident the constantly seeping blister finally turned into a big scab.

The scab began to shrink away from the edges and revealed small holes and fishers in my flesh called tunneling.

Six weeks out from the injury the scab fell off leaving a big messy, yucky hole in my leg.  They called it an ulcer.

At that point I knew it wouldn't be long until the microscopic buggies moved in.  I was right.

Back to the Doc.

She said, "Yep, you're right on schedule".  She put me on the highest power antibiotics they have.  The stuff they use for Malaria and some other nasty illness I can't remember.  Then she sent me to the Wound Care Center where the experts could teach me how to care for it.

God bless The Wound Care Center.  They were amazing.  They taught me all the things I needed to do to heal.  Keep my leg elevated above the level of my heart for 23 hours a day.  For weeks.  Uuuuugh.  I could shower and pee.  Lol.  They had me on protein shakes 3 times a day and a high protein diet.   But I was faithful.  So my leg began to slowly heal.

And here it is today.  It has taken 6 months to get here.  All that being laid up made it so I couldn't help build.  But my man, Raz,  he's the bomb!  He got it all done.

I still have discoloring and an odd shape to my leg now but I learned so much about wound care and the vital importance of  how following the doctors orders can make all the difference.  In the meantime we got better phone service hooked up at the cabin and the Doc gave me antibiotics to keep there just in case I get stuck there sometime with an injury that calls for antibiotics.  Fortunately we have helicopter medivac service up there if it is ever needed as well.  

And here comes Banjo

So as some of you already know, after years of great love and friendship, our dog Chip passed way this summer. I knew he was getting up there and we were at the cabin and I got up early to take the dogs out and chip would move.  I figured he was really bad so I went a dug a grave and was going to put him down. But to my surprise, he got up and went out side and looked like he was just telling me that he wasn't ready
So we came home but about a month later, he was gone. Sad sad day for us.
We had decided that we would stay with the two little dogs until we get moved but out of the blue I made a post on a website here that we were kinda looking. 15 minutes later I got and answer from some people that had a 7 month old border collie and they were having troubles keeping him.
We went, we looked, and we fell in love  The people had paid 200 for him at the pound and I hate paying for dogs. So when they said they were just looking for someone to give him a good home, we said yeas and he is now part of out family  Here is a pic of banjo

Honey!!! What did you spill on the table????

So lets take a little break from the build and let me tell you about and ass chewing I got  {well not really}
So we are setting on the deck having our morning coffee and we notice something sticky all over the little table that is between the two chairs. Of course being the man, I get asked what the heck did I spill all over the top.
Nothing Honey, Honest lol  not sure if she believed me but the day went on. Later that day she discovered this under her chair......

At first glance, it looked like someone had shot it with a small .22 rifle. But then Lorie turned the can around and instead of an exit hole, it was a puncture just like the front.  That right folks!!! BEAR

We found out later that the neighbors freezer had been tipped over. I will bet that got him pretty good.  Some of the old timers have been known to take a can of starting fluid and wrap it with bacon and throw it in the front yard for that very reason.

And we didn't stop there

Back to the build

Chad was hurt and Lorie had a really bad experience on the 4 wheeler so this summer has been a tough one for this old guy but we managed to get some work done. We called it phase one and phase two.
Phase one is the utility room {batteries, water tank, water heater, solar and wind controller and such} and also the artic entry and laundry room. When left off, we had the floor for that area framed but that was it so here are some pics of that part.

Lorie and I love our flag!!!!!

And yes we stand!!!! And we even stood together and said the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag when we got it up.

Thanks to Don Lynn for such a great flag pole. Miss you Buddy

Chad really messed up

Time to catch up on the blog. Sorry it has been awhile. Before I tell you all what's going on at the property in central, let me tell you about Chad. He hasn't been able to help to much this summer and her is why.

He was in a terrible car accident and is lucky to be alive.. It as been a long summer for him but I am happy to say that for now, he as been able to save the foot and with the help of a special boot, getting around. We continue to be hopeful in his recovery.

One Wild Summer

No, we didn' forget the blog.  We've just had a summer like Mr. Toads Wild Ride (anyone remember that ride?).  So, we will try to catch up now.......