…sigh
Welp, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t some some kind of hand injury every four months or so. Normally, they’re so small that I don’t even notice until a couple days afterward.
And sometimes, I almost lose a finger.
As soon as we got home, we realized that we had a massive weather change ahead of us. We went from Florida’s 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit (23-26 degrees Celsius) to Louisiana’s 24-32 (-4 to 0), and the house doesn’t have central heat. That means we need a fire, and a fire needs kindling.
Only I forgot to make the kindling before we left, so I was in the carport with the kindling knife and block of sap-filled wood, shivering and chastising myself for not being prepared.
That kindling knife is my Cutco utility knife, and you get what you pay for when you shell out almost $200 for a blade. The thing can cut through steel, and I’m normally very paranoid when using it. When I set it into the kindling block, I had my other hand in (what I thought) a safe area far enough away to avoid injury.
Alas…the blade is nearly 6 inches (15 centimeters) long, and when it cuts into a soft pocket of sap, it goes straight through. The same also applies to fingers.
Shunk, went the blade, and I knew I was in trouble. After cleaning the blade and securing everything, I left a small blood trail as I staggered into the house in the late hours to patch myself up. But as you can see from the scars, this isn’t my first rodeo with first aid. Got it put back together, pressure on the wound, and sealed it. Took pain medication for the night and scheduled a stop with the doctor in the morning.
I’m looking forward to the looks of consternation I’ll getting from the family as they wake up to see my hand bloodied and bandaged (again). And they wonder why I have ‘chainmail gloves’ on my Wish List.
Good night, readers. Stay safe out there.
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 