Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Blows

Spring continues unabated. Breezy and blooming. We've discussed taking a photo of a plant that isn't blooming, since that would be less work than photographing everything that is. Here's me amid the fragrant cliff fendlerbushes.
From 2010 Spring

One eve, it was really too windy to want to be up riding on the ridge. But we were up riding on the ridge. As we were starting down, Trina scuffled into some rocks, then, somewhat slowly, flipped over one boulder and landed on her knee on another. She heard a horrible snapping sound as her whole weight drove her knee into the rock.

Her other leg was still tangled in her bike and she was yelping as I leaped off my bike and helped untangle her. A few favored curse words helped express her pain and fear of having broken something important, like bone.

Untangled, we found that the horrible snapping sound had been her bike's plastic shifter lever, and that the damage was "merely" a bone-deep gash in her upper shin and some accompanying scrapes. She uttered more curses, some aimed at the wind, then let out a loud sigh of relief, and -- still in some pain -- we finished the ride via the short way.
From 2010 Spring

Could have been the wind that blew her off course. Could just have been "one of those things" that happens when you ride a bike enough. Could have been much worse. We were out riding a couple days later and she was only taking it a little easier than usual.
From 2010 Spring

From 2010 Spring

From 2010 Spring

She tells me she should have seen this injury coming. Her brother injured his knee the week before, and they've suffered from Parallel Injury Syndrome since childhood. (Insert Twilight Zone music here.)

--Greg

2 comments:

  1. Fendlerbushes?

    If I hadn't been searching for their name myself I would have been *sure* you made that one up.

    Fortunately for both of us I kept my search to a casual pace and allowed you to find the name for me. But, and you need to be honest, were you aware that they are of the hydrangea family?

    I was not.

    MC

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  2. And how! Also known as "false mock-orange" because it looks and smells (honey, clovey scent) like a mock orange bush which has blossoms that smell like true orange blossoms. It's also a cousin of Appalachian false goat's beard ... a suspicious lotta falseness in the family if ya axe me.

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