Coming out of the woods, in more ways than one.

Heading down, from above the lower pasture. (what a sentence)!
In the distance the haze of smoke from the Canyonville fire. It has been burning for weeks. All of Oregon has been on high fire alert. Land owners in my area met and we made plans, and agreed to reduce the fire threat in our area. This meant lots of clearing, trimming dead branches at least eight feet above the forest floor, managing brush and, if possible, setting up auxiliary watering systems. A lot of work, in a bloody hot season.
Over head the jets lay down criss cross patterns of white trails that don't go away but spread across the sky, sealing in the heat. Like a giant green house. Clearly no help from them and certainly not the solution. No matter what, I press on.

The trees in the photo, looking East by South East, are still doing reasonably well, but many trees have died, many in shock and lots of Madrone with black spotting on their leaves are suffering and many have died.  Wells in the lower areas have been impacted, but we all have rallied together and...
press on.

     I was pulling on some errant chicken wire that had been caught up in brush,( just right of the growth on the right side of the picture), and after giving a yank in came free, unexpectedly. My back to the down hill side, tumbled on to my neck and shoulders. There was the terrible sensation of tearing muscles and tendons, the crunch and crackle of neck bones as a rolled over on to my back and slide down the hill in weeds, dry star thistle, grass and odd bits of field debris.
I thought I had cashed in for a moment, then wiggled my fingers.  I figured I had just enough time, while I was in shock, to gather myself up, take my tools up the old logger trail to the shop before the real pain hit.
 I stripped, hosed my self off, went in the house and pulled a bag of frozen lima beans out of the freezer. I put it on my neck, laid on the couch and waited.
After a trip to the VA and X-rays the next day I was still feeling beat up but happy I didn't damage any vertebra or discs but I still am healing with a little less discomfort each day.
I will never call the neck brace, I have been wearing from time to time,  a "sympathy collar". It does a great job in the slow recovery process and keeps stubborn people like me from re-injuring themselves.
Like all experiences, we come away with something. Somethings we get great insights and other times, well, not so great insights.  I took some out of each category and applied one immediately.
don't work alone in the woods.  

If I had remarried, I am sure a wife would be down the hill to find me.  Maybe it is time to settle down.