Wednesday, December 28, 2011

If all else fails, get the Yaks.


I did my usual this morning.  I do my usual quite often---fail to follow rules of common sense or fail to read directions (yeah, I saw that one about your new mixer, Cis---by the way, the young Loves have one like that too).  

Yes, reading the manual comes only after many failures.  I've often wondered how much time would be saved if I'd read directions or learn about a product by studying its manual.

In this morning's case, I bypassed doing the smart thing before going to the barn.  Slipped and slid a couple of times and thought about those Yaks hanging on a door knob back in the garage.  Still, I left them behind and picked out a route in the darkness to the barn.

Old Lady Still Standing----good reality show title and the results of some lucky navigating through water, bare ground and bone-breaking ice.

The barnyard wasn't too bad cuz nobody's plowed or shoveled it.  Only where humans dared tread yesterday is there bone breaking ice today.  

So, I did okay with two big armloads of hay, scattering them about on the ground about halfway out into the big corral where the horses stay in the winter.

It was looking like a pretty pleasant morning with balmy temps and easy cleaning in the stalls.  Heather and Lily were even nice enough to leave some of their hay, allowing me to bypass shavings for their bedding tonight.

After chores, I headed toward the paperbox, a trip which I knew would present some challenges. The balmy weather is deceiving today, especially while walking in areas where I plowed or shoveled three-four inches of snow yesterday.

A sea of wet ice with only occasional bare spots greeted me in the darkness as I walked toward the road.  A car went by----very slowly.

Upon reaching the road, I could see light reflecting of the surface both to the north and the south.  Solid ice lay between me and the paperbox.

"I can do this," I thought, "just very carefully."

Let me tell you that this morning's ice allows NO room for error.  

Taking a mini step forward, I slipped and headed downward toward the ice mass, catching myself in time to save the bruised-up knee from last week's clumsy fall on oneven ground is just now turning to normal skin color again. 

With a wet knee and wet hands, I gave in.  

"Get smart," I thought.  "Get back there and put on those Yaks."  Annie gave them to me a couple of years ago for Christmas, and they have been literal lifesavers many times, I'm sure.  

So, I walked in the wet snow alongside the driveway, turned into the garage, grabbed the Yaks, sat down on an ice chest, and with dogs trying to lick my face, stretched the Yaks enough to fit over my boots. 
Why is it that we think we're above directions or common sense?  Seems like when we get to this age, we'd know better.  

I don't.  Probably never will.

So, I wasted some time this morning, going back and starting all over on something I should have done when I first left the garage.  
This story netted two pluses.   I walked more steps than usual for my pedometer, and, thanks to the Yaks, I can continue walking a lot more steps, even on bone-breaking ice.

Life continues to be filled with lessons for those of us who think we know better.  
Happy Wednesday. 

GO ZAGS!

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