Today was going to be slacker slaughter day. I had intended to put down a dozen birds and take their carcasses to the Nature Center to use to feed their raptors. It's a shame to put down beautiful healthy birds but with the price of feed it just isn't practical. However, like many plans it went awry.
Yesterday I cleaned the chicken coop, rearranged the storage building so that summer items are in the back and the snow shovels and snow blower are acessable when needed. When I finished I thought perhaps I had overtaxed my arm that I just had the surgery on. As the evening progressed my arm started to swell and ache. By 9pm it had swollen to the point that it was impossible to bend it and the pain had moved into my shoulder as well.
After a fitful night of trying to sleep I went to the doctor this morning. It turns out that I have developed a post operative infection and the exercise may have caused it to break loose. It is a serious situation and they have placed me on a regime of strong antibiotics that hopefully will stop the infection..
Due to how the corn was planted on my hunting property we hadn't been able to access our woods until this past Saturday. When we checked we found that we need cut a path to our blinds through all of the storm felled trees. We had intended to spend all day tomorrow and Wednesday getting things ready.
Now with severe swelling of my arm, and the doctor's admonition not to do anything strenuous, that isn't going to happen. This not only affects my hunting but that of David and my best friend Bob. I really felt bad calling Bob to cancel but this is serious enough that I can't risk it. Not only was blind preparation impossible, there is a real good change that I won't be able to make opening day.
It sure willl seem odd not hunting opening day. It will be the first one I've missed in 37 years. I may go to the farm anyway and spend the time with my old friend while David hunts. At least that way I won't completely miss the annual experience.
