The Fall (not the season)

                                                                Big Ass Ceiling Fan

Yes, that is the name of the fan!

Early Saturday morning we went to Cullman. I love a sunny day, but it was just bright, blinding out. However, it was so warm and pretty. The trees are all green, a tender green still. The trees will be more full and a darker green soon. I love this time of year and clear down to the fall of leaves. 

We went to visit a friend. I have known him for at least 30 years, maybe a few years less. He was giving me four bottles of Flonase, all with an expiration date of 2024. So, good on saving money not buying. He is retired military, so he gets these free in the mail. Now, he has stopped the shipments, but has so many he does not need after multiple sinus surgeries. So, my gain. Tommy can use these, too. 

We went in through the garage where he has a tornado shelter. It is a metal box. I suppose it is anchored somehow. He warned us that he did not want any lawsuits if either of us fell and hurt ourselves. That really annoyed me and I told him so. 

I was initially afraid to get out because of the dog. Well, the dog was a hunting dog and minded when Friend spoke to him. This dog was acquired when his best friend and bil died from Covid. Another dog came up and frightened me. But, it just stood there looking around and did not seem at all threatening. When we went into the house, there were three of the tiniest, curliest dogs I have ever seen. They headed straight for us. I am afraid of tripping on those dogs! One kept jumping and putting his paws on me, almost toppling me. The dogs had things strapped around their necks to discouraging them from barking. I am not sure how I feel about that device.

He showed us around his new house. We were going before Christmas to see it with a 14' Christmas tree. His ceilings are 14'.  The star of the house was his great room with a 12' table. I loved it. He had a Sub Zero refrigerator. The Wolf range had six eyes, a griddle and two ovens. He showed me the "faucet" above the stove. I think it embarrassed him when I gushed over the pot filler calling it by the correct name. She had a very deep red sink. 

The tv was on the wall, super high. He said the 50" tv looked tiny, so he had to get a 75" tv. It was so far away that it did not look like it was so large. His house had so many large closets and they were all filled to capacity. Their was the largest ceiling fan I had ever seen, a Big All Ceiling fan. The master bath was huge. One whole room was a shower, the kind with nothing to step over. (Tommy needs that. Me too) 

We saw the pool through a window and went out to see that. He has an outdoor fireplace built right into the wall of the patio. The ceiling fan on the patio was at least 10' across. Well, it looked that large to me. Tommy said it was 72". I will ask friend later. As I was standing there, I heard a commotion, heard friend yell, and saw Tommy go flying across to the lower part of the patio from a column that blocked my view. I was shocked, stunned, and frightened. Tommy did not see a step down and just plunged off a 10" high step. He fell into and over his walker. 

My friend stood there and yelled at Tommy that he should not have done that like Tommy did it on purpose. After him yelling at Tommy, I told friend to stop right now, that he was not helping the situation. Tommy confirmed nothing was injured too much, so I told friend to help him get up. He was doing it all wrong, trying to help him like he helped his frail mother who had different mobility issues! 

As I was getting them sorted out, Tommy yelled for his walker which was behind his legs and sort of tangled with his feet. I yanked it right over him, but he said it did not hurt him. Between me placing the walker in the right position and friend getting him up, Tommy was finally standing. I had to tell friend to put the walker on the higher level and also help Tommy. He thought Tommy could just step up holding the walker. No, he cannot. 

Tommy was bleeding profusely from a knuckle and from back of ankle. I asked friend if he had a bandage for both. It was though he could not even offer! So, he got down and put a bandaid on the back of Tommy's ankle and his knuckle. He even put antibiotic on the bandaid. 

EDIT: Late Saturday night, I looked at the wound on the back of his heel. It is actually on his Achilles tendon and is nasty looking. The one on his knuckle that bled so is fine. I will put mupirocin on the one on the tendon. His finger will be fine. He has a huge abrasion with bruise on his right flank. Where it hurts so on his rib shows nothing now. So, I need to continually tend to the wound on his tendon. It will be like trying to get a little child to be still to tend to a wound. 

As if he needed to say so, he kept telling Tommy to watch where he was going and warning him how he had been in the wrong. I was so annoyed and made him shut up, telling him Tommy knew how to walk. I pointed out the fall was because of a trip hazard he had built into the patio, that he should have something on the edge of the step that could be seen from upper and lower part of the patio.  I guarantee that this is not the first incident or the last with this step. 

 Tommy laughed later and said he was mesmerized by the pool and lake. He said he did not see the step at all. The pool looked like it was built right on the lake. So, it was eye-catching. 

We went to the Festhalle for the Saturday farmer's market. I only bought strawberries, $15 for a bucket of maybe two quarts. They are delicious! 

It was a hard day, at least it seemed so when I finally took a four-hour nap at 4 pm.