Thursday 22 August 2013 – Hervey Bay …. still.

Well we both had a sleep in this morning, that is of course after the initial butcher bird alarm awakening.  I woke at 8 and Grant said he’d been up at 7.30.  We woke to beautiful sunshine, and although today only got to 21 degrees, while in the sun it was really warm, but as the concrete pad outside our van gets shade from about 2pm, we chased the sun around like lizards do, finding the warm spots.

So this morning we didn’t do much – showered, did the chores, cuppa or three, read a magazine and did the puzzles then decided to go for a walk.  I wandered over to the toilet before we headed off and accidentally spoke to Sue (our next door neighbour) on the way, so got caught up in conversation for a good 30-40 minutes.  Yes, I’ve found someone who talks more than I do!

Finally off on our walk at a quarter past eleven, once on the beach we turned right (not sure where east and west are here) and walked quite a way along, then did a u turn and headed back.  I walk in the water, while Grant today walked on the hard damp sand – the tide was going out.

Grant setting out on our walk.

                                                                                                                               We stopped to take a couple of photos of the pelicans that hang around, then continued on the walk, with me slightly ahead of Grant.  Then ………… I heard a great thud and a groan, and Grant had hit the sand!!!  At this spot on the beach there is a wooden boat ramp going down to the waters edge.  I had walked around the end of the ramp, while apparently Grant had walked across it, put a bare foot on the edging board on it, and lost his balance landing on his left hand, elbow, hip and shoulder – in fact in a heap on the ground, and he was moaning.  His sandals and the camera were scattered nearby.

I went over to him, asking important questions, then attempted to lift him up.  Meanwhile, a lady who was sitting further back up the sand called out – ‘leave him, I’ll help, he may have broken his hip!’  While she rushed down he managed to get himself over onto his knees, and the two of us hauled him to his feet. (Grant has since commented on the fact that at this stage I told her that – ‘He’s no lightweight!’)  He said he had no pain in his shoulder, though his fingers and hands were very painful, as well as his elbow.  As we checked him over, and asked more important questions, he seemed to be okay, but of course shaken up, so we slowly made our way back to the park. 

The ramp where Grant fell – far side, just above water line.

By the time we got back he seemed not too bad, so we went to the sausage sizzle they have here at lunch time on a Thursday – gold coin donation to the Flying Doctor Service.  On the way back to the van we had a yarn to a couple who had not long come into the park (Colin and Joy – thought it was the reincarnation of my mother and father–in-law, Colin and Joy Cowley), and she was telling us she had a similar fall four days ago. 

Grant then went across to the spa pool (36 degrees) as we thought that might be helpful for his aches and pains, as by then he had started to stiffen up.  He spent 30 minutes there, then came back and we just sat around this afternoon, having chats with passers by, cups of tea and coffee, and making sock dolls – me making the sock dolls that is.  (While I’m writing this – 5pm – Grant is lying sideways on the bed doing his shoulder exercises, and not groaning, so that is good).

When we couldn’t find any more sunshine within sitting distance of our van we came inside, I put the kettle on and Grant went over to the toilet block.  When he got back 5 minutes later he was brandishing a heat bag loaned to him by Joy.  She had one in the van and said it had helped when she had her fall, so Grant has just heat-bagged his shoulder.  He can do it again a couple of times and we’ll see how he feels in the morning.

It’s now just after 10pm and we are back home after having tea with the Browns and Caseys at a pub in Urungan – very nice meal, then had a cuppa at Linda and Ade’s.  Grant is giving his shoulder another heat bag treatment, he’s just a bit stiff and his hand and fingers are swollen, but he is fine.  And it’s raining at the cricket, so we can’t listen to what isn’t happening!

We might go for a drive somewhere tomorrow – keep Grant off the sand!!

Browns, Cowleys and Caseys