Dumb!

I used to clean my gutters by taking a blower on the roof and blasting out the leaves and debris. As I aged, I began to think it was only matter of time before I took a header off the roof so I had Leaf Guard gutters installed. Expensive but still cheaper than potential damage to my body from a fall. I still had to sweep off two flat roof areas but that only required going up a ladder to the roof a few times a year.

All this brings me to yesterday. Though I know better than to lean a ladder against a wall at a steep angle, I didn’t want to put the ladder on the gutters or the metal flashing around the flat roof nor did I take the time to get the adjustable ladder I usually use. So I set the ladder on the wood siding and stone walkway at about a 45-degree angle. Went up to the roof, fine, but coming down, the ladder slid out on the stone footing and only stopped from crashing to the ground with me on it by a flower pot bracket. Good luck so far except when the ladder hit the bracket it twisted sideways and tossed me onto the stone about four feet below. I don’t usually carry my cell phone while doing outside work but fortunately I had it with me so I was able to call Barbara for assistance.

Bottom line: Six hours at Northwest Hospital Emergency Room for a cracked bone in my left arm near the wrist and a gash to the bone on my left elbow and a cast in a sling from above my elbow to the middle of my hand.

Lesson Learned: Use the right equipment for the job and set a ladder properly. Yeah, I knew it, just stupid!

Blessing: It could have been a much worse.

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