Sunday, July 19, 2009

Falling for Felines

This time, my post is not about my dissertation work or about ancient Palenque, but rather about a temporary setback I am experiencing due to an unfortunate miscalculation I made while trying to keep some newborn kitties from getting soaked from an approaching rainstorm. It happened the afternoon of July 10th at the house where I am staying in the town of Palenque, Mexico.

Mommy kitty had given birth in an outside corner of the house. There is a small overhang above, but there are very strong winds that blow through here, so I decided to go upstairs to the flat roof above to see what I could do to protect them. This is a top view of the corner.


On the roof, I saw some sheet metal that I could simply move over a few feet so that it would overhang the corner and add protection (the sheet metal has now been moved back to the other side). Somehow, as I was doing this, I lost track of where the edge of the roof was located. If I had been standing, I would have noticed the location of the wooden railing that goes along the edge, but I was in a squatting position the whole time, as I moved the sheet metal over.


I then stepped on a portion of the sheet metal that was not stable and went tumbling down.


The distance I fell measures about 4 or 5 meters.


This is where I landed.


This picture of my wounded self was taken July 15th - 5 days after the accident. One wrist has pins in it and the other is in a cast. I looked pretty bad, but I am healing very well now and I continue to receive lots of prayers and assistance from loved ones and friends. Hey, I can even blog now! Life is good.


Soon after the Mexican Red Cross ambulance took me on the harrowing two-hour ride to the hospital in Villahermosa, mommy kitty moved her brood into the kitchen cabinet, next to the stove. All safe and sound now. Aren't they cute?