While taking my finger off the chainsaw trigger, and letting the saw coast to a stop, I lowered the bar too close to my leg and felt the saw chain cut about one inch below my kneecap. As an RN I’d seen a thousand chainsaw injuries. I managed to expose the wound and then wrapped a sock, which I found in the back seat of the truck, around my leg. The sock seemed to control the bleeding, so I proceeded to pick up my plunder and head for home.
About that time a truck came driving up with Craig Myers, of Pocatello, at the wheel and his father-in-law riding shotgun. They could see my plight, so they helped me load my gear and even loaded the poles I had cut. And all the while with a smile on their face. The timing was perfect, and I’m in their debt.
The very next day, with a sore leg, I managed to finish my stump grinding project. The grinder was easy to unload from the trailer and then power into the job of grinding stumps. However, no one informed me that loading back on the trailer might just take three men and a boy. The wheels, on the stump grinder, kept spinning out which prevented the climb back onto the trailer. I was by myself and after several failed attempts to load the grinder, decided to take a break. Better to play it safe so Brother Thomas, down the road, doesn’t hear my well-practiced cussing.
So, I drove down to get the mail and doing so passed the Shotgun Bar. There were a dozen trucks and a couple of 4-wheelers out front. I decided, what the heck and walked in and hollered, “Can anyone help me for about ten minutes?” I had more volunteers than you can shake a stick at. We pushed the stump grinder onto the trailer faster than a scratch ticket steals your twenty-dollar bill.
These heroes of the day volunteered to get me out of a tight spot. They also did their good deed with a smile on their faces. Once again, I’m indebted to them.
We live in a world of, “It’s all about me.” Yet, there are still good men and women standing by willing to give of their time to someone in need and expect nothing in return.
My grandmother taught me to get off my haunches and go help. I wonder if the volunteers who helped me had a grandmother teach them as well.
Bryce Angell has lived around horses all his entire life and is a retired registered nurse who still works part time at Ashton Living Center.