G'day to all on Birding-Aus:
In his most recent post on his European trip Chris expressed empathy
with
drivers who suddenly find they must drive on the "wrong side" of the road.
He then wondered about my recovery. I hope you don't feel that I am
using-up your time and space too much when I give you a progress report.
Almost 10 months ago I experienced a big crash by running head-on into a
truck near Kingfisher Lodge while en route to the Mossman-Port Douglas
area. The crash was so loud that it was heard by Ron Stannard at Kingfiher
Lodge. Ron came to the scene,I am told. The Toyota hire car which I was
driving became instant scrap metal. The Surgeons at Cairns Base Hospital
did 12 hours of very skilled and creative work to bolt me together again.
I now set off the airport metal detector before I walk through the arch.
I've been out of hospital care since Sept. However I've been working on my
own at a fitness and rehabilitation facility operated by my former
employer. I am now just beginning to walk without a cane. I am making
progress each day. However my rate of progress is measured like glacial
movement,i.e. in microns per fortnight. Patience has never been easy for
me. Now that the northern hemisphere spring has arrived and the migratory
birds with it I am now even more impatient. It will be some time before I
do any "bush bashing" or even the N.Am. equivalent of it. I remember, and
long to get out and do birding of the sort that Ian Clayton and I did
around Lotus Bird Lodge and Lakefield N.P in May and June of last year.
I've already rambled on too long so I'll leave you now and go birding from
my car. Telescopes with automobile window mounts are a boon to people who
are hobbled like me. When I become more mobile, and I will "une bel di", I
must come back to Queensland and more of Australia. It's like being thrown
from a horse. You must get back on as soon as possible. Since I'll be
driving on the "wrong side" of the road again I'll inform you in advance so
you can plan to stay off the roads and highways while I'm at large. Thank
you all for your mostly incisive and informative postings on the
birding-aus scene. Good birding to all! Remember never open your mouth in
awe and wonderment as you look upward at a large flock of birds passing
overhead.
Tom Nelson, The Yank from Oregon, the antipodes for a spot in
the
southern Indian Ocean near McDonald Island
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to
Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus" in the message body (without the
quotes)
|
