When Fathers’ Day Did Gang Agley

 

But, Mousie, thou art no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley, …

Rabbie Burns, written 1785

Younger Daughter had things all planned for Sunday. She was going to take us to the Natal Midlands where we would view the animals at Midmar Dam, and then go on for a sumptuous lunch at Fern Hill. An early start would be indicated, so we supped well before normal time and went down to prepare for bed.

Then came a telephone call from Sister-in-Law, on Durban’s Berea. She had fallen off the un-railed stairs (again!) while leaning forward to pick something up from a lower step, and thought she had broken her hip. Much Better Half and I dashed for the car and made the trip in record time. Then we waited for the ambulance. And waited. Then we waited some more.

After about two hours, two came. They were both needed, as it happened. Getting the patient down the steep steps to driveway level took all the man- (and woman-) power to be found in both. We then did a lot more waiting at the hospital for X-rays to be taken, and a good deal more to be given a verdict.

Finally, well after midnight, we learnt that she had a fractured pelvis, and was to be admitted.  She was. We scrammed.

After only getting to bed in the wee hours of the morning, neither of us were inclined to rise early, so the planned trip went by default. However, we had a good breakfast, the grandkids gave me the above cards, and Younger Daughter presented me with a nifty add-on for a phone camera,

which does a good job of magnifying rather better than the digital zoom can achieve, as these shots from our patio show.

With maximum digital zoom

 

Using new clip-on lens

© June 2017 Colonialist