Windy

Monday morning my mother and I went for a walk. She walks for a half hour most days, often once in the morning and again in the afternoon. She walks behind a rolling walker as directed by her doctor, not because she uses one to get around but to avoid falling. Because the surface of the street is rough and there are no sidewalks, she usually just walks circles in her drive. When we walk up the road by the school where all traffic is excluded most of the day, she doesn't use the walker because it bounces so much on the street surface.

When we left the house Monday morning, there was no wind. But once we were out into an open area near the local high school, the wind picked up. We walked into  it for ten minutes or so, and as we turned around to head back to her house, I said, "Now the wind will help you because it is at your back."

Instead, a sudden gust propelled her ahead of me and she veered over onto a concrete drive and fell flat on her face.

Fortunately there were no broken bones, no broken teeth, no scratched glasses, not even any bruising. She did have some facial abrasions and a sore knee, but no swelling. She refused to go to the doctor and things all appear fine. Her knee was a bit stiff but that didn't stop her from walking around. And the abrasions were not so bad, once we got the blood washed off.

But it was a scare. She is 85 and obviously pretty light. Everyone has teased her that she needs to start wearing ankle weights or put rocks in her pockets.

Now when we go walking -- which she still insists on doing -- she takes the walker and I watch like a hawk.