A Bad Fall

When people my age (71) fall down, we can suffer serious long-term consequences.

I believed that I was immune to falling down and hurting myself, though I am glad that my son, Bob, bought me a wading staff for fishing, since I often slip and slide around while fishing big streams. However, I didn't think I needed a walking stick to maneuver on uneven ground in the woods. Well, live and learn.

On Oct. 30 I had accompanied Bob on a turkey-scouting mission. We hoped to put a flock of birds "to bed" so that we might be "in business" the next morning. It didn't happen.

What did happen was that I...