It was a warm and sunny autumn afternoon, Saturday’s have been the mainstay of work activities at Tangent Lodge http://tangentlodge.blogspot.com/ throughout the summer months, today was no different. Up with the morning sun, it was off into the woods as soon as the frost melted from the now brown grass of the back yard.
Before dawn the new utility trailer, specifically purchased to make his logging operation more efficient, was assembled and made ready to transport stove length sections of assorted trees from the backside of the property to the splitter staging area in front of the firewood storage lean-to.
The new chainsaw, last weekend’s new tool of the day, made quick work of some large downed trees that measured a good 14″ at the stump. No need to drop living trees, the terrain is littered with woodstove fodder courtesy of straight line winds that destroyed thousands of acres of prime forest earlier in the summer.
Repeated trips with the trailer hitched behind his 4×4 ATV rapidly accumulated a healthy pile of half processed winter fuel. Once satisfied there was enough to fill out the remainder of the day splitting and stacking, the log splitter was pressed into service.
On went the afternoon. Enjoyable, but physically tiring labor. While he toiled away, his wife tended the bonfire just out of sight. Between them the motor home, which was stored for the winter, blocked their view of each other.
Once the splitter had completed its task, the two of them worked together, stacking the fruit of their labor. Stored neatly away in the lean-to, a ramshackle structure that will keep further moisture from hampering the seasoning process. Green wood creates creosote, which leads to chimney fires. Open air aging will help reduce this danger.
The afternoon chores were winding down. She went back to tending the fire, he headed for the shed to retrieve the rake for final cleanup. That’s when it struck.
Like a bolt of lightning, or a blow from a heavy hammer, his vision blurred. Down he went, as if he was a tree that had just been severed at the stump. There was no attempt to catch himself, the days activities had aggravated his arthritic bones to the point he was already walking hunched over.
He fell straight backwards. On the way down his eyes rolled back, consciousness was quickly slipping away. Was this the end of the line? Thoughts of his own demise washed through his brain in an instant. There was nothing he could do to stop or lessen the impact. He went down with a thud, and just laid there.
Heart attacks, strokes, both have taken their toll within his family. He too was on prescription heart medication somewhat unsure of the status of that pump of life that was encased in his chest. This could easily be the big one, the only one, and quite possibly the last one. Maybe it was time for him to meet his maker. 
From the other side of the motor home his wife calls out “Are you all right”? After a moment or two of silence a weak, ” I’m seeing stars, that’s all”. She jumps up from her lawn chair to investigate.
By now he is resting on one elbow, shaking his head. Still groggy from the startling turn of events he offers a shaky “Thumbs Up… I’m good” when she repeats her query.
There is no pain, just a wooziness that takes a few minutes to clear. He went down smoothly, straight backed due to stiffened joints from the day’s work, the impact was evenly distributed. No injury was sustained from the fall, luckily nothing was behind him.
The shed is old, no concrete floors. Just plywood with plenty of give. It was as if he landed on the mat of a boxing ring. It didn’t even knock the wind out of him.
So what caused this attack? Did his health suddenly and painfully fail him? Would there be long term ramifications, would an altering of lifestyle be necessary? No it was all a simple matter of physics.
A tired, arthritic old man who is 5 foot 10 inches tall can’t walk through a doorway that is 5 foot 6 inches tall without ducking.
He had knocked himself senseless when he forgot to duck.