I knew it was going to be a bad day. I left work later than expected, but still in time to throw some kit into a rucksack and catch the last of the light in order to watch the deer.

I’d packed some overnight stuff in case I wanted to stay out but that wasn’t really the plan. Mrs P was away visiting her sister, but even so, I intended to return and have a pint or two at the local hostelry.

I put my glasses (spectacles) on the stairs to do up my boot laces, and promptly stood on them to do up the other boot.

I dived into my utility pack in my rucksack to extract the small bottle of Superglue. Hah! Be prepared! Since this happened to me in the woods on a previous occasion, I always carry a small bottle. Like a first aid kit, it may never be used, but it’s there in case there’s a major failure with essential kit.

I was now another 20 minutes behind schedule. Needless to say, in my hurry I forgot my medicine. I can live without it, but life is more comfortable with it. That made me decide I would definitely return home.

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The woods were alive with action. A large fallow buck was chasing away two younger upstarts and the does were standing around looking confused. It was getting dark and I only managed to get a couple of photos. I tried to track the deer through the woods, but they had entered very closed-in woodland. I returned to my rucksack and started to pack up. It was now quite dark, but even so, I took time out to listen to the tawny owls shouting at each other above my head.

It was beer o’clock and time to go. I shouldered my pack and walked to the edge of the wood. As usual, I was walking slowly and had changed the head torch to white to lead the way. I spotted a gap at the edge of the wood leading out into the field. I had to negotiate a deep ditch, but I knew it was there. My leg went out and…

… suddenly I was on my back, staring at the  stars with a searing pain in my left calf muscle and ankle. My immediate thought was a broken ankle. I lay still and took some deep breaths but this wasn’t going to go away. What had happened? How bad was it? How was I going to get back? How many more questions fit in one post?

Read the next thrilling instalment. Part two soon.

Pablo.