Coconut Mishap Numero Dos...Only Really This Time

Katrina's revenge...this is one coconut that will never sprout. I'm draining it of all juices which I intend to enjoy as I lay low tending my injury. What injury you ask? Well I will be sure to photograph the post injury BRUISE I am sure I will have for a long time after being struck on the inner thigh by a four pound (yes I weighed it) coconut that fell 15 feet off the lovely palm I was sitting close to while on a beach excursion.
Jeff and I had a nice dive Tuesday evening (98 minutes) after a week of not diving due to 30 foot waves. We heard that another low pressure system was coming in on Thursday but we didn't know that that meant more big waves. We gathered the dive gear and headed out to CrashBoat which is in Aquadilla near El Natural (where we dove Tuesday night with 3 turtles and all the usual players). Jeff is headed to the states so he wanted to get a dive in before having to endure 47 degree water. When we got there it was not like we had ever seen it...8 foot waves crashing ("Crash" boat could have given us a clue) on shore and surfers out. No way diving would be good so we pulled out the beach chairs, floaty rafts and snack cooler and decided on a beach day. Jeff doesn't like sun so we plopped down near (not exactly under) a coconut palm like all the other beach goers on spring break. I sat in the sun while Jeff took the raft out into the very big waves for some rough and tumble fun. With surfers around you have to watch your head and be prepared to dive down or get hit...but that was not the mishap! So I had enough sun and sat in the chair in the dappled shade. I had a nice daydreaming thing going when I felt a really odd sustained pain on my inner right thigh accompanied by a loud slapping sound. Man it hurt! I was confused and stunned to find this heavy and hard coconut in my lap. Other beach goers heard it hit me too. Ouch. I don't know what force it hit me with but can tell you that I might as well have had a sledge hammer blow. Humorous huh? What are the chances? I used to think I would die by getting taken away by a six gill shark but I now know it will be death by coconut.

I hobbled into the water to cool it off since it was swelling and hurt more than a little bit. I had some rough and tumble and decided we have to buy boogie boards at least and then learn to surf. I floated around body surfing for a while and then we finished our day and went home. It really hurts - so much that I couldn't shut the gate and walk the 180 steps up to the house or even take on the slope to check for more green beans. I guess I won't be making trails on the hillside for a few days at least and won't be stepping on a shovel or doing anything on a slope. So yes - I now believe it is possible to crack your skull and get a concussion at least from a coconut. I am just hoping the swelling goes down and I am not this sore tomorrow...I have a big couple gardening weeks ahead of me and planned on cement work and diving when the waves go down. A coconut injury was not part of the plan...but I got my revenge (yum).