Well it wasn't really dancing. It was more near hopping out of the camp fire!
Jay and LaMar had wanted to go Surf Fishing - Ruby and I thought it was a perfect time to take the families to the Beach for a "camping weekend". The boys thought that would be fine. They wouldn't have to cook, and would have a better camp site with the family included. Tin Can beach was always the perfect place to go. It was just what it sounding like. The beach was littered with trash from other campers. A space had to be cleared to make sure it was safe for the kids to run and play. (The beach has been cleaned up since we were there. It is now know I believe as Leo Corillia State Beach.) Both families had tents and plenty of equipment to make everyone comfortable. The children, Gary, Joe, Paul and Dawn loved having the space to run and play, plus the surf to swin in. Ruby and I enjoyed the company and time to have with the families.
The men would get their bucket and poles and go down to the edge of the surf and cast off their lines and hope they could catch something. They would stay at it all day. Anything they caught we were able to clean and fix for dinner. I believe the corbina was the best eating fish. Even if they didn't catch anything it was good bonding time between the two brothers.
The first night we were there, the men thought they made a great find. A hatch cover from a ship washed on shore, and they salvaged a plank for the fire. Before we went to bed they put it on the fire and it kept things going all night long, and most of the day. As that plank burned in the middle, there were large portions on either side that hadn't burned. They were pushed into fire ring to finish burning. None of us thought a thing about it.
In the afternoon Ruby and I got busy fixing dinner for the "crew" by sharing the tasks at hand. We had brought some corn in the husks for a large pot of Corn on the Cob. I filled the large pot with water and walked over to the open fire to it in the coals, to get it boiling. I did not realize that the plank had burned along the bottom side making the sand scalding hot. Once I stepped into the sand I experienced the sudden sensation of burning. I seemed to sence if I dropped the pan of water into the fire, more damage could occur. I threw the pan over my head behind me and followed it by flipping myself backwards. (Amazing how acrobatic one becomes when emergency summons.)
When I landed, I started throwing sand on my foot hoping to stop some of the burning. No such luck. LaMar had heard me scream and came running with the bucket of sea water into which he
put my foot and leg, I amazingly found instant relief. I am pretty sure that helped the burn. The salt was a healing agent and the water was a natural releif for the heat. When they pulled my foot and leg out of the bucket, the burning was as intense, but I couldn't keep my foot in the water. They wrapped me in a clean towel and put me in the car and rushed me to the Doctor. The burn was pretty extensive. All the toes, in between the toes ,and the side of my ankle where I had flipped, putting my leg in the hot sand too. The Doctor put some treated gauze in between my toes, then wrapped my foot and leg and sent me home.
Those were the worst days of my life as that burn healed. One thing you learn about burn pain is there is no time it ebbs. It just keeps burning. Every nerve is effected and screams that it is not happy. There were few moments of relief. I was unable to walk, so spent most of my time in bed.
We never returned to the camp site. Ruby and LaMar broke camp and brought everything back home. I don't know what happened to the dinner we were preparing, whats more I didn't really care what happened to it either!
A month later I was to accompany the Girls from the Church up to Cumorah Crest for Girls Camp. I had to wear white stockings all the time to make sure I didn't get an infection. One afternoon the group I was with had swimming. I reported to the Nurse and she said it would be O.K. for me to get into the water. I just needed to be careful when I got out of the pool to put my stocking and shoes on before I walked anywhere. When I got out of the water everyone just stared at me. My whole foot and up the side of my leg was one solid blister. Up until then I did not have a blister anywhere. The outer skin had apparently died. When I got into that water the fluid filled the space between the outer skin and the new skin under it. Some of the leaders gathered me up and carried me up to the Nurse. She quickly cut way the outer skin and drained all that pool water off. It wasn't until then I realized the size of the burn I had. I never wondered again just why I had hurt for so long.
Moral of the story. Number one - you don't put wood on a fire that is longer than the size of the fire ring. Number two - you don't go near a fire area without SHOES on. Just because I wasn't wise doesn't mean anyone else has to be THATdumb.
Written this 21st day of May, 2009
by Eileen Rosenberg
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