Otter Awareness Day is Coming Up. I'm AWARE Are You?
Thanks to my friends I am fully aware that that October 10th is Otter Awareness Day. It's happening at the local aquarium and at the Portland Zoo. Sea or River to me they are all the same, mean little water mammals with super sharp teeth.
What are the odds? Seriously I should have just went to the casino as soon as I made it to shore. I was looking forward swimming in a nearby river with friends to gain some much needed open water swim practice before my first olympic triathlon the end of August. I had swam the previous week and was excited to work on my breathing. Let me first add that Mr. W was out town attending a conference. All sorts of crazy shit happens when is out of town. The stomach flu hits, water leaks happen and freak storms occur. Now we can add wild animal attacks to the list of craziness that ensues as soon as he leave the driveway.
Open water swimming in a river is completely different than swimming at the local community center pool. The idea of animals and things in the water didn't freak me out (it still doesn't ). I blame my friend Cari for invoking the otter. It was her that brought up the idea of a beaver attack. Her last words before jumping into the water were "If it's going to happen to anyone it's going to be me."
We swam down the river with the current. Swimming back my friend A suggested that we swim more to the side of the river to avoid fighting the current. She reminded us that there were underwater logs and trees. At one point we had to stop as there was a huge tree in the water. At the time of the actual bite, that is what I thought happened. I must have accidentally kicked an underwater tree. We did not see any otters on our way down. It didn't hurt that bad. An intense burn. It was then that I saw my friend Ann in her bright pink swim cap intently, waving her arms, motioning for me to come towards her. "Mary, move over." Still focusing on swimming and thinking of her earlier warning and the burn on my foot, yes there are logs underneath me." I swam towards A. Again, A is intently waving her arms yelling at me to swim to her. Now telling me that there is a river otter behind me. I got caught in the current and could not swim as my leg cramped up. Meanwhile my friend Cari who thinks I am drowning at that moment begins swimming towards us and the otter. By now the otter was pissed and was circling us. I couldn't swim as A had ahold of my shoulder. I assured her that I could swim and I was okay. It wasn't until I was swimming that my foot started to really hurt and I put two and two together that I had been bitten by a river otter. It sounded so obscure and crazy. In that moment all I wanted to get the hell out of the water.
We climbed up upon the dock and then I saw my foot. Before I could take a closer look my friend Cari had me on my back with my foot above my head wrapped in a towel. We observed the otter swimming back and forth in the river. We could tell it was pissed. Pretty sure it had red glowing eyes. I was so relieved to be out of the river. My friend Cari called her doctor and he advised that I head to urgent care the next day for a tetanus shot. I was relieved to hear that water mammals rarely carry rabies. I think what happened is that I must have swam too close to the otters den. This is the time of year that they have young. Also we were swimming around 7pm, prime river otter play time? I guess. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Pretty sure our Aflac agent hasn't recieved a claim like mine before. My friend suggested that I video everyones reaction when I went to the doctor the following day. I wish I would have done that because peoples reactions were pretty hilarious. I can say that when dealing with an wild animal attack one does not have to wait hours in the waiting room to be seen at urgent care. That was the fastest service I've received to date. Two hours later I hobbled out of the clinic after having x-rays and my puncture wounds cleaned and a prescription for antibiotics. I ended up missing three weeks of training. Thankfully I was still able to complete my two final races of the season~my biggest goals of the year my first olympic triathlon and first half marathon.
I am a believer in signs and deeper meaning of things. I looked up the meaning of otter. Actually it was dead on! According to a few different websites, otters represent playfulness. The need for freedom and pleasure of relaxation and letting go of daily concerns. The power of the otter is to first take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Otters are symbols to go with the natural flow and ebbs and tides of life, and find the joy and wonder in small things.
As I enter a new decade of my life I am going to be mindful to play more often and take care of myself. Letting go of daily concerns will be easy as I get ready to take off for a much needed vacation where I will be celebrating Otter Awareness Day. Cheers to having fun and not taking life so seriously. I used to think that my father-in-law only had the best stories to tell. Turns out that I have a few of my own to now tell.
What are the odds? Seriously I should have just went to the casino as soon as I made it to shore. I was looking forward swimming in a nearby river with friends to gain some much needed open water swim practice before my first olympic triathlon the end of August. I had swam the previous week and was excited to work on my breathing. Let me first add that Mr. W was out town attending a conference. All sorts of crazy shit happens when is out of town. The stomach flu hits, water leaks happen and freak storms occur. Now we can add wild animal attacks to the list of craziness that ensues as soon as he leave the driveway.
We swam down the river with the current. Swimming back my friend A suggested that we swim more to the side of the river to avoid fighting the current. She reminded us that there were underwater logs and trees. At one point we had to stop as there was a huge tree in the water. At the time of the actual bite, that is what I thought happened. I must have accidentally kicked an underwater tree. We did not see any otters on our way down. It didn't hurt that bad. An intense burn. It was then that I saw my friend Ann in her bright pink swim cap intently, waving her arms, motioning for me to come towards her. "Mary, move over." Still focusing on swimming and thinking of her earlier warning and the burn on my foot, yes there are logs underneath me." I swam towards A. Again, A is intently waving her arms yelling at me to swim to her. Now telling me that there is a river otter behind me. I got caught in the current and could not swim as my leg cramped up. Meanwhile my friend Cari who thinks I am drowning at that moment begins swimming towards us and the otter. By now the otter was pissed and was circling us. I couldn't swim as A had ahold of my shoulder. I assured her that I could swim and I was okay. It wasn't until I was swimming that my foot started to really hurt and I put two and two together that I had been bitten by a river otter. It sounded so obscure and crazy. In that moment all I wanted to get the hell out of the water.
We climbed up upon the dock and then I saw my foot. Before I could take a closer look my friend Cari had me on my back with my foot above my head wrapped in a towel. We observed the otter swimming back and forth in the river. We could tell it was pissed. Pretty sure it had red glowing eyes. I was so relieved to be out of the river. My friend Cari called her doctor and he advised that I head to urgent care the next day for a tetanus shot. I was relieved to hear that water mammals rarely carry rabies. I think what happened is that I must have swam too close to the otters den. This is the time of year that they have young. Also we were swimming around 7pm, prime river otter play time? I guess. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Pretty sure our Aflac agent hasn't recieved a claim like mine before. My friend suggested that I video everyones reaction when I went to the doctor the following day. I wish I would have done that because peoples reactions were pretty hilarious. I can say that when dealing with an wild animal attack one does not have to wait hours in the waiting room to be seen at urgent care. That was the fastest service I've received to date. Two hours later I hobbled out of the clinic after having x-rays and my puncture wounds cleaned and a prescription for antibiotics. I ended up missing three weeks of training. Thankfully I was still able to complete my two final races of the season~my biggest goals of the year my first olympic triathlon and first half marathon.
I am a believer in signs and deeper meaning of things. I looked up the meaning of otter. Actually it was dead on! According to a few different websites, otters represent playfulness. The need for freedom and pleasure of relaxation and letting go of daily concerns. The power of the otter is to first take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Otters are symbols to go with the natural flow and ebbs and tides of life, and find the joy and wonder in small things.
As I enter a new decade of my life I am going to be mindful to play more often and take care of myself. Letting go of daily concerns will be easy as I get ready to take off for a much needed vacation where I will be celebrating Otter Awareness Day. Cheers to having fun and not taking life so seriously. I used to think that my father-in-law only had the best stories to tell. Turns out that I have a few of my own to now tell.
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