After a long winter and great anticipation of warmth and sun, we have literally started the summer on the wrong foot.

We went down to Princeton over Memorial weekend to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful party with many of their close friends and all of my siblings and their families. It was a great time.The next evening several of us went for a walk in the Grounds for Sculpture a beautiful and interesting park near Princeton. While crossing "the Bridge at Giverney" a creation made to look like the pond water lilies paintings by Monet, Bob slipped and fell. The wooden bridge was very slick from the fog spewed by jets at the water's edge. Others had noted its slipperinessand in fact my cousin had slipped at the same spot the evening before.

Bob's right leg flew out from under hima nd he landed on his left leg snapping the bones in three places. Katie ran and got my parents and my brother Tom dashed to the car for Bob's factor so that Bob could do an injection even as he lay on the ground in great pain. Several people came to help, called for the ambulance and brought ice form the nearby restaurant. Teh EMTs came and took us to a local hospital. Through it all Bob was clear headed and calm, amazing in his courage and grace under fire.

After stabilizing the leg and getting him pain medication, they decided that the compound fracture, hemophilia and liver disease was too complex to deal with there and we were taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick where he was operated on at 3am. The emergency surgery stabilzed the leg with an external fixative. Today, ten days later, he was moved to Mass General Hospital where they will doa secong surgery to put a metal plate in his leg. The first operation went well and we expect the second will also. The recovery will take all summer.

Fortunately, we have good insurance, a ramp to our garden and lots of friends and support. While in NJ, my parents did a great job of looking after Katie, Bob had a quiet private room and the hospital staff was truly great. As soon as the second surgery is done we will turn to recuperation and trying to enjoy the rest of the summer.

Anne