Goodby July!

 The month seemed to never end.  After my third visit to Ortho NE on the 17th, with still no relief, I switched providers.  (I was coming up on two weeks of being unable to walk.)  I called MD West One & they managed to fit me in on the 19th.  (I don't know what I would have done without the help of my friends!)  The Doctor had pulled my x-rays from Ortho NE.  He drained my knee of a terrific amount of fluid & injected it.  The relief was almost instantaneous.  I could put weight on the leg immediately after the procedure & was walking three days later!  

Garden Phlox blooming~

I was so happy to be able to get outside & check things out.  The weeds were trying to take over, I had to close my eyes to that.  Seeing all the flowers doing so well, even without any care these past weeks was great.

White blooming Phlox~

My friend Doris is the one who told me how much she enjoys white blooming flowers, especially the way they can light up areas of shade.

Sharkey's Revenge~

The daylilies put on quite a show.  Sharkey must have bloomed at least ten times!  It's so brilliant against the greens.

Mighty Chestnut~

The copper-colored Mighty Chestnut I bought from Menards several years ago & now have starts from it in at least a dozen places.  Even the newest transplants are blooming.

Zinnias~ 

The Zinnias I planted from seed in April all along the east fence - are the showstoppers!  I'd planted marigolds along here for several years, but last year they didn't do as well as I'd hoped.  I decided to try Zinnias.  I planted two different varieties.  One a shorter height & another medium.  I didn't want to try anything too tall, as I worried the winds would break them down.  They look fantastic from the deck.  The butterflies & bees are on them constantly.

Naturalized Naked Ladies~

I spent hours last year, moving Naked Lady bulbs from all the places I didn't want them, out into the woods.  I planted them in batches.  A couple on the hillside & several more places along an old log further down the hill.  They have become quite the highlight!  Especially when the late afternoon sun shines through their pale pink pedals.

A huge wind & rainstorm blew through about 5:40 p.m. The day went from hot, humid & still, to straight line 80 mph wind & torrential rain.  I'd just come in from the Cabin when I heard a big bang!  I opened the front door to see a limb from the Walnut had broken off & hit the roof of the porch.

Walnut limb down~

I couldn't see any damage & it missed both my good trees & pots of flowers.  We ended up with well over a half inch of badly needed rain & kept power.  Omaha was hit much worse & over 200,000 homes are without power.  They're warning homeowners that it could be a week or more until all power is restored.

Every day, I'm improving.  No thanks at all to Ortho NE & many thanks to MD West One.  After three days of staying off my leg & icing my knee, Monday the 22nd, I took my first step in over two weeks.  I made a goal for each day.  Day one - was to walk to the Cabin.  Day two - was to drive & visit Doris.  Day three - I drove myself to mat making!  Day four - to the grocery store, etc.  This week, I started the power mower & managed to mow around the cabin!  It was all I could do to finish, but it still felt so good!  I never thought I'd say that about mowing!  

Butch will be home soon & we'll be on our way west. Grandson Mason's Celebration of Life will be held on what would have been his 23rd birthday.  It's been almost three-years since my last visit.  Thankfully, Jentry & the girls came to see us last summer.  We plan to drive & Finn is coming with us.  We will be splitting our time between the girl's homes.  It's great to have them both in WA.

Many, many thanks to Joyce for watering all my plants, Kathy for driving me to the far reaches of Omaha!  Karen for bringing me the best ice pack ever & Doris for the moral support!  I'm blessed beyond measure to have such wonderful friends.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly~

 Butch having a week of home time was grand!  The first afternoon, he loaded Finn's little cart & we drove to Silver City to ride the trail.  The following day, July first, Butch left to pick up his trailer & make a delivery to Omaha.  When he returned home, we went to lunch & shopping for taller stems for our bike handlebars.  The day had gone from cool & cloudy to sunshine by afternoon.

July first, Cabin & flowers~

After Butch had ridden the trail, he decided that his handlebars were too low.  Neither of our bikes had an adjustment to raise them to a higher position.  When he mentioned it, I realized I had been more hunched over the bars than I liked.  I too, would end up with sore shoulders by the end of a ride.

Old angle, lower ~

After doing some research, we ended up at Bike & Trike Outlet of Omaha.  They were the only bike shop we called with stem extenders in stock.  We took the last two.  Since the shop was so close to Nebraska Furniture, we walked through electronics & furniture before heading home.

July 5th, Trail to the Missouri from Lake Manawa~

From the 2nd to the morning of the 3rd, rain moved in.  We received a whopping 4.40"!  (More on that later.)  Butch installed the new stems on both bikes.  We ended up taking his bike back to the outlet to have a longer hydraulic brake line installed.  With the handlebars higher, the original line was too short.  Butch managed to make it work for a test ride at Lake Manawa.  It was a gorgeous afternoon.  We'd planned to ride down to see the Missouri, but the access road had flooded.  There was too much mud & we didn't want to try riding through it.  On the way home Doozies ice cream was too good to pass up!

Saturday, our good times came to a flying halt.  We were getting ready to leave for town to pick up items for more projects.  I got in the Explorer, realized I'd forgotten my list & went to jump out.  Big mistake.  My right foot caught on the strap of my purse & I fell.  My right kneecap hit the concrete as hard as it possibly could have.

After a sleepless night for us both, Butch found Ortho Nebraska had an ER that was open in Omaha.  We made the drive.  The Dr. was surprised that the x-ray didn't show anything broken.  They sent me home with pain medication, ice packs & a new knee wrap.  I was to follow up the first of the week at the Council Bluffs clinic.

Finn not happy with my walker in his space!

Butch had been scheduled to leave on Monday, but instead stayed home.  He took me to the appointment I made for the first opening on Tuesday.  After the exam, the PA didn't see any serious damage. I was instructed to use the R.I.C.E method & return in a week.  When I asked how long my recovery period would be - he said I would probably be able to drive to the appointment.  

My little nurse~

I was surprised, since the pain was still very bad.  I told Butch to go ahead & leave which he did on Wed. morning.  After he was gone, I realized how long it took to do the simplest of chores, like feeding Finn his dinner!

7-10-2024 - Keeping my knee warm~

Finn has been very concerned & taken responsibility for my care seriously.  He follows my every move with the walker.  My friend Joyce has been kind enough to come by & water my outside flowers.  With temperatures hovering in the upper 90's & humidity in the 70's, it's a task...   

The pain has not resolved & I've had very little improvement in mobility.  I was unable to find a ride to the appointment I'd scheduled for this Tue.  I know if I still can't walk, I sure can't drive.  I made a call to the ER last evening & was told to call the Council Bluff's office & schedule an MRI this coming week.  My friend Kathy is coming to the rescue & offered to get me to where I need to be.  I can't have an MRI, because of the implants already in my legs.  I'll wait to see what their next suggestion is... 

I'm so mad at myself...  I'd managed to go almost four years without a major injury & had hoped to continue the streak!