First Woods Walk - this time Around~

 It was a hot & humid July morning.  It started out with cloud cover, but the sun kept burning through.  I decided I wanted to try to get the July flags hanging from the Cabin & lower corner.  I wasn't quite sure how I was going to accomplish it, but the try was there.

Start of the trail~

I'd been so exasperated, knowing the flowers were blooming & waiting to see if everything I'd transplanted last fall & earlier this spring had survived.  Butch had said that the mulch layer he & Madden had put down was thick.

Hosta's blooming~

I decided I'd take a few steps with the walker & see how I did.  I'd had Butch move the little bench we'd had at the far end of the Lowlands & put it along the trail where the hill flattens out.  Roughly half-way to the swing.

Looking north the way I'd come down ~

I was very thankful the bench was there & more than ready to sit down.  I had to be careful with the placement of the walker & be sure it was stable before I moved forward.  It was worth it!

South toward the swing & the bottom of the backyard~

I sat for several minutes, just enjoying the peace & quiet of being in the woods again.  

Tree down on the far side of the creek~

I hadn't been down here for two months!  In that time, we'd had a couple hard wind & rainstorms.  As usually happens, I find trash that's washed down the creek.  This time it's a full-size trash container!  I'm hoping Granddaughter Skyla can get it out for me when she comes to visit!  

East on Tinkle Branch trail~

I pulled out all the branches that had blown down I could reach & tossed them out on the trail.  I even waded in with my walker & pulled weeds getting 3' tall coming up through some of my favorite Hosta's.  Nothing along the trail & most of the woods hasn't been mowed.  I'd hoped the young man Butch had hired would be up to it, but he managed to break my mower the other day.  The backyard alone was enough for him on hot days.  

Thankfully Doris's neighbor across the street repairs mowers.  Bob picked it up yesterday morning & had it back to me running again & tuned up before noon!  I'm anxious to be able to mow again.  It'll take me the fall season to try to get things back to anywhere near where they were.  Until Butch retires & maybe for a while after, Troy will be doing it all.  He said he would rotate between the Marsh & Woods.  Each is time consuming even with his zero turn.  I much prefer the old-fashioned way of mowing & I think the grass looks much better.

"Mighty Chestnut daylily~

Once I was at the bottom of the hill & by the swing, I started up the east edge of the woods, where I've planted daylilies, flowers, shrubs etc.  I've been dividing the one above for several seasons now & it's a favorite.

Sharky's Revenge~

Half-way back up the hill, I was greeted with the above blooms!  Sharkey is going to be spectacular again this year.  There are enough buds there should still be blooms when Skyla arrives!  It's going to be hot & humid while she's here, but I hope she'll help me with the worst of the ever-growing weeds! 

From the front porch~

I was exhausted by the time I reached the front porch.  I didn't want to risk traversing the steep hill in the backyard yet.  Once I cooled off, I looked back at November of 2020 & realized I'd been eight weeks into healing when I'd walked the woods then!  That's the mark I reached today!  I still have a long way to go to walk unassisted, but I appreciate the small improvements as they come.

I "Walked" the Woods!

 Our weather has been just stellar - so stellar - 70's!  I'm at wits end...  Being unable to be out doing something or riding Speedy is the pits...  But - as friends have reminded me, I can sit in the sun, I'm a little more mobile & I'm Home!  Doris picked me up & we went to Matt-Making this morning.  Only six of us there - but it was good to see my friends.  

At my first Physical Therapy appointment last week, the bend in my knee was just over 70%.  Full range of motion is 130%.  I was given exercises aimed at strengthening the under used muscles in my leg, above & below the knee.

Bottom of the backyard~

Today, I took the walker, now with wheels & navigated the ramp.  Once at the end of the sidewalk, I went down the edge of the woods to the lower corner of the yard & the start of Tinkle Branch Trail.

Two new residents~

I'd made it down here one other time, a few days after I got home.  With Butch's help - to hang the flying owl ring I'd found shopping in Duvall.  This - of course had been before my injury.  After I'd been hurt, I asked Courtney to go back & buy the owl hook we'd seen in the same store.  It was still there & I'm so glad I bought it.  

I made it all the way to the far end of the trail & the Lowlands.  The sun was glinting off the red glass post cap.  The woods were the driest I've ever seen them.  We've had only one decent rain since I returned home.  It gave us just shy of an inch of rain.

The far SW end of our property~

The leaves have dried & curled.  Crunching under my feet & the walker's wheels.  I stopped to give my leg a rest, before turning back.  A few larger branches had come down in the winds. One I had to move to get past & up the hill to the cabin.  The hill was a challenge - but I managed.

Looking south from near the cabin~

Once back up at the top, I hustled a little, knowing Butch would be home shortly to take me to this weeks PT appointment.  Hum...  I didn't make it, he came down the street just as I'd made it back to the sidewalk.  He asked if I'd planned to do my PT before I'd done my PT?

I was very happy when the bend in my knee measured just over 80%.  A decent improvement from last week.  Jenny added some additional exercises.  She said I should be going in three-times a week.  But since I'm doing them at home, she'll settle for once.  I learned it takes up to a year to recover full use of the knee & they consider a return to 120% adequate.  Since my injury was so severe - it could take longer...  (I did manage to get my leg into the drivers side of the Explorer, so hope I'll feel comfortable driving around town by next week.)  I sit on my stationary bike & use my right leg to stretch the left knee with the pedals.  

Next week, I see an Orthopedic Trauma Surgeon in Omaha - who will be handling my recovery from this point on.  I'm into my eighth week - hopefully with only four to go - before I can bear weight on my leg.  I'm so tired of the brace & so tired hobbling...  Fingers crossed!