Sunday Morning...

It's Sunday morning and it's the one day that I nestle down in my bed and raise the head and foot of the bed and drink a cup of coffee while watching "Nature" on the local PBS station. This morning it was about the amazing hummingbird. I love hummingbirds and am quite fascinated in watching them. On this mornings show, the photography was great in that it allowed you to see the speed of their wings dramatically slowed down. The hummingbird is located only in the Americas. The narration by F. Murray Abraham talked about their color markings, their life cycle, mating habits, how some of the birds adapt to their habitat and how flowers play an important part in this change and how truly amazing these little birds are.

For years I have set out hummingbird feeders in order to watch them. However one of the most exciting thing that ever happened to me was on a vacation camping trip to Colorado in the summer of 1988. We were camping at Arapaho National Forest just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful site and we were having a wonderful time. We were camping in our pop-up trailer and had our screen room set up to give us more living room for our stay.

Early one morning I was awakened by a strange noise that would not quit. It was like someone was brushing the side of the screen room. No one else in the trailer was awake so no one could verify what I was about to witness. I got up and hurriedly put on some clothes and peeked out the door window slide and lo and behold there was a tiny female hummingbird batting herself against the inside of the screen room trying to get out. How she got in was a mystery. I had always heard that they sting with their beak. What a misconception. They might stab you in defense but they don't sting. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get her out of her predicament when I just decided to come up under her and gently close my hand around her tiny body. And boy are they tiny. She was all out of gas and totally tuckered out. I took her to the screen door opening and unzipped it and stepped out of the screen room. I slowly opened my hand expecting her to take off immediately and was surprised when she did not. She sat there for a good 15 seconds perched on my finger, her looking at me and I looking at her. What a delicate little thing she was. Then without warning she took one last look at me and flew off.

I could not have been more surprised in that I was allowed to hold one of these tiny creatures and witness a little miracle of life. God is good!

This past Thursday I was released by my surgeon with the understanding that I continue my Physical Therapy at home. I was also told to loose the cane and to walk without assistance. I can tell you that it is not as easy as it sounds. My gait is totally off and I have to make sure that I am stepping heal to toe with the left leg while taking a little larger step with the right leg in order to lengthen my gait and to loose the limp. I kept wondering why my left knee on the inside right and the tendon up to the top of the pubic tubercle was so sore. The Dr. told me that my leg had been out of position for many, many years and that it was suppose to be at a 5 degree angle and in order to put in the new knee they had to reposition that leg to the correct angle and now I,m having to re-stretch those tendons so they work correctly. FUN! NOT! He also told me to go to Wal-mart and get something called Scar Care. He said that it was what Plastic Surgeons tell their patients to use so they don't get keloid scar tissue. I have to put a special oil on the scar and then this silicone pad over the scar so it does not get bigger and hopefully will cause it to disappear. I then went over to the Huston Huffman Center to renew my membership so I can use the exercise equipment since I no longer have access to the recumbent bicycle and leg press. I was also released to go back to work full-time.

Friday was my first day back and I had lots to get done with some deadlines to meet. It will take me awhile to get caught up but it will not be difficult to do so. Everyone was happy to have me back to work and I had been missed. I was glad that I had been able to work at home because it meant that I would not be so far behind. I have to make sure that I don't sit too long at my desk as my knee gets stiff. I'm happy to have some room under my desk in order to straighten my leg and to do leg lifts. I will have to bring the plant that the office sent to me over the holidays to the office so they can see it when it blooms. It should be spectacular.

Yesterday was rather quiet as I was tired from working on Friday. So I rested most of the day and just took it easy. I did however get out of the house and went walking for awhile. Got to keep moving to get stronger.

Growing old is no more than a bad habit which a busy man has no time to form.
~ Andre Maurois, French biographer, novelist, and and essayist

Just another day in the life of...

Amore and Arrivederci For Now