That's how my life feels these days ... as slow and boring as watching paint dry.
A week ago, I underwent some rather radical surgery on my foot. As a result, I'll be on crutches and non-weight-bearing for a further month. It's painfully boring, to say the least. Not that I'm one to always be on the go (somewhat of a homebody, fortunate to work from a home office), but I do enjoy my mobility as much as the next guy. Oh sure, it's been a great opportunity to catch up on Seasons I, II, and III of some of my favorite programs (though that's hardly been a priority before). I guess it's nice to have my husband wait on me hand and foot (not that he would find it any different from his regular routine). But what I really miss the most is my dogs. Surprise surprise.
Oh sure, they're still here, but I hardly have the same level of interaction and activity with them. It's really been one or two at a time, always guarding my foot, always wearing a protective bootie, and certainly no dog shows on my near horizon.
And, wouldn't you know it, after a brutally cold past month with temps in the -20's, FINALLY the Strathmore area is enjoying a beautiful chinook the last few days. It's been bright and sunny since the weekend, some snow is starting to disappear from the fields, and I worry my walk-in freezer (aka horse trailer housing frozen game) may soon start to thaw. Hard to believe just two short weeks ago, our little town was in a "state of emergency" with highways closed in all directions and nearly 200 stranded. I'm dying to head outside and enjoy some fresh air. However, with the warmer temps also comes very icy conditions all around the yard and driveway, and my skill on crutches certainly leaves a lot to be desired.
Instead, I sat on a chair in front of my office window (where the view is the best), with my foot propped up on a stool, and a large pout on my face.
And then I noticed her. Our dear old, somewhat crippled, beautiful Great Pyrenees "Zoey" laying out on a small knoll in the pasture, watching the world go by ... or perhaps in her case, watching time stand still. Zoey is 10 this Spring and by large breed standards, that's a very senior age (though apparently her mother "Powder" lived to 15 years). It's been a hard winter for Zoey, and she's showing her age. After an accident as a youngster, she's had some severe arthritis in her front end and the cold weather certainly takes its' toll on her. She has a big cozy cushion under a heat lamp in the garage, where both she and Willow are quite comfortable, but multiple times this winter she's insisted on coming in and laying on the mat in the mudroom. But there she was today, absolutely glorious, laying in the snow, stretched out in the full sunshine. She was there for hours. Peaceful, regal, and on duty. She'd lift her head and watch the horses walk by on their way to water, she'd stand up every once in a while and bark a few warning woofs in this direction or that one, then settle herself back down, resting her head on extended paws.
I watched the horses head in from the east pasture, up to the corrals for water. The Belgians taking their time, certainly not expending any extra energy. My young colt Dillon, trotting, running, rearing up on hind legs to try and entice Rio into some kind of horsey game. My mare Fanta always the last to come up, never really fitting in with this herd. A few dropped down into the snow or pawed away enough to expose the frozen dirt underneath, sinking down to roll on their backs and scratch at an itch from their winter coats beginning to loosen.
A small group of those pesky black birds, the Magpies that drive the dogs crazy, noticed I had tossed out a few bones for the dogs and took advantage of a free meal by pecking at the marrow inside the dogs couldn't quite reach.
A hawk left its' perch in the small forest of trees to take a tour around the fields, hoping it was warm enough for a few brave gophers to perhaps venture out of their holes ... not yet, thank goodness.
And then it struck me. While I might be currently a little sedentary and admittedly in a bit of a funk, the world around me definitely is not. And while there might be some drama on Season I of Whatever, the real drama and certainly today's entertainment, came from the season Mother Nature provided me today. And though I'll acknowledge we're not yet even finished with January, and I'm sure there are many more -20's to come, the promise of a change in season can't be more than a chinook or two away.
And if only I could manage to balance my crutches and my camera without breaking my neck, I'd have some incredible photos to share. Instead, those pictures shall remain in my memory, reminding me of the gift of being forced to do absolutely nothing at all.
Happy Trails ... Theresa
A week ago, I underwent some rather radical surgery on my foot. As a result, I'll be on crutches and non-weight-bearing for a further month. It's painfully boring, to say the least. Not that I'm one to always be on the go (somewhat of a homebody, fortunate to work from a home office), but I do enjoy my mobility as much as the next guy. Oh sure, it's been a great opportunity to catch up on Seasons I, II, and III of some of my favorite programs (though that's hardly been a priority before). I guess it's nice to have my husband wait on me hand and foot (not that he would find it any different from his regular routine). But what I really miss the most is my dogs. Surprise surprise.
Oh sure, they're still here, but I hardly have the same level of interaction and activity with them. It's really been one or two at a time, always guarding my foot, always wearing a protective bootie, and certainly no dog shows on my near horizon.
And, wouldn't you know it, after a brutally cold past month with temps in the -20's, FINALLY the Strathmore area is enjoying a beautiful chinook the last few days. It's been bright and sunny since the weekend, some snow is starting to disappear from the fields, and I worry my walk-in freezer (aka horse trailer housing frozen game) may soon start to thaw. Hard to believe just two short weeks ago, our little town was in a "state of emergency" with highways closed in all directions and nearly 200 stranded. I'm dying to head outside and enjoy some fresh air. However, with the warmer temps also comes very icy conditions all around the yard and driveway, and my skill on crutches certainly leaves a lot to be desired.
Instead, I sat on a chair in front of my office window (where the view is the best), with my foot propped up on a stool, and a large pout on my face.
And then I noticed her. Our dear old, somewhat crippled, beautiful Great Pyrenees "Zoey" laying out on a small knoll in the pasture, watching the world go by ... or perhaps in her case, watching time stand still. Zoey is 10 this Spring and by large breed standards, that's a very senior age (though apparently her mother "Powder" lived to 15 years). It's been a hard winter for Zoey, and she's showing her age. After an accident as a youngster, she's had some severe arthritis in her front end and the cold weather certainly takes its' toll on her. She has a big cozy cushion under a heat lamp in the garage, where both she and Willow are quite comfortable, but multiple times this winter she's insisted on coming in and laying on the mat in the mudroom. But there she was today, absolutely glorious, laying in the snow, stretched out in the full sunshine. She was there for hours. Peaceful, regal, and on duty. She'd lift her head and watch the horses walk by on their way to water, she'd stand up every once in a while and bark a few warning woofs in this direction or that one, then settle herself back down, resting her head on extended paws.
I watched the horses head in from the east pasture, up to the corrals for water. The Belgians taking their time, certainly not expending any extra energy. My young colt Dillon, trotting, running, rearing up on hind legs to try and entice Rio into some kind of horsey game. My mare Fanta always the last to come up, never really fitting in with this herd. A few dropped down into the snow or pawed away enough to expose the frozen dirt underneath, sinking down to roll on their backs and scratch at an itch from their winter coats beginning to loosen.
A small group of those pesky black birds, the Magpies that drive the dogs crazy, noticed I had tossed out a few bones for the dogs and took advantage of a free meal by pecking at the marrow inside the dogs couldn't quite reach.
A hawk left its' perch in the small forest of trees to take a tour around the fields, hoping it was warm enough for a few brave gophers to perhaps venture out of their holes ... not yet, thank goodness.
And then it struck me. While I might be currently a little sedentary and admittedly in a bit of a funk, the world around me definitely is not. And while there might be some drama on Season I of Whatever, the real drama and certainly today's entertainment, came from the season Mother Nature provided me today. And though I'll acknowledge we're not yet even finished with January, and I'm sure there are many more -20's to come, the promise of a change in season can't be more than a chinook or two away.
And if only I could manage to balance my crutches and my camera without breaking my neck, I'd have some incredible photos to share. Instead, those pictures shall remain in my memory, reminding me of the gift of being forced to do absolutely nothing at all.
Happy Trails ... Theresa
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