What Doesn't Kill You...

A year ago I was just starting to move the last of the wood from a cord I'd had dumped here...

I had had the wood dumped on a huge tarp that I then tried to wrap over the top of the woodpile.  The effort to keep the wood dry was a failure.  The tarp held the water from the melted snow inside so the bottom layer of wood was lying in standing water and the tarp left a really obvious "crop circle" and I was convinced this piece of ground would never recover. 


The bare outlines of the "crop circle" remain, but I think I would need a hovercraft to shoot a photo making it obvious to the reader.  I tried standing on a step stool and playing with the exposure and color to no avail, but the point I'm trying to make is that what I thought had killed out everything simply allowed the wild iris and sage to thrive.  Yesterday I noticed the first wild iris were blooming...

...and the sage is also abundant...

So I'm hoping my recent fall will, if not leave me stronger, at least leave me no weaker!  

I decided I'd keep an "eye diary."  Here are the three photos I've taken, the latest this morning.  The first photo was taken on Tuesday, May 21, the day I fell...

The photo below was taken yesterday, May 26.  Sometime between the fall and here, the points of impact became more apparent than they were right after it happened, but the bruise under my brow is starting to turn yellow, a good sign...

Here's today, May 27...The bruise is spreading, I suppose as the blood settles, but my cheekbone isn't as puffy. 
 

People who know me well know I recommend sports cream for a variety of "off label" uses, I learned many decades ago that I could rub it on my forehead for sinus headaches.  I've most recently been using Walgreens Cool 'n Heat...

and I've been, gently, rubbing this on my impact spots.  I figure it increases circulation and that can't be bad.  You do have to take some precautions.  I don't recommend smearing this all over your forehead and then jumping in a hot shower so that it runs down in your eyes. I've also been rubbing this on my right arm, but have to admit that whatever ails my arm is not responding to my home remedy.  

Today my horoscope...do you read yours?  I read mine and if I like it I pay attention.  If I don't think it makes any sense I ignore it...and I think this was actually for yesterday since the one I receive in my e-mail seems to come a day late...said, 

Your first impulse will be to ignore it and bravely go on.  Don't.  Epic sagas aren't written about someone who was cranky from the flu.  Go home.  Tend to yourself.

Since I had commented in an earlier blog this week that the pain from this arm injury makes me feel at the end of the day as if I had the flu, I decided this horoscope was right on!  

Our winds have been up, gusting 30 mph to 40 mph...blew this heavier tarp...and the rocks I had used to weigh it down...off the table last night...

 and it looks as if this is going to continue until Tuesday, which makes me tired anyway, so I think I'm waiting until tomorrow to take a load down to the apartment.  It got down to 34F degrees last night according to NOAA and is supposed to hit 31F degrees tonight.  With that wind, it was cold in the cabin last night.  I'm unable to keep my electric blanket and other covers in place because of this arm injury so was half uncovered most of the night I think.  It will be nice to get through this and hopefully come out stronger....Teddee