Surviving and hoping

I feel like I survived a near "perfect" storm. Last week our car was in the body shop, my foot had a broken bone, water had to be pumped, my son was in Colorado, and my pickup was broken down. The only thing that kept it from being a "perfect" storm was that it broke down in the carport in town, and not at the oasis. That would have been unbearable. 

I survived dealing with the heavy gas pump and all that entailed. (That was before I got the special shoe for my foot, while the bone was freshly broken.) A terrible ordeal. Thereafter, I rested in town for several days.

So, yesterday it was time to go water and service the feeders. I finally had my pickup back. At least I didn't have to go through the torture of climbing into and out of my husband's big tall pickup. I got a late start, as I had to take care of some business in town first. 

At the oasis, I serviced the feeders. By then it was brunch time and hot, so I ate, and napped. After my nap, it was 110° out. I started watering, hoping it would rain and I could quit. Looked promising, but didn't happen.

It did cool things off though, so I was able to finish watering in more comfort, not taking into account how bad my feet, knees, and back hurt, especially the broken foot. Since rain is forecast  during the next week, I did a brief three hour watering only, and got back to Alpine before my regular 11 PM bedtime. I would have spent the night at the oasis, but that would have meant running the AC all night. I simply don't sleep well in a room with a loud AC running.

This morning I'm not feeling too bad. My broken foot hurts, and I'm a bit more sore than usual. Hoping to be able to take it easy for a few days. And if it does rain at the oasis, I hope everything fills up so I won't have to go pump. Surviving and hoping seems to be my lot these days. But so thankful to be able to survive and hope!

As I watered, chats were very vocal and the water drip was very popular!

Scott's Oriole

Crissal Thrasher

Broken foot bone

May 25

May 29

On May 24, I stubbed my little toe on a chair leg. I figured it was broken, but as the swelling, etc. subsided, I could pinpoint the break and it was in the bone leading to the little toe. When it seemed not to be improving, I went and got it x-rayed. Dr. says the break is healing, but slowly because I flex my foot, so he put a non-flex shoe on it.

I really had been abusing it. On May 27, two days after the break, I watered the trees at the oasis, which entailed walking for four hours on it. Then after I got back to town, the oasis got a good rain and caught some runoff. On the 29th I went back down to pump some of the water. That meant dragging a heavy gas pump, carrying priming water and gas, getting into the tank of water to arrange the intake, and too much other torture to mention. When I finished that, I took a nap, then cleaned out a storage building that my son had recently mouse-proofed. (He's currently in Colorado for a month) Plus all my regular housework, feeder servicing, etc. Basically, from the time I broke it, I did all that I normally would do, plus some. With this unflexible shoe, and resting it, it should heal now.

A couple of years ago I cracked my other foot's navicular bone and was hobbling in pain for nearly 8 months, but this isn't as debilitating.

As for the rain, the oasis looks lovely, and I added a couple of feet of water to the stucco tank. It loses 1½" per day, so not a great gain, but I've learned that every little bit helps.

Sometimes I feel like life is in a holding pattern, just waiting for the next hurdle! But so many people are so much worse off, that I can't complain. I feel gratitude!