It's been three months since I walked. The recovery has been far slower than I hoped. But this week I left the house without an airboot and it felt amazing. My family hovering around me like adult birds over their fledglings first flight. When I tore ligaments in my foot early in winter I thought it was a minor sprain. Little did I know I would be on crutches for months. My farm life and responsibilities involve me walking. A lot. Very far. And every single day. Rain or shine. Crutches are not conducive to walking. Neither is an airboot. The initial pain was excruciating. I had no option but to keep my foot up and wait. A week. A second week. A month. A second month. However, the swelling went down. The hues of purple lightened. The pain became discomfort. Very cautiously I am testing the waters. Our homestead is mostly over rocky terrain. Taking a foolish step would be; well. Foolish. But I am finally in my hiking boots and slowly - s.l.o.w.l.y. - walking, no limping. It is wonderful.
FarmerBuckaroo has worked tirelessly through winter to assist our neighbours in the valley to clean up flood damage and excavate new channels for the flood irrigation. This week we opened the flood gates and have been blown away. Life giving waters rushing through the valley in the newly carved channels and down the restored riverbed.
The speed and quantity of that water is beyond all our previous years' flood irrigation or our current expectations. It feels like me back on my feet. With proper care it is going far better than imagined. The valley is greening up. The trees are celebrating. The animals are rejoicing and I was doing cartwheels. In my mind.
Carefully. S.l.o.w.l.y. I walked through the flooding fields. It is a thrilling experience. The kids are frolicking. The lambs are skipping. The calves are about the drop. The horses are rolling wildly in the flooding fields. Every time we flood I remember. That long and dreadful drought. Losing so many animals. Trees. Almost hope. All this was a barren, grieving valley. Now? Lush. Green. Alive. Thriving.
It has been a long journey but, at the end it is worth it. They said it would be 6 months. Half that seems worth cracking the bubbly over. I like the odds. Let the water flow. Let the animals frolic. Let the land rejoice. And I will put one tentative foot in front of the other. Hope is the best medicine.
