A sprained ankle on Earth Day

We were both up early today, for some reason, and what a good day to do so. I tinkered in the garden, then went with Kevin and all three dogs briefly to a site where I thought I lost my cell phone yesterday (no luck) and then went to Home Depot to get more redwood boxes for a potato garden. Yes, a potato garden, right here in southeastern Arizona! At the rate the current Russett Potatoes are growing, we may get a bumper crop, and Kevin wants to keep the potatoes coming.

Somehow, however, as I got out of the truck I sprained my right ankle. It hurt at first, but it wasn't too bad to walk on.. Now, however, 12 hours after the incident, my right ankle is throbbing and it seems to hurt more.

It sucks getting older. The rest of the day was spent making sure I didn't aggravate my ankle even more.

I took Sadie to the town's Earth Day/West Side Block Party for a while, to see this year's vendors. The Farmer's Market area looked pretty much the same. I recognized a few vendors from last year.

Sadie pulled on the leash the entire time, which surprised me. Maybe it was all the smells, the crowds, the other dogs? There were at least three other German Shepherd Dogs in the audience. She wanted to sniff and greet them all.

I had to rest my legs and sat under a shade canopy to listen to the Cochise County Youth Group Orchestra play a few folksy strings. Sadie wanted to do more sniff and greet, so we left. After three rounds around the market, I left. Sadie wanted to nip at one Husky dog, so it was time to get back home and do some gardening.

Volunteer clean-up crews were picking trash near the highway. And all I did today was garden in small increments, sitting down a lot to rest my legs. I planted more strawberries, green beans, even some butternut squash. I know it will be Kevin who will be tending to the garden before the monsoon comes, and I'm here to get it all ready for him. I'm happy that he at least enjoys this activity.

I keep telling him we need a small greenhouse to get seedlings going year-round. But at this rate what we need is a bigger garden! We need more of every crop to produce a year-round garden crop. I have strawberries and blueberries coming up on the shrubs and plants, but after I pick them off I'll have enough of both to fill two bowls of cereal.

Kevin also made me aware of a birdnest against our back patio. How long has that been there? I've never noticed birds flying there with nesting materials. I placed a long aluminum slat against the lattice so that Vinnie wouldn't be able to climb up it to the nest. The nest has been empty. No birds, no eggs.

Tone posted beautiful photos of his trip to Big Bend last week, and some of the pics brought back memories of my three-day stay there in early 2008. I hope I can take as breath-takingly beautiful photographs of Montana this July.

But until then...I better make sure I don't have any more freaky ankle sprains. I'm still dumbfounded as to how I managed to sprain it in the first place!!!