Footloose and Other Stuff

I had to opportunity to repeat a story of a Bloomsday gone bad yesterday. 

Dan Daley, a specialist from Kootenai Prosthetics and Orthotics,  greeted me at BLDG 300 in the North Idaho Medical Village at Ponderay.  

He led me to an exam room, gave me forms to fill out and then started asking questions about my left ankle. 

"Have you injured it or had surgery in the past," he asked.

That gave me the opening to tell about Bloomsday 1981 when I sustained a hairline fracture in my ankle.

  I was 95 percent sure that it was my left ankle because that day I had brought my brother Jim and his classmate Howard with me to compete in the race. 

About a mile in, I hit a rock and turned the ankle, and the pain was excruciating.  My brother suggested that I go to a medical station. 

Stubborn and stupid ol' me said, "No, I'm going to get that T-shirt."  So, I continued on for another 6-plus miles, hobbling a lot but maintaining forward motion albeit slow. 

I finished the race and got my T-shirt, but by the time I started heading toward my pickup WITH A CLUTCH, I noticed that my ankle and leg had swollen considerably. 

About that time, I saw local pharmacist Jim Austin who was also participating.  He gave me some ice for the ankle, and I continued on toward the pickup. 

When we had all arrived, I asked who was going to drive me up to Sacred Heart Hospital. 

No takers.  

They were teenagers who had never driven in city traffic, so, this is where the 95-percent certainty about it being the left ankle comes in.

As noted, the truck had a standard transmission and a clutch, which required using the left foot.  Sacred Heart was up a hill, so shifting and clutching were needed. 

Let's just say it was not the agony of the deFEET but rather the agony of the ankle as I drove that pickup to the hospital parking lot, went inside and got X-rayed and splinted up for the ride home. 

Finally, one of the boys relented and agreed to drive. 

The splint was later replaced by a cast created by Dr. Fred Marienau.  I used crutches for several days and wore the cast for six weeks.  None of that was easy with two small children and a school where I taught five classes of students a day. 

But I survived, as did my ankle. 

So, that was my story to Dan as he prepared a cast for the orthotic (complete with pink hearts which won't be seen by anyone but me). I'll be using the finished product in my left shoe for the next several weeks or months. 

Dan told me it would take some getting used to, maybe a couple of weeks and that I'll be wearing it on a gradually increasing basis. 

That's not too exciting to think about, but if I want to keep walking, my tendon needs to heal, and that's where the protective orthotic comes in. 

Long story short, it was a total pleasure meeting Dan.  He's a very nice guy who was happy to answer a lot of questions and listen to my stories.    

In other news, I'm marking this day on my mental calendar as the first day of 2026 when a jacket was not needed to do the morning chores. 

It's very pleasant outside with a little breeze. 

Part of my chores involve watering two gardens.  In the main garden I noticed two disturbing scenes. 

One was a big pile of fine dirt in one of the lettuce rows, suggesting that some varmint has paid a visit to my garden.  

The second scene was a bit more tangible.  Two of the sunflowers in a row along the fence had been beheaded over night. 

Could be that the same suspect that formed the pile knows something about the sunflowers. 

This is the year's first sign of the outside world of the animal kingdom keeping close watch on my garden and its progress. 

I'm almost afraid to go check the blueberries, but the deer don't steal them until they're ripe. So, I have time to cover them with netting.  

I don't know what to do about the fenced-in garden when the invaders come from the middle earth or someplace like that.

It's maddening, but they say to feed the hungry, so I guess I'm doing my part without being asked. 

The link below from today's Daily Bee includes a story about a touching and meaningful story and a book signing.  

 https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2026/jun/24/sandpoint-resident-authors-book-on-divorce/

My friend and former student Jeff Tedd Bock with his daughter Lili. 

It's a beautifully written and illustrated book.

Good luck at your signing, Jeff.  

No critter ever seems to care about the oregano. 

I do use a lot of oregano, but I sure do love it as a border plant.