Pain Pioneer

What a welcome sight on the ugliest day of the winter!

It's not much, but it's a hopeful. 

For once, I have been successful in saving some geraniums from the previous year. 

And, the reward for sticking with it is offering a little touch of beauty in the garden window. 

More blossoms are coming too. 

It was truly an ugly, ugly day yesterday. 

The accumulating slop outside gave me plenty of time to go to town and purchase some supplies which will come in handy during slop days. 

I went to Petco, planning to purchase a bottle of scent spray for the dogs. 

The clerk was very helpful, showing me the display, opening each bottle, taking a sniff and handing it my way.  The first bottle let off a baby powder aroma. 

Several bottles later, I said I still liked baby powder, mainly because it's a fairly mild but fresh scent. 

He also showed me some wipes which I could use for muddy paws and bums. 

I usually use a hose for the patient Border Collies but decided it might be nice to have the wipes handy.

So, I went home feeling better about Dirty Dog Days, knowing I had some additional ways to combat the wet dog, manure dog smells that are so prominent during this time of the year. 

Because of the nonstop slop, the Border Collies did not have time to get too dirty, so yesterday involved a simple towel off session atop one of their crates. 

I never have to ask Liam or Bridie to jump to the crate because they love their toweling off so much. 

All three dogs smelled just fine last night after a couple of sprays from the bottle. 

The clerk told me if I ever got tired of washing dogs almost every day, I could bring them to Petco.

I said, "Yes, and ya know how long those baths would last---maybe five minutes.  These are busy Border Collies."

So, the hosing off and toweling off will have to do.  

During yesterday's slop, I had a lot of thinking time.

And, during that time I experienced an "AHA!" moment.  

I realized that I am a pioneer for those young-uns who come after me. 

This is how it works. 

I go through discovery mode. 

I deal with it as best I know how.  

Then, I tell the 50-60-70-year-olds who have not yet experienced portions of their own final frontier. 

This all deals with body parts and how NOT to injure them and how NOT to be in pain for several weeks, have the pain finally subside and then find another way to self inflict pain so you can start the healing process all over again.  

Just as my knee from snow shoveling was starting to feel halfway decent more days than not, I did something Monday which I have done dozens of times before. 

This time, not so good.  

I should have known better after hearing Bill say about three weeks ago, "We need to get an automatic door opener set up on the shop doors."

I thought that sounded like a reasonable idea. 

Nonetheless, on Monday I needed to use the tractor to move manure and open a spot for dumping the barn cleanings without killing myself by climbing manure hills and pushing, pulling and heaving on the sled. 

Well, pushing the shop door upward to get to the tractor took care of any potential manure-pile injuries. I even pushed that door carefully and slowly, but something in my back would not have it. 

My first hint that something had gone wrong was delayed, as back injuries tend to be. When I climbed on the tractor, I could sense a familiar and uncomfortable feeling. 

Lower back tweaks have happened over the years ever since my early 30s. 

Long story short, once again the back hurts, and once again Advil and Voltaren and heat have become my new best friends. 

I have also learned with each new injury to memorize quickly what body moves not to make or to attempt very slowly when these "tweaks" occur.  

With this particular tweakie, I'm thinking it might be wise and much less painful to leave my shoes and socks on at night. 

Also, this morning the reinforcement lesson of "don't drop stuff on the floor cuz you'll have emphatically "contort" to pick it up. 

It's especially bad when the items you drop are coins.  Skinny little dimes are sheer hell to pick up when your back hurts like h---. 

I thought briefly about getting down on the floor to pick up that dime but have learned, at least over the past couple of years from personal experience and from anecdotal evidence shared by my friend Helen, that getting down on the floor is a no-no.  

Cuz you'll never figure out how to get back up. 

Anyway, it's a good thing that the pain meds and Voltaren lotion kick in by mid morning cuz the rest of the day ain't that bad. 

So, there ya go. 

There will come a day to beware of shoveling snow and get an automatic garage door opener. 

Let me function as the "tell all or do tell" in the old-folks pain department and let my pain and tweak experiences be warnings for the young'uns among us. 

Nice to be relevant. 

Finally, contrary to what I read in the paper today, there are home games at Sandpoint High tonight. 

Willie's girls varsity take on Lakeland at Les Rogers Gym in the league tournament tonight at 7 p.m.  

Winner of best two out of three goes to State next week. 

Good luck, Bulldogs. 

Happy pain-free Wednesday to all.