Update with a Little Extra

Hello all! There's nothing really too new to report on my leg. I'm still hoping and praying that it will heal up before surgery. I think it has healed a little, but it still has a ways to go before the doc will cancel surgery. No set date for the surgery yet either.

Thinking about having surgery has me appreciating the little things I take for granted everyday. Waking up in my own bed....being able to reach over and touch my sleeping wife....showering. The free flap surgery will require a two week hospital stay. Ugh :(

This "appreciative" state of mind first came over me after my spinal cord injury. My busy life suddenly became painfully slow. Instead of life speeding by, I started seeing things I never noticed before. Photography became a way for me to share these everyday life treasures. The past week I've found myself appreciating my back yard. Knowing that in a few weeks I'll only be able to admire it from the recliner has most likely fueled these feelings.

We are blessed with a beautiful, park-like back yard. The previous owners put lots of work into planting perennial flowers that we now get to enjoy.

There are several Blue Spruce trees that are close to 40' tall. Birds flock to these trees for a safe nesting haven. This summer we have green herons nesting in the spruce trees. I have yet to get a picture of them, but I'll keep trying. I did capture this hummingbird while waiting for the herons to show. I never would have guessed the hummer would try to feed on the last few blossoms of the flower. Maybe he appreciates the small things too.

One evening during my green heron photo quest, I was kept company by one of our cats, Sara Lee. Sara loves to share her back yard with us. If she comes inside, she usually wants nothing to do with us. Outside she turns into a different cat. She craves attention and affection. She follows me (or anyone else) around the yard. She loves to pose for the camera, so when the herons rufuse to show their beaks, Sara gets the attention. I'm amazed at how animals have such individual personalities. Sara is definitely unique. Our other cat, Sprockett, is scared of his shadow outside. That explains why there are no pictures of him. I'll save him for a future blog entry.








My world is spinning a little slower these days. I'm seeing those little things that tend to go unnoticed. I'm appreciating my "normal-abnormal" life. I'm going to go appreciate my bed now and tell my wife how special she is.

Today was a good day......even with one broken spoke.