Lots going on here of late. I had a session with the Fake Foot Foundry on Wednesday, and the (2 cuss words go [here]) prosthetic came undone while I was walking into the exam room and I fell pretty hard on a carpeted floor. OK--that was a "first". I took a thorough inventory while still on the floor, and all seemed to be OK, though I knew darn well that I got my bones rattled right proper. Shook up the tech and office assistant something fierce, which I feel badly about. 15+ seasons of full-contact football comes in handy at times, you learn how to fall and not get injured. By way of this occurrence and objective progress on the surgery site, the tech determined that I am ready for the permanent prosthetic device. Paying close attention to doctors' and technicians' advisements and following them religiously DOES have a payoff. The tech made some amendments to the current prosthetic's interior fit, and I ambled out in pretty good order.
Thursday dawned, and OMG was I EVER sore. I took some Tylenol and hoped for the best. That kinda worked. Marie's new TV was up and running, and NATURALLY this meant that we needed new sectional couch to enjoy the TV from. It's only money, and actually not a whole lot of it--looking at the big picture. The former living room stuff was pretty old and showing its age. Salvation Army snagged it last Friday, it is still very usable so someone will enjoy it (I hope). The new stuff arrived about 4 P.M., and the delivery guys had it set up in about 20 minutes.
I was still pretty sore Friday morning, but Marie and I ventured out to the Mojave National Preserve--mostly to GET OUT of the depressing overcast that is a feature of this area in early June. This was a 3-hour drive to Kelso Depot, and the area is desolate and beautiful. We were there until nightfall. There are still lots of flowers in bloom, and this last winter's rain and snow made things very green and healthy. Our one-day visit barely scratches the surface, my usual routine in years past was to spend 3-5 days at a time here. There is just so much to see. We saw LOTS of quail and a ton of jackrabbits, which are certainly good things.
I talk a lot here and elsewhere about varmint hunting and whacking jackrabbits during those hunts. A lot of that experience occurred within what is now Mojave National Preserve, administered by the National Park Service. Hunting is still OK here, during seasons pursuant to licenses. MNP holds two of the areas where desert bighorns are hunted (draw only), in the New York Mtns. and the Providence Mtns. Mule deer are THICK in here, and the tag is a tough draw. The whole MNP went the non-toxic ammunition route some years back, which saved dozens of jackrabbit lives today. I enjoy coyote songs at night, so I pay it forward with jackrabbit carcasses for the song dogs. But not this trip.
The jacks were doing a curious thing. We drove up on several of the critters very deeply involved in licking something in the soil. They were very intent on this activity, standing in the middle of roadways seemingly oblivious to the clear and present danger of hawks that are here in no small numbers. We could drive up very close to these critters--12 to 15 yards--and they kept at it until we got out of the Jeep and started walking toward them. At that, they hopped off--but not far, and not like jacks usually do at Warp Factor 8. The jacks looked small/immature, healthy too--but that licking behavior and reluctance to haul a-- outta there has me scratching my head. I have not seen it previously, and usually jacks are Gonzo Moretti when they see or hear cars or people. If anyone reading this has an idea about the activity and its meaning, post up here.
We got home about midnight. Marie put up some photos on her Facebook page (Marie Paine, in Redlands CA)
