Why did the mother duck want to cross the road, her little ducklings marching behind her? That was the question I had when my son was driving me to my doctor’s appointment last Wednesday.
There she was, trying to cross the busy, four-lane Highway 15, between Greenville and Appleton, at noon. The vehicles in front of us slowed to a crawl, as did we, and the ones behind us. However, then the oncoming cars crested the small knoll and we thought they didn’t stand a chance. The white van in front of us pulled over into the center lane at an angle, and I would think he would have flashed lights or other some such to warn the oncoming cars about the determined mother duck and her little ducklings.
We went around the van and continued on to our appointment, but on the way home, we looked, and there were no squashed bodies in sight, so somehow, that mother duck and babies made it across the road.
It is impossible to know their final destination, and whether they made it that far, but it warmed my heart to know that people in our busy society, with people and vehicles rushing here and there, were willing to slow down enough to see to the safety of ducks.
The visit at the doctor’s office went well. The nurse removed the stitches painlessly. Then the doctor came in and looked at my foot, saying it looked great, and go back to jail, meaning same restrictions. The nurse put on another cast. This one is green. Getting ready for Packers season, I guess.
The doctor said to come back in four weeks, when if X-rays show enough fusing and healing, he will get me walking, “sort of.” He had to add that sort of, with a half laugh, so I would know it would not be the same type of walking that I did before surgery. Rather, the walking would most likely be with a cumbersome walking cast/boot.
On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store with a cart, and I managed to ride around with that electric cart and pick out my own groceries. Since I never relish the thought of going shopping, I must admit that I was joyful to be able to move around in a grocery store with very little effort.
I was able to pick out the salad mix that I had been craving, and watermelon. Got to have melon on the Fourth of July, I thought. On the Fourth, my son took me to the Tigerton block party, where I had a hamburger and a piece of pie. I also got to visit with people I hadn’t seen for a while. Some of them didn’t know I had surgery.
We had only intended to stay for a short time, but we were there for an hour and a half. My foot was not happy; it had swelled from being down too long. Of course, I put it up as soon as I got home, even laying in bed for a time while the foot was up on a huge cushion so the swelling could go down.
So, while these little forays out are exciting for me, I also realize that I cannot do too much too soon. Meanwhile, the weeks are actually going by faster than I ever thought they would.
