The extreme heat hung around for a few more days before finally letting up a little. The girls played a softball game on the 21st and the heat index was 120 degrees. Even with every coach and parent monitoring the girls, the catcher for the Quapah Jr High softball team went down with a heat stroke. Because I was up in the box learning how to keep the scoreboard, I didn’t know this girl was fighting for her life until after the High School game. The little catcher was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and released the next day and we are all very grateful. We found out later that another softball player in a nearby town also was hospitalized but is also okay.
The next day, Kinzie and I went to our first physical therapy session. I had thought it would be a good idea for us to go at the same time, but discovered that, because I was getting my own physical therapy, I was unable to actually be there to understand what Kinzie was doing to heal her knee. We both were tired and sore after the sessions but both also agreed that our therapist seemed to know what they were doing and that we were in good hands.
Tom came home that evening with another bout of heat exhaustion as the heat index reached 120 degrees again and he worked on washers and dryers in laundry mats. He took the next day off to recover before returning to work the day after that.
On the 24th, I worked for an hour taking up the garden hoses from the spigot to the chicken pen that had the full summer of overgrowth on it. It was very hard work and I almost gave up several times. Coincidentally, I had Grant Cardone in my ear on an audio book and he encouraged me not to give up. I admit that it was very satisfying to have finally succeeded to get about 300 feet of garden hose untangled from the very tall grass and gathered up so I could mow properly.
Kinzie had ordered me a book I had wanted for my birthday in plenty of time but it didn’t arrive for nearly a month. She was upset that it was so late, but we looked into it and it was the latest book from Dean Koontz, my absolute favorite author. It didn’t arrive because it wasn’t even available yet. I cried when I read the most beautiful note I had ever read that she had written to me. I will cherish that note inside that book for the rest of my life. I’m so very grateful to have her in my life.
The next day, I published the video “Let’s Put Everyone Together” showing me combining my duck flock with the nearly adult ducklings. It can be seen here:
That evening, Kinzie and I watch the Foyil football team win their game against Claremore Christian, with a score of 24-12. That was highly encouraging because Foyil seldom wins their games. That was not meant to be mean at all.
Saturday morning, Tom did some mowing and I was glad because my nose is still sore from mowing a few days before. I am highly allergic to grasses and try not to mow, but sometimes, it just needs to be done. I did start 24 chicken eggs in the incubator in hopes of having some more laying hens next spring. I also posted a podcast Episode 45: A Small but Important Victory. It can be seen here:
Kinzie and I have been doing our physical therapy at home and her knee is improving nicely. I’m glad. I’m sure she’s ready to get back out on the softball field.
The heat is finally breaking. It’s not exactly cool, but definitely an improvement from the intense heat indexes we had been experiencing. Now, if we just had a little rain…See you next week!