Tuesday, the physical therapist told me to use mainly my cane when I walked, instead of the walker. Wow. Good news to these ears, as I tilted sideways, hobbling down the hallway of the house with my cane and new freedom. This goat farmer was now on the move! Places to go, goats to see.

The replacement knee surgery pretty much had left me weak as a kitten, and then having to have a knee manipulation to break out adhesions, it’s been tough. But happily, now I’m on a cane. Things to do! Have you every tried vacuuming the house while on a walker? Not a bit easy. Now, I’m on a cane I can go places easier. That is when I find the strength to do it because everything has left me as weak as a kitten, but I’m sure I will just sail along now.

The day after being told I could use the cane, I noticed it was a beautiful day outside. The mail lady had just delivered the mail down at the mail box. Gee, that was only 120 yards or so. I just bet I could hobble down the stairs, get out the door, walk down the small hill bank, get on the driveway, and make it on down to the mail box. Piece a cake!

I know, I know. I haven’t been released yet to do these things. I was just suppose to cane around some in the house. But, it was so nice out and I had this light little cane to use. Something wild just had to happen.

I skulked down the stairs and peeked out the door. Making sure I had no witnesses to see what I was going to do. Oh sure, the goats would see, but they wouldn’t tell. Then carefully I hobbled, tottered out the door and down that little hill bank and got on our rocky driveway.

Ever so slowly and carefully I maneuvered down the driveway, stepping over the large rocks, taking tiny little steps, checking around to make sure no one saw me sneaking to the mail box. Now, a walk like this usually takes about two-three minutes before I had the knee surgery. I did have to stop once or twice to stare at the goats in the field and holler hello to them. Then, I remembered I was suppose to be sneaking to the mail box so after that thought, I just stopped to admire them and kept my big mouth shut.

Happily the mail box trip proved fruitful and I had mail! I had a couple of Netflix movies and some bills. Oh Boy! Movies to watch! This day just keeps getting better and better. Now, time for the return trip.

I noticed I was getting slower as I turned to make the trip back home. The knee was stiffening up and I was feeling surprisingly wore out. So, with grit and determination I made it back to the house and then there was the small hill bank to climb to get on the front porch. I could have taken the steps up to the porch, but without hand rails I just didn’t think that safe enough yet.

Digging up some more determination, I made it to the porch. The knee was protesting vigorously now and I was feeling very shaky. I decided not to tell the knee that we still had more steps to do once in the house to get back to the living room to sit down. I thought it could be a surprise, didn‘t want to discourage it yet.

Slowly, very slowly, I made it back up the stairs and hobbled to my easy chair and put my feet up and put ice on the knee. Whew! Now, that wasn’t too bad. It only took fifteen minutes for a round trip to the mail box. Normally that would have been 2-3 minutes, but I think I did quite grandly for my first trip out with the cane. Sure, I paid for it the rest of the day and all the next day, but I was for once out and about. I got to see part of the world, and the best part, the goat world!

The hard part was keeping my mouth shut and not bragging about what I had done. I’m sure you all will keep quiet and not tell anyone. Three days later the physical therapist took me outside and let me walk some. He had a belt with a strap on me so he could steady me as he taught me how to handle going down a tiny bank, now to walk on rocks, how to handle large tufts of grass, without doing damage to the knee or have me fall down. It was quite fun, especially since he didn’t know I had already been out.

Now, one of my exercises is to walk to the mail box and back every day. Wonderful! It’s slow work, but I can legitimately now go for my mail box walk, holler all I want to the goats and not care if anyone hears, and stand and just enjoy the beautiful scenery around me. Now, I wonder how long it would take me to walk to the barn?