Verdict #1

The radiologist says it’s not broken, which by now I figured. The orthopedist, however, is not available until Thursday, an entire six days after the initial injury. Tomorrow I’m taking the temporary cast off and showering—something I haven’t been able to do since the soccer game.

Mom helped me drive up to the house on Fork Mountain today (though I had to maneuver the truck up the driveway once we got to the gravel, while she gripped the side handle and cursed. It really is frightening if you’re not used to it). The best thing about the whole trip was that we found an enormous pile of black bear scat in the middle of the gravel drive, about a tenth of a mile from the house. YES! I’d spotted scat once before on the property and was about 80% sure it was black bear, but this mark was undeniable. Somehow, the presence of a black bear is a mile marker when it comes to sense of place in my family. I now feel initiated, and I’ll feel fully initiated once I can see it in person.

No chance of that happening anytime soon, however, as I’m out of commission for the week at least. Meanwhile, it’s a heat wave and I can’t do a damn thing to help myself other than keep still. Thank goodness for parents and friends.