Taking it slow in SLO

February 6, 2023

Well, it’s clear that some changes are in store for the next few days at least. The ankle’s definitely sprained, but my self-diagnosis is that it’s minor - a Grade 1 sprain, the lowest on the sprain severity scale:

Grade 1: Stretching or slight tearing of the ligament with mild tenderness, swelling and stiffness. The ankle feels stable and it is usually possible to walk with minimal pain.

Looks right to me. There is some modest swelling but pain is minimal and it isn’t painful to stand on. The prognosis for recovery of a minor ankle sprain is one to two weeks, which tears a hole in any serious cycling plans until after we’re back in Portland unfortunately. How much better now though, than in Sicily or Basilicata!

I feel sure I know what happened now though, because it nearly happened again this morning when I was rounding the corner of the bed - the same scenario exactly. My foot (the injured one, natch) got snagged by a bedsheet that was hanging down to floor-level, and the leg stopped instantly. If I’d been moving faster as I was yesterday my body’s momentum would have carried me forward, it’s weight unsupported by a leg beneath it. One more thing to watch out for, especially in small rooms with tight corridors.

We’ll figure out our plans day at a time. For today, Rachael’s mapped out a hike into the hills northwest of town and I’ll mostly stick around the room with my leg elevated. After reading about what types of activity are advisable with this injury though, it looks like I’ll be fine with a slow walk on a flat surface. I’ll go crazy if I just stay indoors the entire day, so I drive to nearby Laguna Lake to check out the bird scene there and then down to the waterfront at Los Osos before heading home. I put in at most a half mile of slow shuffling, saw some birds, cleared my head. And I’m happy to report that the ankle felt better at the end of day than at the beginning.

Progress, hopefully. We’ll see how things look in the morning. One interesting thing I read is that flat, easy low-intensity cycling was the number one activity listed as acceptable and maybe even beneficial during the recovery phase, so maybe I’ll try a short ride along the beach when we move on to Morrow Bay.

Scott’s day

I saw some birds, many of which we’ve seen before:

And some we haven’t seen yet this year: the five shown below, and a Bewick’s wren that disappeared into a thicket too soon for me to take a photo of it.

And a few other sightings.

A beautiful pest, Oxalis pes-caprae is known by many names: Bermuda buttercup, African wood-sorrel, English weed, sourgrass, among others.

Bermuda buttercup is an invasive species introduced from Southern Africa to here and many other places worldwide. As colorful as it is, it is regarded as a pest everywhere because it is so difficult to eradicate.

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2023 Bird List

62. Turkey vulture

63. Western kingbird

64. Golden-crowned sparrow

65. Western gull

66. Blue-winged teal

67. Bewick’s Wren

Rachael’s Hike

My planned route was up the trail to the top but it’s fenced off and has a no trespassing sign. I miss hiking in Great Britain where this wouldn’t happen!

After having to detour I finally find Bishop Peak Nature Reserve from the other direction!

In spite of the detour, it was a great hike!

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Susan CarpenterScott: I’m pretty confident that recovery from my ankle sprain last year was hastened by both walks and short bike rides around my Paris neighborhood.

Rachael - as my grad school mentor used to say “Persistence is the key to success”. I’m glad you found a way to gain some elevation
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1 year ago

Bob DistelbergI miss just one day of following your journal and you sprain an ankle? That's not good! Glad it seems to be mending quickly though.
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1 year ago

Bruce LellmanI'm glad it seems like a minor sprain, Scott. You will heal quickly. Bed sheets, man, they are killers. I've done exactly what you did.

I love the landscape you saw, Rachael, and your photos are beautiful.
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonTo Bob DistelbergOh, it’s your fault then! Maybe if you’d kept current this wouldn’t have happened to me.
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1 year ago

Rachael AndersonTo Bruce LellmanThanks! I went back to the same area and got to the top. It was amazing!
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamLoving all the views here of the landscape and the birds. Inspired by your energy and persistence.
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1 year ago

Bruce LellmanTo Rachael AndersonYou are such an amazing hiker - a real inspiration.
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1 year ago

Rachael AndersonTo Bruce LellmanI’ve discovered I really like to take a break from the bike and you can get to some amazing places on foot that you can’t get to by bicycle.
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1 year ago

Bruce LellmanTo Rachael AndersonI agree. I've always said walking is the very best way to go.
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1 year ago