The Only Good Thing About July

July 2025                                                                              Most Recent Posts:
Greenfield Mountain Farm                      Back at the Farm Via Dixie Caverns
Afton Virginia             Eastward Travel Days Including the Worst One Ever

The only good thing about July happened right at the very beginning when Carrie, Celia and Colin came to visit over the July 4th week-end.  We had a wonderful celebration with friends of ours Emma, Tim,  Lewis and Nina Daisy.  Emma and Carrie have been friends since they were born, literally. 

We gathered for great salmon grilled by Tim and provided by Ted and Lynne who are the parents of two other of Carrie and Emma’s friends, Alex and Allegra.  Unfortunately both of them were away but Alex graciously allowed us to use his house and pool for the party.

Around the table from the far left are:  Celia, Lewis, Carrie, Lynne, Ted, Time Emma and Nina.

The patio, pool and BBQ area has a great mountain view.

Not sure why I got no pictures of the pool playing or the food prep but this is what I had.  Tim wonderfully brought sparklers for the kids.

Great fun for the kids.

Colin gives me the eye.

Not sure if Celia is imitating Tinkerbell or doing a Diva pose but she’s having a great time..

The next day the Daisys came out to the farm.  Emma and Carrie did many sleep overs and “noodling around” here as Emma’s mother used to say.

Today we went on a hike.    Emma and Nina

Carrie trying out the big sister role with Nina.  This is something she also loves to do with her cousins nearly all of whom are girls.

Splash pad in the yard.

Fruitsicles at the picnic table.

Just relaxing after our company departed for Charlottesville.

Colin is  all set with gloves and hearing protectors.  Now if he could just really use that weed eater.  I’d love it.   I suspect by the time he’s big enough to wield it, he won’t be at all interested.

Immediately after Carrie and the kids left the leg pain, that had been minor while they were here, got exponentially worse. 

The rest of the month was seriously miserable.  Somehow, someway of which I am unaware, I developed sciatica all down my right side. No pain killers worked, none of the “icy packs”.  Even the pharmacist said nothing over the counter works on nerve pain.  This x-ray of my spin shows the narrowed nerve channel at the red arrow.   It is noticeably narrower than any of the others. 

The intolerable pain  lasted a full 4 weeks and ultimately resulted in a course of steroids to stop the pain.  I often in tears so exhausted  from not being able to sleep for days and days or even to lay down to relax due to the pain. 

My chiropractor was wonderful and eventually after adjustments three times a week got it all calmed down before resorting to an MRI.   I have no idea what I would have done had this turned up while I was on the road rather than while I was here where I have a chiropractor I trust. 

Over and over my journal records leg pain all night and no sleep.  And to make matters worse this was a record breaking heat wave for July. Repeated stretches of 4 and 5 days in a row of mid 90’s. All month long.  Definitely the worst July of my life that I can recall.

I could walk with only a little pain and sit for short periods just no laying down.

So I was able to do a few things including lunch at Mellow Mushroom with my friend Anonymous Mary.  It’s our favorite pizza place where I think she gets the veggie and I know I get the Holy Shitake.  We take the leftovers home for tomorrow.   I know she’ll hate this picture but I only had two and the other one was worse.   I should have looked more closely at them when I took them.  But there’s only so many times you can ask to take someone’s picture.

One day I served myself the mini pancakes I’d made for the kids when they were here and continued reading the 550 page biography of the artist Frida Kahlo about whom there is an exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond that Laurie and I are planning to attend in August.   What a life she had. 

Of course there were always, even in the extreme heat, beautiful skies and the mountains.

I spotted two spotted neighbors just inside the yard one morning.  What a treat.

Not much else to say about July.  Sciatica and the attempts to get rid of it took up the month.   August WILL have to be better.