On Flooding and Drought and Three Days in Agony

As I finished planting the veggie gardens torrential rains descended upon us for days on end. Too much rain is just as bad as too little rain. Heavy rains tend to compact the soil and drowns the plants. A lot of the new plants I had set out were starting to lose chlorophyll; especially the pepper plants. The only thing that did not seem to mind the flooding was the weeds and grasses and they were starting to take over the garden.

The torrential rains finally came to an end. The gardens were very wet and I waited a few days before getting back to work on them. I attacked the weeds and grasses in the back veggie garden to get some control over them so I could mulch the veggie garden. I also resowed the beet row as well as sowing a second row of green beans and six hills of butternut squash. I was starting to feel some discomfort in my back but it was not enough to concern me. I decided to sprinkle some fertiliser around the volunteered white potatoes and the row of pumpkins and pull some soil over the fertiliser. At that point I decided to call it quits as the discomfort in my back was getting worst.

The next day I tackled the mulching of the flower beds as I was behind in that job as well due to the torrential rains. As I was weeding and mulching around the snowball bush and the lilac bush in the back garden I felt the muscle on my lower right back do a quick "twinge". It was not bad but I decided I needed to rest it a bit before continuing. After resting I decided to spread the rest of the mulch with the rake instead of bending down and doing it by hand; it is harder to tell how thick it is with the rake and I prefer spreading by hand.

The following morning as I was getting dressed I felt a strong muscle spasm on the right side of my back. I decided to not do any strenuous work as I did not want it to get worst. I was sore on that side for the rest of the day; however, I figured with taking it easy and after a good night's sleep all would be well. I was very wrong. The next morning as I attempted to get out of bed both of my lower back muscles spasm creating great pain for me. I had to stay very still because any movement would sent the muscles into spasms and I would be in agony. I could not sleep because as soon as I would doze off and my body relaxed, my back would spasm jerking me awake in agony. The pain from the spasms were so intense that I would break out in a heavy sweat. I spent the next three days in this condition. If it had not been for my sister taking time to come and help me I don't know what I would have done. My sister lives 18 miles from me; 36 miles round trip, and it was not easy for her to find the time out of her schedule to assist me.

Finally, my sister decided I needed to force myself out of bed. It was not easy and I had to endure muscle spasms to do so. It helped; apparently sitting upright helped the muscles to relax and if I was careful the spasms would not occur. I spent the day sitting on the sofa and that night I made a bed on the recliner and manage to get some sleep although I had strange dreams and a nightmare. Getting out of bed proved to be what I needed as the spasms stopped although I was left with a very sore back. On Sunday my sister came and help me catch up in the gardens, helping to drive the t-posts I used to support the tomatoes and helping me to plant some eggplants as the first did not do well during the flooding. After my sister left, I decided to hoe the back veggie garden and I think that was a mistake; I just hope the spasms don't return because of it.

On the drought, after the flooding ended nature decided we needed hot dry days with the temperatures reaching the low 30s (°C, low 90s °F). The back veggie garden soil was baking to a hard brick while I was unable to attend to it. The garden in the little valley fairs better because of the runoff from the slopes. The flower pots and beds were starting to dry out after the flooding and my sister helped to keep the flowers in the pots from dying while I was incapacitated. I am very grateful for the help my sister gave me while I was incapacitated with my back spasms. Today I placed the sprinklers in the back veggie garden and allow enough time for a good soaking. The veggie gardens are starting to really grow and I was surprised at the difference from the time my ordeal started and I was able to get back outside.

This is not the first time I have problems with my back and last year I spent two days in bed with my back although it was nowhere near as bad then as it was this time. I told myself last year that I needed to work on strengthening my lower back muscles. However, I did not do as I intended. I should have spent the winter working on strengthening my back muscles; instead I stayed in my little office with the space heater because it was so cold and I paid the price. I do not want to go through another bout of what I endured this last time with my back. I am going to work on strengthening my back muscles as soon as they have healed.