Pentoga Road

September 17, 2012

The Little House on Pentoga Road

I’ve got the same Monday morning feeling as I did when I was employed in the public schools years ago. I look at what is on the agenda this coming week and I simply want to go back to bed. It’s a conditioned response, not a realistic one. The week is dawning dark and chilly, there’s half-day work through Friday, two meetings scheduled, taxes to pay, and somewhere in the mix, I need to sneak into town and see Barber Bob to get my ears lowered. Listen to me whine!

Sunday was a gorgeous day on Pentoga Road. It was hard waving to our company as they drove away. Like Garry and Jody or Mark and Sheri, Aunt Sue and Uncle Terry aren’t merely friends; they are family. They simply fit into the scheme of life.

Sargie left for work by midmorning and I got on the mower for what was hopefully, the last trim of the season. I cut the yard, trails, and meadows. It was enjoyable, mowing through the mounting piles of red leaves, enjoying the warm air that carried just a hint of chill, and inhaling huge amounts of clean air that smelled like… fall.

I decided to unpack the car and spent some time carrying those things we’d moved from Sargie’s old house. The biggest object was the entertainment center. I could lift it, but it was bulky and not at all one-person friendly. Still, with no small amount of determination and after a review of the list containing my favorite four-letter vocabulary words, the beast was wrestled through the front door without scratch.

The garden was next. I picked several nice cantaloupe whose degree of ripeness was questionable. We had one last night and it was sweet and juicy. I would have preferred one more week of warm weather to turn starch into sugars, but for a northern grown fruit, it was okay. The weather in the more southern latitudes; heat and sun, is what makes sweet melons.

I still have onions to pluck from the ground, hang, and dry, for the winter months. Other than the pumpkins and gourds, I believe the garden is about finished for the year. I’ll bind the corn stalks in the next week or so to make a fall display for the front porch and finish letting the few pumpkins that haven’t turned orange do so. The last thing I’ll do is dig the potatoes, then I’ll pull the stalks and tuck the garden away for the winter months.

Gourds

With daylight left on Sunday afternoon, I decided to hike to Pentoga Village, a trek of 4.24 miles round trip. I enjoyed the stroll although on the return trip, I decided to cut onto the neighbor's land abutting mine, to observe the select timber harvest that’s currently underway. After walking deep into the woods, I discovered I might be lost. I keep forgetting my eyesight isn’t as keen as it once was.

It took me sometime to figure my way out, mostly using the sun as a guide, and eventually found the original skidder trail. Lesson learned? I’ll be carrying a GPS on my future treks off the beaten path or at least a minimum of a good, old-fashioned compass. Talking handheld GPS units are now on the market. I think I’ll begin looking into the possibility of purchasing one.

Sargie arrived home and we walked around the property for a while enjoying the late afternoon and setting sun. Later in the evening, we worked together to assemble the components and run the wiring in the entertainment center. Gone are my homemade cabinets and shelves. I have to admit, standing in the corner, the new piece of furniture takes up less room and looks much better.

Today will see a half-day of work at the camp. There are multiple activities going on all week, so it will be a hopping place. The new person who is replacing me will hopefully be coming in with Lucy training her. I’ll be a voice, a smile, and a hug.

Susie in Alaska and I will meet tonight online in a video conference. I’m looking forward to getting my class straightened out so I can concentrate on teaching and not navigating the software. The instruction is the easiest and most fun part. The other? As it is now, not so much so.

Time to upload a picture or two and think about getting ready for work.

So go the tales from the little house on Pentoga Road…

On my hike Sunday afternoon, I rounded a curve and was heading down to the river when I nearly walked upon a person lying on the bridge reading a book. It was there I met my newest BFF, Angie. She was waiting to pick up family members who were kayaking down the Mighty Brule River.