Son, Andy, just prior to game time at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He makes friends easily!

September 10, 2012 – Monday morning

6:50 AM

Pentoga Road

Okay, I like fall and love winter, but where did summer go? A week ago, the air conditioner was blowing cool air into our bedroom so the sheet covering us wouldn’t stick to our bodies. This morning, the furnace is blowing hot air. The temperature outside? 34 degrees.

I don’t know if it frosted or not, but I rather imagine it did. It appears there’s plenty of dew to go around, no doubt frozen on top of my delicate garden plants. If so, that’ll be end of the season. Oh well, it’s been a good one.

It took the past five days to decide what to call this new page. There was no shortage of funny titles that friends submitted, most of them containing the word Yooper. At first, it sounded good, but then dawned on me that I’ve not done anything to earn a title with Yooper in it. I had to be frostbitten at least ten times and at death’s doorstep before I started calling myself an Alaskan.

Hmm, Andy gets the babes. I get the Cat in the Hat. What's wrong with this picture?

No, I’m a Yooper wanna-be, a transplant. I’ve yet to earn my wings. As a person who calls himself an Alaskan, I have no problem in deferring to Alaska, and if that’s not good enough, I’m happy to say I arrived in Alaska from the furthest reaches of northern Maine.

So a title with Yooper was out.

But, the little home with the fire engine red roof where Sargie and I live is comfortably nestled along Pentoga Road. I love Pentoga Road… it is quiet, peaceful, and lined with sugar maple trees and meadows. I imagine in a previous life, Norman Rockwell lived here somewhere. So, a title with Pentoga Road it is.

Pressure washing the house on Saturday morning, getting it ready to paint.

Saturday was a busy one. I pressure washed the exterior of the house and with Sargie’s help, trimmed several huge branches of the spruce tree that grows too close. At one point, I managed to get the bar of the chain saw pinched in a branch twenty feet off the ground. With Sargie’s help and the aid of a handsaw, rope, and the four wheeler, we managed to get the saw out and the branches down.

We went into town and dropped off several bags of tomatoes and a cabbage at Mark and Sheri’s. After, we stopped by the plant and filled the Man Truck with the last load of wood for the season. There’s no more room at the inn.

We drove to Iron Mountain Saturday evening and picked up my youngest son, Andy. He’d left Houston, Texas, around 3 PM and arrived in Iron Mountain at 9. We talked for a while on Saturday night before calling it a day.

Andy flew north so we might attend the Green Bay Packers home opener against the San Francisco 49’ers. Unfortunately, the Packers we know and love forgot to show up.

The Packers even sent a Dixieland band to greet us!

Its Frank the Tank

It wasn’t a pretty contest. In fact, it was ugly. Between poor play from Green Bay and lousy replacement referees, there were times it was almost painful. Still, they are the Packers, it was Lambeau Field, and good, bad, or ugly, we love our football team. 

Boys to Men singing the National Anthem

The fly over 

Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49'ers

TV sports commentator, Pam Oliver

Andy got the very best of tickets… row seven. We were close, REALLY CLOSE. I could see much of what was happening on the field, but in reality, the huge jumbo screen was my best friend. But who really cares? When one is in Lambeau Field, the game is almost secondary. The roaring crowd, green and gold, and ambiance’ is what it’s all about. I love it.

My childhood hero, Bart Starr

We did make the jumbo screen! At one point, the television cameras took a shot in our direction and suddenly, there was Andy and Dad!! What did we do? What any goofy fans do. We waved and screamed! It was Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on opening day!!

Aaron Rodgers

Jordy Nelson

Dances with the Stars champion, Donald Driver

The Defense

Randall Cobb

Clay Mathews

I’m sure the Packers will play much better Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. We can only hope and pray.

Sargie made the trip to Green Bay with us and spent the day shopping. She picked Andy and me up at a designated spot several blocks from Lambeau Field and we were at the airport within a matter of minutes.

Andy was here for less than 24 hours. Sargie and I dropped him off at the airport in Green Bay Sunday evening so he could fly south. Thanks for coming Andy and thanks for taking old Dad to Lambeau Field. I loved it. I love you.

Uncle Terry and Aunt Sue were here when we arrived home last night. Uncle Terry has offered to paint the house for well over a year. His passion is painting. In fact, that’s how we met. Sue and Terry were volunteers at the Sheldon Jackson College years ago. Sue worked in the library, Terry in maintenance. His specialty was painting. No one but the best will be applying a new coat of gray paint to the little house on Pentoga Road!

And so goes the tales of the little house along Pentoga Road…

A little pat on the back side for Donald Driver

September 11, 2012

Lest we forget…

I’m going to keep this short for now so I can finally get this uploaded.

Sargie and I left Terry and Sue on Monday morning as we headed our separate ways for work. Nothing like leaving company, those who are going to work on the house no less, and driving off into the sunrise.

I quickly discovered that we had a day-retreat at camp Monday morning. Either no one had told me or I’d forgotten. My boss was gone, so I did what any good employee does who has no idea what he’s doing; I smiled and hugged. It went well and after an initial check-in, I was back at my desk doing what I do. The rest of the day was spent processing registrations, counting other people’s money, recording church offerings, and so on.

I arrived home Monday afternoon to a house that is quickly becoming light gray. Uncle Terry was brushing the side of the garage and it’s looking wonderful!

Aunt Sue busied herself around the kitchen and after an initial trip to the garden, made a great veggie casserole from bread, cheese, eggs, zucchini, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables I’ve forgotten about. It was delicious!

Sargie closes the Vision Cener tonight and won’t be home until past 9. Aunt Sue is taking off for her granddaughter’s in Madison, Wisconsin, for a couple of days, and Uncle Terry… poor Uncle Terry will be left to his own devices brushing paint on the house.

The weather is picture perfect. The forecast high for today is in the mid 70’s with bright and sunny skies. I’m hoping I might get home early today so I can help paint. I did the front of the garage last night and trust Uncle Terry to touch up the places I might have missed.

And so goes the tales of the little house on Pentoga Road…