October 23, 2012 – Wednesday

49 degrees/overcast

Pentoga Road

Another mini-window just appeared on my computer screen saying the Mac needs to make an update and will automatically restart when finished. Apple is getting to be as annoying as Microsoft when it comes to updating software. One would think they’d figure out a less intrusive way to invade my privacy.

I started my foray into the digital world in 1984 by purchasing a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer for $250, a considerable sum of money in those days. It was a rare portable computer and weighed a mere twenty pounds. The dot-to-dot matrix printer that came with the machine only made it seem more magical.

 I was writing a weekly column and our local newspaper editor had the machine for sale. It wasn’t long before I kissed my old Royal manual typewriter goodbye as I got used to seeing the bright green letters appear on the black miniature screen. I was hooked.

The world of digital computing has come a long way in the past thirty years; hard drives, memory, emails, instant messaging, social media, and of course, the internet.  There’s little doubt in my mind that thirty years from now, if I’m still alive, I’ll be laughing about the old days of using a super-powered MacBook Pro that was capable of reading aloud and operating via voice commands.

But somehow, I wouldn’t be surprised that annoying screens will still be popping up, informing me that my computer needs updating and will restart when finished. Want to bet?

Monday was a busy one on Pentoga Road. I started with my five-mile hike, enjoying the near-perfect weather and temperatures. It’s a good thing I walk so much. I’m trying to tell my body that I no longer live in the arctic and don’t need an extra ten or fifteen pounds of insulation to help me survive, but it’s insisting.

Had the deer not wagged it's white tail, I'd have walked within ten feet and not seen it.

One positive; in February, when the days begin to get longer, the same body that insisted on storing fat in the fall is just as insistent that it shed any and all extra baggage. Knowing that makes the Pillsbury Doughboy look a bit more acceptable.

 There was a dead maple tree to be brought down. With chainsaw, maul, and Man Truck ready to roll, I spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon making firewood. At one point, the day was warm enough that I could work without a shirt, no doubt one of the last times this year.

Sargie had to work early on Monday and then visit her dad at the VA last night making it a very long day for her. I decided to surprise the girl and meet her in Iron Mountain, leave the car overnight, go to the VA, and ride home with her. I’ll ride back this morning and bring the Blazer back home. Sargie is scheduled to close so it will be another long day.

Thankfully, winter hours begin this weekend at the Vision Center. It will be closed on Sundays and evening hours end at 7 PM.

Sargie watched the debate last night while I retired upstairs to watch the Bears/Lions football game. Depending which side of the political aisle one favors, I’m not sure who won the Presidential debate, but the Bears definitely beat the Lions. It’s turning into a close NFL race to the Super Bowl.

I talked with Yooper Mark and Sheri last night via Skype. There’s something horribly wrong when we live only ten miles from each other, yet end up socializing via video conferencing. As we both say, we saw more of each other when I lived in Alaska.  I’m not sure where the days go. It seems either of us are busy at all the wrong times. Hopefully this winter will see more time to get together.

Sargie and I are stopping at Walgreens in Iron Mountain this morning and I’m going to purchase a supplement called Resveratrol. It’s a chemical found in red wine that supposedly has magical healing qualities. I’ve read some promising peer researched reports of its effects on Macular Degeneration when used in very low doses. Other than super vitamins, there doesn’t seem to be anything else that halts the progressive eye disease, so what’s there to lose? Stay tuned.

Depending on the weather, I’m not sure what today’s activities will bring. The miles of garden hose needs to be stored and the yard readied for the winter.

I’ve started feeding the birds during the daylight hours, bringing in the suet at night so as not to attract the bears, and the chickadees are beginning to trust me enough that I can feed them by hand. By winter’s end, I’ll have each named. I’m not sure why I get such joy out of having wild birds land on me in search of a free handout, but I do, and hey, in the movies, don’t the old retired guys always sit on the park benches and feed the pigeons? I rest my case.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…