Boxes of Christmas decorations from the storage unit. Let the season begin!

November 30, 2012 – Friday morning

20 degrees

Pentoga Road

It’s already the last day of firearm deer season and almost time to put away the rifle for another year. I’ll be processing the buck this morning so we’ll see how much meat there is when I’m finished. There’s a doe that hangs around that has no fawn. She could be a last minute addition to the pantry if she meanders too close.

I lost a student from my electronic grade book online. I attempted to enter a project grade a bit ago and am unable to find her listed anywhere. I’m not worried; she’s been a top-notch scholar and has earned her A with no question. Still, it bothers me. I’ve already written the tech people at the university asking what/how/where this happened and how to find her semester’s marks.

Mandy Jo sent this picture last night. Sitka at sundown from the parking lot at UAS. 

It was a busy morning in Iron Mountain yesterday. After riding with and telling  Sargie goodbye at the Vision Center, I filled both vehicles with fuel. If one loads money onto a Walmart cash card, he receives a ten-cent a gallon discount. Unfortunately, I think the price will do nothing but continue to climb in the coming years.

After, I drove to the storage unit and filled the car with boxes and totes of Christmas decorations. Sargie loves Christmas and has accumulated the dressings of the holiday over the years.

I also stopped at Home Depot where I finally found some boards for a dog-eared fence. I’ll use those to make ermine boxes for trapping. In fact, I hope to start on those this weekend.

I arrived home around noon and unloaded the SUV. It was cold, cloudy, and very damp. The pumpkins were finally removed from the front porch. They were frozen solid and I rolled most along by shoving them with my foot towards the wheelbarrow. They’ve been thrown out back of the yard for the deer to enjoy.

Next was working up two day’s supply of wood. Enough has been used from the shed that I could probably get another load from Yooper Brother Mark’s plant. I’ve only used a few sticks of maple hardwood this winter. Burning the log-end popple has been easy, convenient, and has saved me no small amount of time and money.

Sargie enjoyed dinner with Mr. Milligan at the VA last night and was home later in the evening. We had left over left over left over’s and can finally call Thanksgiving over. And if you can make any sense of that, you’re doing well. Sargie decorated for a couple of hours last night while I cheered her on from my recliner, listening to songs of the season.

The angel once agains reigns from atop the Christmas tree

Mandy Jo sent a picture of the bobcat fur hat she made at her business, Sewin’ by the Sea, in Sitka. Mandy Jo and her best friend, Brandi Jo, had a great time at the Christmas bazaar in Sitka last weekend and Mandy sold out of most of her sewn items.

Mandy Jo modeling the bobcat hat she made for a customer from a skin he supplied.

If anyone is looking for a different-type of Christmas gift, try Mandy Jo’s website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SewinByTheSea. Her work is really outstanding!

I’m going to work the buck up this morning. Hopefully, that won’t take too long. I’ll quarter him in the barn then bring those pieces inside to cut and wrap. If I’m going to make jerky, I’ll have to find some refrigerator racks somewhere and make a stand to fit over the wood stove. The last one I constructed is still in my cabin north of the Arctic Circle. I guess I could hop in the car and drive up to get it… or not.

As mentioned earlier, a last minute doe might be harvested if I feel we need more meat. I’ve got the tag. For sure, none of it will go to waste. A man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…