Getting a load of wood on Thursday

November 2, 2012 – Friday

30 degrees/breezy/cloudy

Pentoga Road

I’m not sure why the sandman decided to skip through the bedroom sometime after 4 AM rendering me unconscious. I remember raising up on one elbow and looking at the big white numerals on the clock… 4:00 AM. Hmm, to get up or lay in bed for a bit… It was cold on the other side of the blankets. Snuggled next to Sargie, I opted to remain where I was.

The alarm blasted both of us awake at 6. I had a difficult time opening my eyes and felt as though I could sleep until noon. I guess some mornings are just like that.

Thursday was a busy one around the house on Pentoga. I filled the Man Truck with garbage and headed to the dump. Well, at least that’s what we called it in the old days. Now, it’s referred to as the “transfer station.”

I miss the days of good old-fashioned dumps. They were more reminiscent of huge rummage sales with a peculiar odor. When my sons accompanied me, we often left with more than we brought. For years, used dump-motors covered the floor of the garage. Andy delighted in rebuilding anything that ran on gas. One motor was designated the “good” one, the rest were for parts. Working out of our Sanford and Son-type garage, the boy kept us supplied in free lawn mowers for several years.

Returning from the dump, ‘er, transfer station, on Thursday, I threw in the several pieces of scrap metal that have accumulated over the past few months, plus a couple of bags of cans. It was recycle time. I gained $27 in that process and felt downright spunky, so much so that I spent part of the money on a couple of lottery tickets and package of cigars. Nothing like a bit of money in one’s pocket!

Going to the metal scrap yard. Everything from a satellite dish to an old gate. Even the old tailgate will be recycled.

I stopped to see Mark at the plant. He’s still hurting a bit from being in an accident three weeks ago. Another motorist hit him broadside and totaled the company truck… totally the other party’s fault. I tried hard to talk Mark into suing the other guy and making millions… then sharing it with me. It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? So far, I’m not having any luck.

Failing to become an instant millionaire at Brother Yooper Mark’s expense, I decided to fill the truck with log ends while at the plant. One of the workers saw me back up to the pile and came out with the loader and made the job effortless. All I had to do was stand and watch while he filled the truck with a month’s worth of wood to burn.

It was cold and windy. I decided to cut and chip another group of popples after returning home. If I can keep on my current schedule, I should be finished for the fall months by next week sometime. Right now, I’m racing the weather. As long as the ground remains bare, I’ll be in good shape.

There was still an hour left before dark. Already dirty and sweaty, I donned my hiking shoes and finished out the daylight hours with my five-mile walk. It felt good to put one foot in front of the other and work out the day’s kinks.

Sargie was home fairly early. We feasted on leftover clam chowder and homemade bread. I can already see that some combination of the two will become suppertime staples this winter when it’s cold and blowy.

I’m going to continue cutting today. I’ve been trying to put things away in the barn, readying it for the winter months, and at some point, need to pull out the snowmobile and start it. Should the machine need some work, it’ll be much easier now than later when working without mittens makes one’s finger sting. And, I imagine I’ll stroll the five miles before today’s end.

Sargie gets off work early today. Though she has to work on Saturday, it’ll be an early one and she’s off Sunday. Another week has come and gone.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Burning leaves