The bird feeder is a busy place these cold and wintry days. These are Common Redpolls. Thanks, Matt Goff, for identifying them.

December 29, 2012 – 9:29 PM

18 degrees/partly cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

I thought I’d write tonight so I might get an early start on the ice Sunday morning. With Sargie being off and the Packers playing later in the day, I hope to be home shortly after noon if not before.

Ice fishermen on Fortune Lake a few miles from our home

Saturday was a catch-all day. After writing, I made omelets with all frozen vegetables from last summer’s garden. We’ve been using tomatoes I froze whole. I run hot water over the skin, then cut the frozen fruit into chunks and put those in the omelet. Somewhere in the cooking process, they thaw and have a wonderful flavor. It’s not as good a fresh tomatoes, but better than those purchased in the store.

I did the same thing with frozen zucchini slices and had the same results. It’s one way we can preserve and later use our excess vegetables.

I spent part of the morning working on ice fishing gear. New line had to be added to one rod, a mess untangled from a tip up, hooks sharpened, and general order restored. It took over an hour, but the equipment is in as good of shape as it was two weeks ago at the beginning of the season.

As much as I hate to clean fish inside the house, I stood at the counter this morning and worked up yesterday’s catch. The filets are now frozen in water and will be thawed and eaten later. That big bluegill I caught Friday measured just shy of eleven inches. That was a big ol’ hawg.

Sargie and I went into town and did a bit of shopping. With the wild sales that are occurring, I finally broke down and purchased a juicer for about 80% of its original price. I probably won’t use it until next summer, but this was just too good a deal to pass up.

Sargie started taking down the decorations today. The tree and other Christmas goodies are safely wrapped and tucked away for another year. It’s nice to be able to sit back in my recliner and watch television rather than having to lean way over to one side to see around the tree. It’s fun to see Christmas come. It’s just as nice watching it leave for another year.

We played cards tonight and Diamond Lil took pity on me and let me win. For whatever reason, the cards were falling in my direction. Victories for me are so rare that I’ll take this one and enjoy it until we play again.

Mmm, Yooper chocolate bars. 

Time to get this uploaded and think about bed. I would like to be on the ice shortly after sunrise in the morning, out there fishing hard to put meat on the table and get home to spend time with Sargie and watch the Packers game. A man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

That's a sore from a previous frostbite on my ear lobe, NOT a piercing.