A pileated woodpecker (Woody?) pounding on a tree in the back yard.

January 29, 2013 – Tuesday

32 degrees/rain/calm

Pentoga Road

Thankfully, it appears we may have dodged a freezing rain bullet this morning. I just walked outside and though the deck is slippery, it appears the ice is about to turn to liquid with the forecast high for today at 40 degrees. What goofy weather. It’s to turn back around with below zero temperatures forecast for later this week.

A nuthatch and chickadee share a cake of suet

Monday morning was spent clearing the six to eight inches of new snow received Sunday night. It was the perfect day. The sun was shining, the temperatures moderate, yet the snow remained light enough to handle without difficulty. I spent extra time cleaning the deck. With last night’s rain, it’s completely snow-free.

Mike and I decided to go fishing towards late morning. Riding double on the four-wheeler, we laughed our way down the road and out onto the lake. He caught one crappie. Nothing hit on my line. We decided to try it again later in the day and came back home.

I returned to a digital mountain of papers to read and grade. How difficult it was to keep my eyes open after being outside all morning and at one point, may have slipped off into a short grandpa nap… somewhere between reading about the migration of the Athabascan Indians and facts being reported concerning Alaska’s largest glacier. It’s all interesting stuff written by my students, but the urge to take a nap was greater.

It's amazing how large these woodpeckers are

Mike and I returned to the lake as the shadows were beginning to get long. It was slow at first, but the fish soon began hitting. Mike has company coming on Wednesday evening for supper and wants to serve fried fish. He’ll have plenty.

We are supposed to go fishing first thing this morning, but will wait until daylight to see what the weather is going to do. Mike’s returning to Marquette later today and I think I’ll work in the barn while the temperatures are still warm. It needs a good straightening before winter returns later this week. I’ve not walked in several days and it’s time to resume my daily exercise. With the girls here last weekend and the snowfall yesterday, I’ve been lax and my burgeoning belly is proof. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Over the river and through the woods... Sargie's off to work on Monday morning.