January 31, 2013 – Thursday

4 degrees/clear/breezy

Pentoga Road

Once again, the weatherman lied. He said we might expect a mere inch of snow yesterday with another to fall last night. The inch turned into two, and that to four, and eventually, those developed into six to eight. I’ll go out on a limb and forecast that the first time the winds blows, there’ll be some fairly descent-sized drifts. I should be a weatherman when I grow up.

The last day of January... It’s crazy how fast this past year has gone. A year ago now, I had just decided to retire. Everything since is a blur. It seemed after the decision was made, the remaining time was spent corresponding with the Teachers Retirement System, trying to sell the boat, or making plans for a life in the Upper Peninsula. I’ve never regretted my decision. So far/so good.

I rode with Sargie four miles towards Iron Mountain on Wednesday morning in the snow. Leaving me by a gravel pit to walk back home, I stood in ankle-deep snow as she drove away. Visibility was lousy.

Twenty minutes later, I sensed, more than heard, a car pull alongside me. It was Sargie heading back home. She’d driven several miles further towards Iron Mountain when visibility was reduced to zero. Between the heavy snowfall and the wind, she decided to error on the side of good sense and return home. As it turned out, her decision was very wise. It continued snowing, often heavy, for the rest of the day.

Though Sargie offered me a ride, I declined. I wanted to walk. Almost every truck or car that went by stopped and asked if I needed a ride. Typical Yooper folks; help out a fellow human in the time of perceived need. It’s one of the many reasons I live here.

When I told each I was out walking “on this beautiful day” for my health, all laughed, wished me good luck, and drove on. One man asked two or three times if I was sure I didn’t need a ride. Bless his heart. He already has his ticket to Heaven.

Sargie and I spent a nice, quiet, day on Pentoga Road. Few vehicles, if any, drove past. For sure, we didn’t have to worry about being plowed out by the county. It took them three days to clean the road after several inches of snow fell last week. When it comes to an after-storm cleanup, I think Pentoga Road is an afterthought. There’s at least one positive that I can think of; an unplowed road keeps the tourists away and I didn't see one drive by yesterday!

I took time to fashion a crude flagpole bracket in the shop to replace the one the falling snow (from the roof) had broken on Tuesday. With the temperatures in the teens and quickly dropping, I didn’t worry about making it intricate, just purely useful. I’ll paint it white today and mount it tomorrow so Old Glory can once again wave proudly on Pentoga Road. A much nicer looking one will be made once the temperatures warm this Spring.

I fried fish, fries, and shrimp last night for supper. Sargie made salads and we ate like the piggies we know how to be. We later watched the newest Mission Impossible movie. It was a wonderful, lazy, day.

Sargie has to work today and close the Vision Center tonight. It’ll be a long day for her. I’ve got a test to post online for one of my classes and no doubt, there’ll be more papers and assignments to read and grade. I know there’s a load or two of laundry to be done, and of course, snow that needs to be removed from the drive and deck… and then there’s that darn mandatory nap, the one written about in the Grandpa Handbook. It’s tough, but as you well know, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…