First things first. Our beautiful niece, Brielle, continues to grow and is becoming quite the beautiful little lady.

February 25, 2013 – Monday morning

16 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

This weekend has been a relaxing one. Saturday featured another inch of snow falling to the ground. After my morning walk, I spent the rest of the day grading papers and cleaning the house. With the wood stove continually being used, the living room needed dusting and the floors in the house were either swept, washed, or vacuumed. By afternoon’s end, the house looked passable.

I received some pictures and news of the two oldest Pennington boys’ victory in a fishing tournament in southern Maine on Saturday. Officially, Josh, brought in a large pickerel, (a smaller version of the northern pike) of 4 lbs 6 oz to place second. He’s quick to credit his younger brother, Luke, for setting up and baiting the tip-ups, etc., and Luke gives his older brother credit for pulling the fish in. Together, they won $250 worth of Cabelas merchandise and certificates. I’m proud of both. 

Josh with the derby runner-up

The co-winner, Luke

I also received a video from my third son, Matt, who is currently in Vietnam on business. My jet-setting, globe-trotting son, regularly travels the world and I've learned to expect pictures or videos from the furthest corners of the earth documenting his adventures. 

Sunday was one of the nicest days we’ve enjoyed this late winter. Rather than indulge in my usual early morning writing, I graded papers. After, I went for my walk.

With the sun shining brightly, the temperatures warming to above freezing, and no noticeable breeze, hiking was purely pleasurable. Even after five miles, I was sad to see my daily stroll come to an end.

I found a very happy mama when I walked into the house. Sargie informed me that Macrea, her youngest son, and his lady friend, were on their way to visit for a few hours. We quickly found the ingredients with which to make pizzas and I left Sargie in the kitchen to work her magic while I read more assignments.

The biggest surprise came with the kids in the form of golden retriever; a beautiful, petite, energetic, well-behaved one at that.

Lily and I immediately bonded. At the ripe old age of 1 ½ years, she reminded me of the Pennington family dog of many years, another golden retriever, Brandi.

Sargie and Macrea wanted to talk mother/son/family/life stuff. Living in town, Lily was eager to go outside and explore. I was happy to oblige.

We spent close to an hour walking through the woods, wading into often-deep snow. She’d continually run ahead, then stop and wait for me to catch up; something Brandi often did.

I was transported back in time. Josh was a newbie in high school, Luke in the upper elementary grades, and Matt and Andy mere munchkins. A parent had heard I was looking for a golden retriever. We’d had to put our last one to sleep after many years as a family companion. The family needed a dog.

When we first got Brandi, she was unaccustomed to running free. Always kept in a garage on a chain, the pooch was a wild woman. Initially I told the owner I wasn’t interested. He begged that we take her, complete with house, food, bowls, and a toy, and if it didn’t work out, he’d take her back. The price? Free. In fact, I think he would have paid us to take her off his hands.

Brandi was a runner and we were warned to NEVER let her run free. I’d never chained a dog and would rather not own one than sentence a pooch to a life of boredom and slow death in a small area.

Brandi remained confined for less than 24 hours before she experienced her first taste of freedom. Living ten miles out of town and surrounded by huge potato fields in the boondocks of northern Maine, she sprinted a quarter-mile circle around our farm house, never quite getting out of sight. After an hour, she came back, entered through the back door, and plopped on the kitchen floor. Brandi officially became a Pennington and was seldom confined to a chain again.

Lily very well could have been Brandi reincarnated. It’s been years since I even thought of wanting a dog. When we returned to the house, I told Lily’s owner that if she ever wanted to find a home for her companion, she could find a safe and loving place, one with lots of room to run, with Sargie and me right here on Pentoga Road.

Sargie and I took a drive after the kids left. We found a new road which to explore and thoroughly enjoyed the late afternoon.

There was still plenty of daylight left when we arrived home. I told Sargie I was going to clean one side of the double shed of wood in anticipation of constructing this year’s maple boiler. Within minutes, donned in work gloves, hair up in a ponytail, and with a look of “git ‘er dun” on her face, she was hauling, flinging, and stacking wood like the Yooper gunslinger she knows how to be. We laughed and talked and made short work of our chore.

Last night was spent playing a game of rummy. It was a nice end to a very pleasant day.

Sargie's knocking icicles off the eves

Sargie is working early today then has an appointment at the beautician’s late this afternoon. I’m going for my walk first thing and no doubt will continue grading assignments after. This afternoon will be spent preparing for the upcoming maple season. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…