I'm going to empty the ashes from the burning barrel 

May 16, 2013 – Thursday

54 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

Wednesday was about as lousy a day as I’ve had since I retired. Dad always said a person has to have one of those occasionally to appreciate the good ones.

I think rather than write about everything, I’ll make a list. It’s easier and less painful:

1)   Discovered the blueberry plants I’ve been expecting were shipped to the wrong address in Wisconsin and were marked “undeliverable.”

2)   The UPS customer service center in Iron Mountain has a phone number that has been disconnected.

3)   While attempting to work on my class that begins next week, the internet went out… and stayed that way.

4)   Standing out along the edge of the road (for better cell reception) and talking to Sargie about the blueberry plants, Brutus decided to take off up the road and across the neighbor’s field. Seems he had a moment of deafness and couldn’t hear me calling.

5)   The small Olympus Tough camera I’ve had for years decided to quit working. It’s been teetering. Yesterday, it died.

6)   Calling the internet provider (once again standing alongside the road talking as our home phone is internet based) I received the same stupid excuses and a promise that “we have to do something about that.”

7)   Found I had to go to Iron Mountain to straighten out the blueberry delivery problem. Got into the Blazer and discovered it was completely dead. Obviously, there’s a short. Jumped it from the Man Truck and went on my way.

8)   Confined Brutus to the back patio and later discovered he’d eaten the hose nozzle and an automatic plastic solar light.

9)   Two of the Walls of Water I’d filled and installed earlier in the day fell over

So there was my Wednesday. It was simply a laugh a minute. Now for the positive events that occurred:

1)   I moved and lay another row of mulch and wood chips

2)   I cut up my seed potatoes (left over from last year’s crop) and set them out for the cuts to dry

Potato cuts drying in the sun

So there we have it. If I’d not have had bad luck, I’d probably have had none at all. At least I didn’t chop my thumb off while cutting the seed potatoes.

Seriously, I was thinking as I made my way to Iron Mountain yesterday afternoon; 99.9% of my days are not only good, they are great. For whatever reason, I seem to lead a gifted life. I get to do what I love doing, mostly be outside doing some sort of activity. I’m healthy and I’m active. Sargie’s in my life and she enriches it beyond belief. Gone are the days of stupid jealousies, pimples, dirty diapers and inner ear infections. We don’t have any money to speak of, but our needs are simple. God provides.

Brutus loves to bury his rawhide chew bones. We almost tripped over this one alongside the house.

So, for the first time in my life, I could accept yesterday’s occurrences without getting overly upset. I didn’t laugh my way through the day, but I didn’t have a heart attack either. It was what it was and today’s a brand new day… and I bet it will be a good one.

After visiting with the UPS people in Iron Mountain yesterday afternoon, I found they will deliver the blueberry plants to our home here in Michigan. I originally had them shipped to friends in Wisconsin as Michigan is a blueberry state and won’t allow outside entities to ship plants here directly. I’ll expect the UPS man on my front porch sometime this morning.

I parked the Blazer (along with a spare battery and jumper cables) in the Walmart employee’s parking lot and rode home with Sargie. I’ll ride back with her on Friday morning to retrieve the Blazer. As far as the electric short goes… that will be dealt with at a later date… after payday.

I talked with AT&T yesterday and arranged for a land line to be reconnected accompanied by 6 mbps DSL internet service. I want to support Yooper companies, and do, but after a year of intermittent service and bad excuses, it’s time to move on. Since more than half of my income relies on teaching via the net, it will be a pleasure to turn on the computer and know I’m connected.

I think one of the reasons the dog acted out yesterday was because we’re not taking our long walks each morning. He’s one-hundred, twenty lbs of pure happiness, love, and energy. I tried explaining that we’re on a few day hiatus from walking and will resume soon, but still, if a dog has excess energy, he has to find somewhere to expend it.

With all that in mind, Sargie and I took him to the lake last night and made sure he got plenty of exercise. He swam, rescuing his tennis ball, until he was about half-drowned, literally, and ran until his sprints became mere trotting motions. Brutus once again became the perfect gentleman last night. I’m discovering he’s like a pressure cooker. His energy has to be released somewhere. I’ll take an hour from my chores this morning to be sure that happens and do the same this afternoon. I can’t have him eating hose nozzles and outdoor lights.

The logs may be a little light in the picture department until I find something to replace the old camera. It has served me well, but I think its time has come.

Sargie’s off today. I’m not sure what all she has in the works. I going to attempt to get some peppers planted, then continue with laying mulch and wood chips, doing some tilling, and oh yes, there’s still the mower to put back together. I hope to plant potatoes by day’s end.

A man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…