May 14, 2013 – Tuesday

38 degrees/sunny/calm

Pentoga Road

Monday was a busy one on Pentoga Road, but as usual, it didn’t seem as though I accomplished very much. I still have to remind myself that I’m retired and in reality, time is of no great importance. The only thing I’m racing against now is the timing of putting in the garden. The rest will be here if and when I get to it this year. And if I don’t? There’s always next.

I mentioned yesterday it was cold. The eighteen degrees registered here in the valley was cold enough to freeze the geranium plants in the greenhouse, killing them. It did the same to the tomatoes and peppers I’ve been raising from seed. That was done after I’d plugged in two heat lamps Sunday night supposedly as insurance policies against any rogue cold that might do damage.

It appears we’ll end up purchasing our bedding plants in the next couple of weeks and use this year’s experience as a lesson for next. The cold was a record-breaker, but it would have been so easy to bring the flowers in for the night. Live and learn.

A month ago, there was still three feet of snow in the maple woods and I was tapping most of these trees.

I worked most of the day on rolling out black plastic mulch and spreading chips over the top. I’m down to one row left on the orchard side and that will be completely finished. My attention in the days to come will be turned to the garden side. The work is tedious at best, but should be worthwhile when it’s finished.

The remainder of the day was spent working on the mower deck. I greased the bearings, put on new blades, and am now in the process of attempting to tighten a cable that is used to raise and lower the deck. All that will remain after will be to change the new oil and air filters, add oil, gas, and begin mowing. It’s good to have that job finished for the year.

Sargie did laundry yesterday and spent time painting in the upstairs bathroom. Though we’re not completely finished, I think I’ll begin carrying tools out to the shop and get the hall and bathroom ready for a good scrubbing and cleaning. Only the little things remain on the modeling job.

I think I’m going to skip walking my miles for a few days. The left knee was swollen and hurting again on Monday after the dog and I walked our usual five miles. I took the liberty of doing some internet research and discovered I probably have “runner’s knee,” a term used to describe any one of several ailments. Though none are generally serious, all seem to be cured by laying off any strenuous athletic activities that involves bending the knee for a few days. I’ve put myself on a three-day long distance walking disabled list and will try it towards the end of the week.

Sargie displayed her culinary skills and made a big batch of enchiladas Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, neither of us went to bed hungry.

Sargie's homemade enchiladas

Brutus and I had a couple of Come-to-Jesus meetings. He has suddenly developed the penchant for suddenly disappearing when I’m not looking. Yesterday, he sprinted to the back of the property and no amount of calling could summon him back. The pup was physically retrieved and spent some time on his leash. As usual, that reminded him of what good companion dogs do and he was great for the rest of the day after being released.

Helping to unroll the black mulch

Brutus suddenly feels as though he’s entitled to sleep on the furniture after Sargie and I go to bed. He usually begins the night on the floor at the foot of our bed, but sometime during the twilight hours, comes back downstairs and gets up on the furniture in the living room. That’s a huge no-no in our house. From pictures I’ve seen, I know he was allowed to do that by his previous owner, but that dawg don’t hunt here. He has his own bed in the living room and he will learn to use it. There’s only one thing more stubborn than a bulldog… and that’s his owner.

Today… Sargie closes tonight so it will be a long, long, day for her. I wish someone could tell me the winning numbers to this week’s lottery so she wouldn’t have to work. It will be 9:30 tonight before she sees Pentoga Road again.

I want to cover the last strip of bare ground in the orchard with mulch today. There are phone calls to be made to the topsoil people and the bulldozer man. It’s about time for both. The mower should be finished today and ready for use. Tools need to be carried from the upstairs bathroom and put away in the shop, along with all the others that I’ve simply laid on the workbench during this project. There are onions and radishes that need to be planted, plus the potatoes to cut and made ready for planting. Should there be any daylight left, the potato patch needs tilling as does a new area of the garden that was grass last year. It will be planted in green beans this coming season.

Time to get Sargie up for the day and get a cup of coffee. A man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…