Spring wildflowers are sprouting in the woods around the house

May 9, 2013 – Thursday

49 degrees/cloudy/overcast

Pentoga Road

There’s a woodpecker on the roof pounding away at the metal covering. It seems they will hammer at anything and seem to be particularly energetic this spring. I’ve heard them on the steel barn, the roof of the house, and even the wooden box that protects the electric fence charger. I’m glad the birds aren’t any larger or I’d be telling Sargie to run for her life.

Brutus and I took our five-mile stroll Wednesday morning. I’m not sure what’s up with my left knee, but it’s swollen and difficult to bend. The symptoms of old-man’s knee began after yesterday's walk.

I’ve been running more and walking less and hope I've simply reawakened some muscles that haven’t been used in forty or fifty years. Whatever the cause, Brutus and I are sidelined for a few days until whatever is wrong mends.

Speaking of walking, I talked with Luke yesterday and he mentioned taking a weeklong hike this summer on the East Coast; possibly the Hundred Mile Wilderness through the mountains of Maine. There was also later correspondance of another trail. Whatever we end up doing, I’ll be ready… I hope. If I can get this darn knee back to normal.

I worked in the garden on Wednesday and have most of the orchard side covered in black mulch smothered with wood chips. The strawberries I planted a few days ago have sprouted leaves and the trees and berry bushes are sporting swollen, green, buds. I’m excited about this coming growing season.

I talked with the top soil people yesterday and arranged to have five more yards delivered to top off the current raised beds, fill ten, fifteen-gallon pots for more blueberries, and possibly make a few more raised beds this year. It should be delivered in the next few days.

The deck on the mower was next in my sights. I removed it (with no small amount of difficulty) and used the pressure washer to clean last year’s grime. It appears one of the guide roller brackets is bent. I need to train those trees to not jump out in front of the tractor while I’m mowing.

While utilizing the pressure washer, I cleaned the barrels and buckets used during maple season and put those away for the year.

Today’s to be cloudy and cooler with a chance of rain. I’m going to work on my syllabus and later, hope to install the trim in the upstairs bathroom.

For after all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Brutus is seldom more than ten feet away from my side. Here, he's inspecting the mower deck... I guess.

And of course, the maple buckets and barrels had to pass inspection.