Luke and Melinda sent this video on Saturday of the kids playing in the rapids behind their house in Maine. It's history repeating itself. The Pennington boys and I used to swim in some large rapids in the "big woods" of the Allagash Federal Wilderness Waterway in northern Maine. We considered it nature's amusement park.

June 16, 2013 – Sunday

56 degrees/sunny/breezy

Pentoga Road

Happy Father’s Day, Dad. Though he passed away over a decade ago, he’s still remembered and loved.

Dad truly became the mature, mellow, very wise, elder in his later years. We spent a few days together once or twice a year, but it wasn’t enough. I was in my late forties, up to my eyeballs in work, bills, and family.  He had so much more to teach me. It simply wasn’t on my list of priorities.

What is it, as I make this journey further into my senior years, I think more and more of Dad? Seldom a day goes by that we don’t have some sort of one-sided conversation. Though he was a hard working, no nonsense, disciplinarian, he could be the gentlest teacher when it came to going fishing, playing music, or some other aspect of life. He was a man of contrasts but there was never any doubt that he didn’t love me as strongly as any man could love a son.  

Dad and I had some wonderful conversations in the years before he died. He was the reason I began writing this blog. Dad was too sick to travel to Alaska and I began writing and posting pictures so he and Mom could follow my daily activities.

I wish I could see him so I could fill him in on what’s happened since he’s been gone, play another song together, or reminisce about a fishing or camping trip just one last time. Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love and miss you.

Saturday was a lazy one on Pentoga Road. It never really rained, but it wasn’t very nice either. I spent well over an hour on Skype with Luke, Abigail, and Coleman. Luke had made monkey bread for breakfast and I felt as though I was sitting at the table with them having some wonderful dad/grandpa/grandbaby conversations.

I talked with Uncle Terry and Aunt Sue for a few minutes. They were volunteering at a visitor’s center somewhere in the Virginias. Wearing official-looking shirts and wearing name badges, they looked like they belonged there. Uncle Terry wants to paint our kitchen cabinets this late summer or fall so we’re looking forward to a welcomed visit. I’ve never known anyone who loves to paint like Uncle Terry. He painted professionally and considers it a relaxing and fun activity. Me? I’ve had root canals that were less painful and more fun.

 Uncle Terry was disappointed we didn’t wait for him to paint the upstairs bathroom so who am I to deprive the poor guy of the kitchen?

Since it was rainy and cold, I talked for quite some time with Markus and Bree on Skype. Bree was quite taken with Brutus and became very excited when he stuck his nose up to the camera.

Markus is now on summer break from his teaching position and is enjoying the free time. Bree is growing like a weed and was entertaining her Uncle Tom by winking at me and blowing kisses my way. I didn’t get to see Lynette. She was with a friend picking strawberries.

I decided to go fishing. In the end, I caught four really nice bluegills from the spawning nests. The cleaning table Matt and Jessica got me worked well. I connected the hose and happily filleted the fish.

I’m thinking of going out later today, but there’s a fairly good breeze and holding the small boat in one place might be difficult.

Sargie arrived home last night around 9:30 after a very long day. She works today from noon until 5. I’m planning on frying fish, shrimp, mushrooms, and sweet potato fries for our Father’s Day supper tonight. For sure, we’re not going to starve.

Time to pour another cup of coffee and wander out to the garden. A man’s work is never done, you know.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…