 |
| Deep in the woods, a butterfly sits on the blossom of a thistle |
July 24, 2013 – Wednesday
42 degrees/sunny/calm
Pentoga Road
I’m wondering where in the devil the summer has gone and
where it’s going? With the knee beginning to get back to some sort of normalcy,
all I’m doing is playing catch up.
Now I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy multiple projects.
On the other hand, as much as I enjoy the winter months, there’s much I’d like
to accomplish before the days grow too much shorter. I love living life; to
wake up every morning eager to see what the day holds, roll up my shirtsleeves
and dive into a task, observe the fruit of my labors at the end of the day. I
think most people dream of retirement and how they’d like it to be. Even with
the setback of knee surgery earlier this summer, I’m getting to live my dream. I
truly count my blessings.
Tuesday began with Mom and me going to town. I had some
banking to do and later, stopped by Brother Yooper Mark’s plant where we
visited for a bit. The wind was blowing, the temperatures quite chilly. Before
we left, I changed into jeans and a flannel shirt. It felt good to put on my
fall clothes, cover up those two lily-white sticks I call legs, and wear some
man clothes. No doubt, there’ll be ample opportunity to wear shorts and
t-shirts yet this summer.
Arriving back home, Mom gave me a hand and we worked on
Sargie’s park bench, the one she inherited from a family member somewhere along
the way. I’ve never been able to get the proper cuts and as she's done for the past sixty-one years, Mom made
everything right. Sargie’s park bench, the one with the cement ends, looks
almost as good today as it did when it was first manufactured, probably close
to a hundred years ago.
My band saw broke down yesterday. The rubber part, the tire, that the blade rides on on
the lower wheel disintegrated yesterday. It’s a fourteen-inch
Buffalo brand. The company went out of business in the 1970’s, so there are few
manuals and most parts are after market. I talked with Neighbor Mike, down from
Marquette working on his camp, and he seems to think he can get a new wheel
tire there. I’m going to call the store he mentioned this morning and see if
they have such a thing. If not, I’ll be shopping for one on the internet.
Yesterday ended by hanging a shelf in the barn. I’m still
trying to get everything put away after getting the new floor. It’s coming….
slow, but steady.
Sargie’s off today. Other than laundry, I’m not sure what
she has on her agenda. I do know this is the last day she won’t be working for
a while.
I need to stake up some stubborn tomato plants that the
strong winds blew over. I’ve tied, propped, and leaned all in an effort to get
them to grow upright. The dozens of green tomatoes hanging from their upper
branches are too heavy.
It’s time to get out the bush hog and mow the rough places
around the property. I use the large rotary mower once or twice a year and will
spend more time greasing and preparing it than I will actually mowing. There’s
the wood shed to paint and two more boxes of “stuff” in the barn to be put
away.
But first, I need to get a cup of coffee and think deep
thoughts. After all, a man’s work is never done.
So are the tales from Pentoga Road…
No comments:
Post a Comment