July 5, 2013

July 5, 2013 – Friday

56 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

Whew, I’ve got to clean everything from the hard drive this morning on my Mac. It’s starting to remind me of the Windows computers I’ve owned over the past twenty-five years. It’s sluggish, takes forever to boot a program, and isn’t acting Mac-like at all. I had to do the same thing a year ago and after, it was as though I’d purchased a new machine. With a year’s worth of pictures, videos, research papers, students’ assignments, and downloads and jokes of all genre’s, it’s probably a good thing I transfer it all to the external hard drive and begin again.

The Fourth was a fun one spent with the Milligan family. We swam and gabbed, laughed and ate, our way through the day. I initially swam for an hour or so, or I should say, held up a wall of the pool, but with my heart migrating back into a swollen knee, I climbed from the water and spent the rest of the day on dry land.

Regan, Emily, and Marley

Just because my knee hurt didn’t mean there was anything wrong with my stomach. I enjoyed all the munchies and especially delighted in Sargie’s brother-in-law’s homemade pickles. In fact, we did a bit of bartering and I agreed to trade a quart jar of homemade maple syrup for one filled with his pickles.

Boyd is a real gardener; in fact, he has two, one at their home and another at his camp. He said this is the lousiest gardening season he’s experienced in years. I talked with another of Sargie’s brothers-in-law and he’s completely given up on his garden. He said nothing is growing due to the cold nights and he simply quit trying.

Boyd and Macrea playing "washers"

Talking to both made me feel better. I was fearful it was me… evidently others are having the same results. It’s simply not a good growing year.

I spent much of the day with Sargie’s older brother, Pat. He’s not a huge noise, heat, and crowd person and we often find ourselves together in a quiet corner at the family gatherings. We spent much of yesterday in the air conditioning, watching the History Channel, and talking. He’s a really nice man, an avid reader, and one of the smartest people with real common sense I’ve ever met. Pat’s never been to Alaska, yet probably knows more about the state, it’s people and history, than I do… and I teach Alaska studies at the university and graduate level.

Nephew Derek is cooking the brats and burgers. Sister Jeannie is assisting, and Sargie is supervising.

We left the gathering around 5 PM and went to the VA Hospital to have supper with Mr. Milligan. After, the three of us took a stroll around the block and enjoyed the evening air.

Sargie and I decided to forsake the local fireworks last night in favor of a full night’s sleep. She has to work early this morning and then close on Saturday. Sargie may have gotten the holiday off, but is certainly paying for it the next two days.

I’ve got papers to grade this morning and probably won’t do much today or for the next several. I’ve got to lay off the knee and get this darn thing healed. The way it’s going, the summer will be a long and distant memory before I’m able to get active again. To say I’m frustrated is somewhat of an understatement.

I think I’ll start carving again. I’m no artist, shaper of wood, or artisan. I simply enjoy piddling around, making stuff appear out of what used to be ordinary boards or chunks of firewood. 99% of what I carve ends up in the wood stove and that’s okay. It’s fun, I learn something new each time I begin a project, and occasionally, something actually turns out looking passable.

Time to get another cup of coffee and think deep thoughts. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…