The new hearth in the living room

August 31, 2013 – Saturday

60 degrees/fog/calm

Pentoga Road

I have about half a headache this morning… the kind one gets when he sleeps too long and too hard. Sargie didn’t get home until late Friday evening as she had to close the Vision Center and knowing she was off today, I took a couple of melatonin pills to ensure I’d sleep the night through and hopefully, sleep in a bit this morning. They worked.

The headache is nothing that a cup of coffee won’t cure.

I rode back to Iron Mountain with Sargie on Friday and purchased everything but the metal roofing to complete Brutus’s doghouse. I’d just covered the roof with particle board when Neighbor Mike stopped by. We’ve been making plans to haul some old barn posts to the back of his eighty acres to make a deer blind and I figured that’s what he had in mind. I was mentally welcoming the break from my heavy doghouse-building construction project.

We talked for a bit and out of nowhere, he said, “Let’s build your hearth.”

So, during the next hour, we constructed the hearth.

With the wood stove carried outside, Mike showed me how to cut bricks using a power grinder, a special blade, and a large chisel. He set me to work on that as he started laying out the bricks in a herringbone pattern. There is no mortar, cement, or sand; simply bricks laid closely and held together by the trim. Literally, within minutes, the project was completed.

Carrying a bucket of tomatoes and hinting that his last jar of bread and butter pickles I gave him two weeks ago was nearing empty, Mike bid me farewell and headed to his camp. I told him I’d be up to help move the posts today, my kind of project that requires few brains, some muscles, and lots of bull work. That I can handle.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cutting and beveling the trim to go around the hearth. I wish I would have had a decent geometry teacher in high school. After drawing a zillion diagrams, I set the table saw for the correct angles and made the trim from scrap 2x4’s. Each piece is beveled and hand sanded and later today, a forester bit will be used to recess the screws, plug, and sand the holes. Sargie is going to stain and varnish each piece and we’ll be able to call that project complete.

Beveling the trim

While the wood stove and flue are disconnected, I’m going to clean the insides of both. I’m not looking forward to that job, but it needs to be done before heating season arrives. I also should check the firebrick and may need to replace those as well.

Sargie’s off today and will no doubt work around the house before we do our usual shopping and errands. The girl hinted last night that my new metal detector should probably find a permanent home that doesn’t include the dining room table. It’s all about priorities and hers doesn’t include a prominently displayed, camouflaged, TC1 detector laying in plain sight for anyone to see who walks through the front door.

Wait a doggoned minute... if it's really camouflaged, it should be invisible. Maybe the dining room table's not such a bad place after all. Never mind, if I don't shut my mouth, I'll be the one sleeping in the new doghouse.

With that being said, it’s time to slop the giant pumpkins and think about picking tomatoes. Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri are to be home today following a short two-day get-away and I know she’ll take a sack of tomatoes as will the widow lady up the road and one of Sargie’s co-workers.

And then there’s Brutus’s doghouse. Will I ever find the time to get it finished? Aunt Sue and Uncle Terry are coming later next week, the grass needs mowing, the garden huckleberries are ripening, and I see there are more eggplant ready to pluck.

If only you had my life, but then, I’m not surprised. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

The stress of yesterday's activities finally caught up with Brutus last night as he lay down at my feet, rolled over, and fell sound asleep.

Brutus and his new blanket. Yeah, I know. I just stifled the urge to gag. At least he's not wearing a fifi bow on his head.

August 30, 2013 – Friday

68 degrees/calm/breezy

Pentoga Road

I was awakened once during the night by the sound of heavy rain pounding on the tin roof overhead. We received just shy of half an inch and will add that to the two-and-a-quarter inches that fell a couple of days ago. The water table should be in good shape going into the winter months.

Thursday was the Day of the Dog House. I began work shortly after Sargie left and didn’t stop until well into the afternoon hours. I finally figured out how to attach the porch, yet be able to separate it from the house when I want to move the entire structure. The framing is close to being complete.

I went to Iron Mountain yesterday afternoon and rode home with Sargie after work. I’ll return with her this morning and stop at Home Depot to purchase the plywood, a sheet or two of foam insulation, and a piece of metal roofing. Hopefully, the doghouse project can soon be put to rest and Brutus can begin to enjoy his new digs. I’m also anxious to reclaim my barn and shop.

Oh, someone asked; the doghouse is only for when we are gone, so he has a place to get in out of the weather. Brutus will still be in the people house with us the majority of the time. He’s like my right arm… or a boil on my backside. None-the-less, we seemed to be permanently attached.

Sargie pulled a new blanket from a bag last night saying she'd purchased one for Brutus. The pup sleeps alongside our bed and if any part of the bed coverings are close to the floor, he slumbers with them covering his head. I think he's afraid of the dark. In fact, I know he is. We go outside before heading upstairs to bed and usually it's me who ends up standing beside a tree in the deep cover of darkness. Brutus waits on the porch, eager to go back inside. That boy must have a bladder the size of his head.

There’s not a lot of news emanating from Pentoga Road this morning. Hey, I can’t save the world every day of the week. In fact, it’s a welcome respite because as we all know, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Surrounded by shredded leaves from an earlier onslaught of hail, the great pumpkin is still growing. It should be ready for Halloween.

August 29, 2013 – Thursday

60 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

I awakened at 3 this morning after sleeping too long in the wrong position. No matter how I moved, my heart insisted it be felt in my left knee. I lay between the sheets feeling each and every beat and finally gave up any hope of going back to sleep.

I think the current knee-thing is a positive turn of events. Just a week or two ago, I’d have been incapable of falling asleep in the wrong position. It simply would have been too painful. It’s healing… very slowly. Now that I’m up and around, my heart has migrated back to its rightful place and the joint seems almost normal.

No writing was done Wednesday morning. There simply wasn’t much to write about. The UP, like the rest of the Midwest, has been stuck in a high-pressure system that has refused to budge. A storm moved through the area Tuesday night and left 2.25 inches of precipitation in its wake. 

Rather than lessening the muggy air, it served to ratchet up the moisture leaving everything damp and sticky. Consequently, I did what needed to be done before noon and spent the rest of the day inside.

I’ve worked the past two mornings on Brutus’s doghouse. Progress has been slow. I make a mark, check the angle, recheck it, then often cut in the wrong place. Thankfully, I’m using light and less expensive 2x2’s for framing. This project has turned out to be an exercise in patience and humility. I’m retired and time is one thing I have plenty of. After being built and completely torn apart, the garage is finally framed. It is designed to be bolted to the house and serves as a cunnisuk, an Inupiaq Alaskan arctic porch, that blocks any direct wind.

I also began cutting out the foam insulation for the roof and walls. The overgrown pup should be warm when using his digs this winter.

I was distraught Tuesday morning when my band saw once again broke down. A hinge that keeps the upper wheel taut and supplies tension on the blade cracked and fell apart. It’s made of simple pot metal and the years and metal fatigue became too much.

My band saw is a major part of my shop. It’s handy and I can more easily see what I’m cutting than with any other piece of equipment. Thankfully, I found the part online for under $20.

I’ve been cleaning the garage and it’s beginning to look like a… garage. How have we accumulated so much? Everything is slowly finding a permanent resting place (including the dump) and the barn and garage are being made ready for the coming winter months. The garage door is beginning to show further signs of weakness and might have to be replaced before bad weather arrives. I made repairs late last spring, but the wood is beginning to rot at the bottom. I’d hoped to get one more year of use, but I’m not sure the board across the bottom can be replaced. It’s hinged and fits with the rest of the door in an intricate manner. I’ll probably just bite the bullet; get a decent door and an automatic opener.

I went into town on Wednesday to purchase a small can of stain for the bathroom window and came up on a caravan of ATV riders. Turned out it was an entire family. Dad was leading with the children carefully following.

Now that hot weather has arrived, the garden has begun producing. I picked a pail of green beans, carrots, beets, a small zucchini, broccoli, and tomatoes just before supper last night.

 Sargie cut everything but the beets onto foil and covered all in Italian dressing to let simmer on the grill along with bratwurst patties. A better summer supper has never been had.

My new metal detector arrived yesterday and I played with it until the sweat started pouring into my eyes. Beneath the surface in the backyard, I found a broken file, pieces of tin beer cans, an old fencing staple, and other bits of buried treasure. Just because the above ground has been made litter free doesn’t mean below isn’t a dump. As soon as the temperatures return to normal, I hope to explore several nearby areas, no doubt to discover rare and ancient artifacts worth thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Failing that, it ought to be fun to simply dig around and see what turns up.

So that’s the news from the past two days. Sargie’s working some long hours this week. She’s off Saturday, but will be at the Vision Center on Sunday and Labor Day.

If it ever cools off, there’re all kinds of chores, inside and out, that need doing. With the heat and humidity, I’ve not been overly energetic.

Meanwhile, it's time to pour another cup of coffee, listen to the news, and think deep thoughts. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Sargie's off to work

Taken at Mark's plant in Caspian on Monday

August 27, 2013 – Tuesday

70 degrees/rain/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I lay in bed earlier this morning listening to the rain striking the metal roof directly overhead. Between the steady beat of the rain, the hum of the air conditioner, and the repeating rhythm of the oscillating fan, the noises that usually lull me to sleep were keeping me awake. I gave up at 4:30 and came downstairs.

If only I could keep my mind from awakening. Once it cranks up for the day, I’m finished.

The majority of Monday was spent working on and uploading this coming semester’s classes. I’m happy to say both are finished and ready for the start of a new school year.

It took over two weeks to complete the syllabi a year ago. I did the same amount of work in four hours on Monday. You can’t beat experience.

I hopped aboard the four-wheeler and went to the lumberyard to purchase a piece of trim for the bathroom window. It felt good to finally get it cut and tacked into place later in the afternoon. Mark had some problems on Sunday with that particular cut and I experienced the same yesterday.

My miter box is a relic. Made from wood, it was Dad’s and he inherited it from one of my grandpas. The grooves are worn and when used, the cuts are sloppy. One of the angles in the window trim wasn’t quite right, so when the adjoining piece was cut, it was always an 8^th of a inch short. Yesterday, I cut an angle of 48 degrees rather than 45 and it fit perfectly.  Other than staining and painting, I can cross the new bathroom window project off my list.

Uncle Terry and Aunt Sue are coming for a visit later next week. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year. Uncle Terry says he’s going to paint the kitchen cabinets. Formally a professional house painter, he claims to actually loves painting. Personally, I think the man is sick. I’ve had root canals more enjoyable than most times I’ve painted. Sargie and I are looking forward to their visit and catching up on all the news. When we’re together, the four of us don’t run out material to talk about, that’s for sure!

Terry says I need to rough up the gloss on the cabinets by lightly sanding them. There’s also wallpaper to be removed… arg. I’m beginning to have flashbacks of the upstairs bathroom days. Certain I’m suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, I simply want to find a corner, curl up in the fetal position, and suck my thumb, all the while rocking back and forth and reciting the days of the week. And he finds that sort of thing enjoyable?

Sargie works early today and has a beautician’s appointment this evening. She enjoys talking with her friend, Melissa, while getting re-purtified. <- that’s one of those professorial words that came to me once during a moment of deep thinking.

I’m going to work on Brutus’s doghouse this morning and see if I can’t get the garage and front porch framed in. It’s cool and rainy, a perfect time to play in the shop.

After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

It's hot!

August 26, 2013 – Monday

68 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

These mornings remind me of my grad school days while attending the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. It felt like I was in a steam bath from the time I got out of bed in the mornings until I retired at night as heat and humidity were the norms. It’s currently the same here in the UP, at least for the waning days of August. It’s hot.

Yesterday’s foray into the mid-90’s shattered the old record by several degrees. The wind blew all day making for a blast furnace scenario. I’m not a big fan of air conditioning, but had no trouble staying indoors when possible on Sunday. Our’s in the bedroom ran all night as well.

Large storms came rumbling across the Upper Peninsula in the early morning hours. We were awakened more than once by crashing thunder and heavy rains. Over half-an-inch of water is sitting in the rain gauge this morning. Temperatures are forecast to stay hot all week.

Yooper Brother Mark arrived at the house yesterday morning and we spent several hours installing the trim around the bathroom window. Other than one small piece, it’s done and will be ready to stain on the inside, paint outside. For certain, it makes our little home on Pentoga Road look much nicer and should definitely help with the heating situation this winter. Thanks, again, Mark!

Now there's a guy who's secure about his masculinity. Mark is perched high atop Sargie's kitchen "Barbi Stool."

Sargie and I ventured into town later in the afternoon and quickly found that even with the air conditioning, it was too hot to drive around or do our usual bit of shopping. We completed our errands and came back home.

I spent some time in the garden Sunday evening picking a few pole beans and plucking broccoli spears. I gathered enough that we had both along with potato salad for supper last night. It was a good supper for a hot and muggy late-summer evening.

Today will be spent working on this semester’s classes. I’ll utilize the large forty two-inch computer screen. It’s much easier on the eyes, although it’s sometimes feels as though I’m doing homework at the movie theater. For me, it’s pure pleasure.

Other than that, I’ll sneak into town later on the four-wheeler, purchase the piece of trim, and finish the window. But first, there’s coffee to sip, news to listen to, and deep thoughts to think.

After all, a man’s work is never done…

So are the tales from Pentoga Road… 

Yooper Brother Mark taking out the old bathroom window

August 25, 2013 – Sunday

68 degrees/partly cloudy/breezy

Pentoga Road

I’m enjoying watching two young wild turkeys strut past the window. Though rarely a day goes by we don’t see flocks of the big birds, it’s still a treat to have them so close.

A hot day is forecast, in the upper 80’s to low 90’s, and going to be downright miserable when one adds in the humidity.

I had just finished writing yesterday when Yooper Brother Mark called suggesting we install the bathroom window. You may recall, we purchased the front door, a window for the bathroom, and one for the kitchen sometime ago. Grandpa Stauber, Mark’s dad, was going to come visit and stay in the area for the summer months.  Being retired from the construction trade he said that when he came, we’d install any and everything I wanted to change in the house.

The old window

Grandpa Stauber got sick, never making it, and passed away last year. No slouch when it comes to carpentry, Yooper Brother Mark installed the door a year ago, but since, between both of us being busy or bad timing, the windows have remained in the garage. There’s been no rush to get either installed and I figured when it happened, it happened. Yesterday, the bathroom happened.

We were fortunate that the original opening was almost the same. We had to lengthen the opening by two inches, but other than that, the new window fit with little modification.

The old one, a single pane of plexiglass that had been was tinted, let in so much cold that every winter, I’d stuff a quilt or towels between it and the screen to insulate against the cold air. Last year, Sargie used a kiddy quilt and we had Mini and Mickey Mouse smiling at us through the winter months.

I’d also notice that each time one would perch upon the reading chair, just inches from the window, his toes would get cold, almost to the point of freezing.  Yesterday we discovered why… there was a huge gap beneath the window, clear to the floor, with little or no insulation. Only a bare wall separated the interior from the cold wintery winds.

The window went in fairly easily and after leveling, fixing, sighting, and nailing, it’s been affixed into its permanent home. Yooper Brother Mark said he’ll be back out this morning to do the trim. I’m fortunate to have such a good friend. Thanks, Mark.

The new window, sans trim

Neighbor Mike stopped down, no doubt to see what all the pounding and sawing was about. He said he found several old pieces of foam insulation that were dirty, but usable in his barn, and offered them for Brutus’s doghouse. That pup will be snug as a bulldog in a rug this winter.

Sargie and I made our way to Iron Mountain to have supper with Mr. Milligan. We went early and stopped at Home Depot to pick up trim for the window and enough lumber to finish the framing of the doghouse.

We had good conversation over dinner and later, after the temperatures cooled a bit, enjoyed the evening breeze outside.

I picked the first three almost-ripe tomatoes last night from the garden. Suddenly, there are many beginning to blush and I’m fearful in the next two weeks, we’ll have bushels. I can already feel the canker sores inside my mouth. I know we’ll use a bunch, Sheri and her family always use tomatoes, and Mrs. Wilkins, who I’ve almost ignored this summer due to lack of vegetables, will enjoy some. It’s been such a lousy gardening summer that none will go to waste.

Okay, maybe I'm pushing it a bit, but they're ALMOST ripe.

I’d better quit and get this uploaded. I know Yooper Brother Mark will be calling after he gets home from church. I’ve got pictures to upload, the dog to feed, the giant pumpkins to slop, another cup of coffee to drink, and news to listen to. If only you were me. A man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

August 24, 2013 – Saturday morning

54 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

I’m running a bit late this morning. Coaching the Packers from my recliner tired me out last night. Though we lost in the end, there were a few signs of improvement. Green Bay has their work cut out for them if they hope to be in the Super Bowl at the end of the season. There’re a lot of good teams in the NFL this year.

I spent most of Friday morning working on Brutus’s doghouse and finally got the roof framed in. It’s been a challenge; first how to construct it so the interior can be cleaned, then, how to get the rafters completely level. I solved that problem by taking everything apart and installing a ridgepole.

I had just begun the garage (Brutus’s entrance) when I ran out of lumber. It was time to quit anyway. My eyes were shot and patience beginning to grow thin.

I went into town to deliver the Packer cheese head I’d gotten in Green Bay for Brother Yooper Mark’s friend in Kentucky. We had a nice visit and got caught up on a bit of news and gossip.

I came home and hopped on the mower. It’s not really growing that much anymore and I think the mowing season is coming to a close. I didn’t crop the trails or meadows; they really didn’t need it.

Brutus has needed a bath for the past few days. Yesterday he got two. The first removed the outer layer of “dog”, the second got him fluffy and white… as fluffy as a bulldog can get. We played a hardcore game of fetch between the two washings and I found if I let him chew on his ball while giving him a bath, really a shower using the garden hose, he’ll sit quietly and let me lather and scrub him until he shines.

Being scrubbed twice, with a game of fetch between the washings, was tiring.

The rugs were vacuumed and hardwood floors swept. The most cumbersome task was vacuuming the steps going upstairs. I thought everything looked pretty good by the time I was finished, but Sargie will, no doubt, go over everything again to get those places I missed.

Speaking of Sargie, my favorite optician in the world was home early last night and we enjoyed a supper of left over chicken, creamed cucumbers, green beans, and potato salad. I watched the Packer’s game while Sargie did her thing. Andy and I texted back and forth during the game… if only the Packer’s coaching staff would listen to us! I’m not a very good backseat driver. I doubt I’d make much of a coach either.

A moment of frustration during the game. If only they'd listen to me...

Sargie’s off the next two days. We’ll be heading to Iron Mountain to have supper with Mr. Milligan later this afternoon. I’ll go to Home Depot and hopefully, purchase what I need to finish Brutus’s doghouse. I want to begin landscaping along the drive north of the drive, towards the woods, today. By the time I’m finished, sometime this fall, I hope to have it terraced, all the rocks (and boulders) removed, some good dirt hauled in, and install a picket fence. Today’s task will be using the frontend loader to remove some boulders and large rocks.

Whoops, Yooper Brother Mark just called. We're installing the new bathroom window today. The landscaping will have to wait until tomorrow.

After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales of Pentoga Road…

The garden huckleberries are finally beginning to turn purple

Oh yeah... we'll be there in a few weeks watching the Lions play the Packers

August 23, 2013 – Friday

39 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

We arrived home last night from Green Bay in good shape.  Decked in green and gold, Title Town appears ready for this upcoming season.

Even the dumpsters are green and gold

Sargie and I stopped at the new Cabelas sporting goods store just down the road from Lambeau Field, but honestly, I couldn’t find anything inexpensive enough to spend my $50 on. At one point, I thought about a down fleece from the clearance rack. Even though it was marked $31, it rang up $79 (down from well over a $100)  at the register and the kid said that’s what it was. I told him to keep it and we walked out. I think I’ll shop online to spend my $50 and skip future trips to the Cabelas store. Their prices are way too high for me.

We used to laugh at the tourists who visited Alaska looking like walking/talking Cabelas/L.L. Bean catalogues. I survived just fine for many years dressed in Kmart and Walmart winter clothing. I imagine I’ll continue to do the same here in the UP and leave Cabelas for the future visitors of Alaska.

Sargie’s ring looks beautiful, fits perfectly, and she’s happy to have it back from the jewelers. It’s been over a year since I asked her to marry me. Hard to believe, the time has flown faster than any other in my life and there’s not a day go by that my love for Sargie doesn’t deepen. I’ve never known a kinder, sharing, more loving, person. Someone made mention not long ago that we’re the perfect match for each other. We are. I love her with all my heart.

Sargie’s back to work today, although she has a rare two days off in a row this weekend. I’m going to continue working on the doghouse, hop on the four wheeler and run a few errands in town, then work later this afternoon on this fall’s classes. Now that I’m teaching two sections, I need to get my backside in gear. Tonight’s the third preseason game for the Packers. Seattle will be visiting Lambeau Field. I probably should try to make room for a nap this afternoon so I’ll be rested and ready to watch.

After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…