Wild raspberries growing alongside Pentoga Road

August 6, 2013 – Tuesday

60 degrees/cloudy/breezy

Pentoga Road

I almost didn’t write this morning. There’s just not a lot to write about. With the onset of the monsoon season in the UP, I was mostly confined to the house or barn yesterday. Temperatures never got out of the 60’s and with a stiff breeze and a steady downpour, I spent most the day in my recliner reading.

Well, I should say I tried to read. The print is of normal size, so I’d read a page or two until my eyes grew tired, close them, and inevitably, accompanied by the sound of the rain hitting the tin roof, doze off  for a few minutes. I’d awaken after a short period of time and attempt to read some more. That cycle was repeated throughout the day. It’s a great book and I hate to put it down, but reading that print is a chore.

Brutus and I found time to hike our three miles. I took a few pictures of wild flowers along the way. There are areas that look more like a perennial flower garden than the shoulders of a country road.

I’m not sure what it was that my American Bulldog rolled in a few days ago, but despite two thorough washings, he still smelled. I pulled out all the stops on Monday and mixed up a high-powered formula used for skunk odor. It involves a quart of hydrogen peroxide, a third cup of baking soda, and two table spoons of dish soap. Since it was raining so hard outside, I ran the garden hose through the window of the garage and it was in there I thoroughly soaked and scrubbed Brutus.

The poor pup was shivering as I scrubbed then rinsed him, but in the end, he had no odor. In fact, he didn’t even smell like wet dog and for one day our pup remained clean and stink-free. I almost hate to let him out the door this morning. No doubt, he’ll go into the woods and come back muddy, dirty, wet, or worse, have rolled in something foul smelling.

I managed to put up seven pounds of blueberries by dividing and sugaring them, placing all into freezer bags, and stacked the whole bunch in the upright freezer in the garage. They’ll taste good this winter atop our cereal, on ice cream, or in our pancakes.

Not many outside activities were accomplished on Monday other than feed the giant pumpkins. One’s getting big enough that its becoming deformed, as it should. If only we could have another month of warm, frost-free weather. I’m not sure the largest will attain “giant” status. Oh well, it’ll be big enough for nieces Aubrey and Marley at Halloween.

Sargie was home by 7 last night and we had leftover pizza and watched tv. Her day had been very busy and she said the hours flew by.

Today is to be warmer with a 50% chance of thunderstorms and rain. I may try to sneak into town and purchase a step stool Sargie’s been wanting for the kitchen and stop by the plant and check up on Yooper Brother Mark; make sure he’s taking nourishment sitting up and not over doing it.

Then there’s that book I’ve been reading. The Ice Master is a good one, about the doomed 1913 voyage of the Karluk while exploring the Arctic Ocean, becoming trapped in the ice, and the adventures of those who survived. It’s a good read. I wish it was offered electronically so I might download it on my Kindle Fire and enlarge the print. Oh well, I’ll get through this.

Time to wake Sargie for the day, grab another cup of coffee, and upload some pictures. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…