Emmie Marie Pennington

October 22, 2013 – Tuesday

32 degrees/windy/snow showers

Pentoga Road

Happy Birthday to my newest granddaughter, Emmie, officially Emerson Marie Pennington. The newest addition to the Pennington Clan was born at 12:08 this morning and weighed 6 lbs, 13 ozs. Congratulations to Matt and Jessica, to Dave and Bern Pelletier, Jessica’s parents, and most of all, to Matt’s mom, Pam, better known as Grandma Pennington. Having three granddaughters and three grandsons, the Pennington genes should continue to flow for generations to come.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Emmie’s dad, Matt, entered the world. He had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, might have been exiting backwards and upside down, and definitely arrived on the wrong foot. There were several long minutes that we weren’t sure he was going to breathe and when he did, the doctor and nurses were concerned he had brain damage.

Pam hemorrhaged during the birthing process and with her blood pressure dropping to almost nothing, it was feared both Mama and baby might not make it. But Mama was a fighter and Baby had inherited his mother’s fighting spirit. It’s a story with a happy ending and as they say, the rest is history.

Monday was a cold, windy, wet, and sloppy day on Pentoga Road. With the snow and rain taking turns falling to the ground, I rode with Sargie on her way to work for five miles and walked back home. The knee was strong and other than a kink or two, performed flawlessly.

The rest of the morning was spent in the house warming up by the wood stove, sipping coffee, and grading assignments.

I spent a couple of hours after lunch pulling dead plants from the garden. It was then that I yanked on a huge, dead, broccoli plant and twisted my knee… again. Although swollen and achy this morning, it’s not horribly bad, but will keep me from walking any miles today. I’ve never had anything in my life that has taken so long to heal as the “simple procedure” that was performed on my left knee the last week of June. Hopefully, it will be good enough to resume recreational hiking tomorrow.

The snow was falling, the wind howling. I turned my attentions to sealing, cleaning, and working in the greenhouse.

I gave up gardening after working in the snow for two hours

I’d ordered some trapping supplies while at Luke’s last week that arrived yesterday. Hopefully, the wind will quit blowing long enough today so I might dye and wax a few traps and stakes. The season is upon us and with the sudden onslaught of cold temperatures; the fur should start to be prime.

Sargie was home early last night and we enjoyed munching popcorn while watching Dancing With the Stars. I flipped the channel after to watch Monday Night Football, but the game was so lousy that I turned the television off and went to bed.

I’m not sure what’s on the agenda for today. Sargie closes tonight so it will be a very long one for her. I hope to wax and dye traps, but I’m uncertain if the wind will be calm enough to allow me to do so. There’s an inch of snow on the ground this morning assuring that very little or no garden work will be accomplished. There’s plenty of wood to be worked up and I can already feel an afternoon grandpa nap coming on. It takes a lot of effort to have these grandbabies, you know.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…