Look who's been four-wheelin'!

October 2, 2013 – Wednesday

39 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

It seems no matter what I do this morning, I’m having difficulty accomplishing anything. I overslept by half an hour, couldn’t get a fire going and then it insisted on belching smoke into the living room for a few seconds, I answered a few students’ emails, etc. etc. etc. Hope this isn’t a portend for the day ahead.

We had a wonderful day on Tuesday. The four of us were out of the house and sitting at the restaurant early so the bug man could spray the house, inside and out. I think I can safely say that the premises is completely critter-free. It’s an expensive proposition, this fall spraying of our red-roofed home, but it’s so worth it not to have hoards of cluster flies and ladybugs dive bombing us on a second-by-second basis. Maine has its black flies, arctic Alaska its mosquitoes; we have our fall infestation of flies.

Sargie left for work directly from the restaurant. Mollie, Andy, and I returned home and walked the north half of the woods looking at various maples trees that have been tapped in the past and making note of some new future candidates. We found a tree that is dead and will be cut down in the future, but we’ll do that this winter. Why? It has a giant hornets nest swinging from the upper most branches. Andy and I marked it so that we might cut it over the Christmas holidays.

The clock was pointing towards noon when we hopped aboard both four-wheelers and motored to Yooper Brother Mark’s plant. 

"Hmm, I think we should go this way... or that?"
Andy and Mollie at the crossroads sign on Pentoga Road. We're heading out.

It was a beautiful day and kidnapping him was fairly easy. Within minutes, the four of us were on the trail. Mark and I rode in his new side-by-side ATV, Andy and Mollie followed close behind on the red four-wheeler.

We spent the day sight seeing, first stopping at the Wooden Nickel (I think I said Silver Dollar in yesterday’s log.) for burgers, then continuing on to his brother-in-law’s camp and the National Forest which lies north of Iron River. 

Coming home, we went through an old iron mine complex and saw some completely different country. It was a perfect day and we were three tired riders last evening.

Andy worked on the old snowmobile last night. So far, it’s dead in the water and he can’t figure out why. We have spark, fuel, air, compression… everything that’s required for ignition.

Mollie was the first into the shower and emerged looking like a new lady. I vacuumed all the floors and removed the dead flies from the windowsills. After, I graded papers.

Having to close, Sargie didn’t get home until late last night. Our evening and conversations were short.

We’re planning on exploring the north woods this morning. Sargie works early and I think we’ll travel to Iron Mountain around noon and return the tadpole trike before picking up Sargie and taking her out for lunch. The girl is working some horribly long hours and her next day off is Sunday.

The weather is to turn for the worse tomorrow. Cold temperatures and rain is forecast so our outside activities might come to a screeching halt. We can’t complain. The weather has been perfect up to now.

I can attest that its true. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s time for coffee and to get this uploaded. A man’s work is never done, you know.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…