Pentoga Road, just above the house, late Tuesday afternoon as the shadows were getting long. (Picture by Sargie)

October 9, 2013 – Wednesday

42 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

We’re up and around this morning. Sargie will be off to work in an hour, I’ll finish packing and think of heading to the airport later on. Tomorrow at this time, I should be nearing Boston where I’ll meet Matt for a week of gabbing, laughing, and playing with the grandbabies.

Tuesday was a piddle around day. Since Sargie had the day off (the first in six days) and it was my last home for the next ten days, we hung out together most the day. 

An apothecary bottle Andy found buried while were digging out a boulder last week. According to the markings on the bottom, it was made in Gasville, Indiana, at the Owens - Illinois Glass Company between 1930 and 1940. 

I did sneak out to the barn long enough to sort and put away all the tools Andy and I used while assembling and installing the garage door and opener. Honestly, I think I had most the shop drug into the garage. I’m glad I won’t have to deal with that mess when I get home.

I brought in ten day's supply of wood and filled the wood box. Baring really cold weather, Sargie should be all set.

We took a gorgeous ride Tuesday afternoon. 

Though it was a lousy year for gardening, it was a banner year for apples. (Picture by Sargie)

Sargie enjoys taking pictures of the leaves and though they aren’t nearly as brilliant this year as last, it was still beautiful to putt up and down some of our more rural tree-lined roads.

(Another Sargie pic)

One of the trees Andy and I cut down while they were visiting. I'll have plenty of wood to work up when I return.

Sargie packed my carry-on last night. I hope TSA won’t have to search through it. As it is now, I’m wondering how I’ll ever get it closed before heading to the airport. I’m zipper challenged when it comes to overflowing luggage. Still, Sargie made it look easy, so I know it’s doable.

We ended the late afternoon by taking a ride on the four-wheeler down to the river. It was a fitting end to an almost perfect day.

This morning will be busy. I want to finish grading all the assignments that have come in over the past twelve hours. Assuming the Indianapolis Airport has internet service, I’ll probably spend part of the long night ahead reading and grading; reminiscent of my Alaska travel days. My daughter-in-law, Jessica, asked if I might talk about Alaska to some of the classes in the school where she teaches, so I have to download my usual presentation onto the hard drive of my computer. There are a lot of little things that need to be done.

I leave Iron Mountain around 12:30 this afternoon, fly to Indianapolis via Minneapolis, overnight in the airport, then wing my way to Boston at 6 Thursday morning with an arrival time shortly after 8 AM. Matt’s to pick me up and I anticipate we’ll be on the golf course around noon. After that, the sky’s the limit.

It’s time to get busy. As Dad used to say when paraphrasing from the musical, Showboat, “There are bales to lift and barges to tow.” Even back then, Dad realized that a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…