Blizzard-like conditions were common on Saturday in the north country

November 24, 2013 – Sunday

5 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

My intentions were to sleep in this morning, but having to heed nature’s call dictated I rise from bed and put my feet on the cold floor. After that, regardless how hard I tried, sleep wouldn’t come.

I have to say, getting up to fifty-degree temperatures in the house will wake the dead. We’re making an attempt at using the furnace as little as possible. With fuel oil so expensive, it just makes sense. The wood stove keeps the living room in the mid-seventies, but the rest of the house tends to be cooler. Sargie’s used to a cool bedroom and we turn our electric blanket off before falling to sleep each night. Neither of us has any problem slumbering the night away.

I well remember the days of living in Hill Top Camp north of the arctic circle. It wasn't uncommon to awaken to temperatures inside well below zero. Fifty degrees? Mere childsplay. 

The grand experiment continues. I planted southern blueberries into large pots last spring. They grew well during the summer months and now, with winter's arrival, I've tipped them on their sides, hoping that the snow will insulate the growth and new shoots. I'll right the pots next spring and hopefully, we'll have giant, rabbit eye blueberries during the summer months. 

It took quite a while to get home from Iron Mountain Saturday morning. Lake effect snow squalls blowing from Lake Superior made visibility almost zero at times. I pulled off the road more than once and let it blow and snow. Minutes later, the sun would peek from behind the clouds and I’d continue on my way.

Most the day was spent grading papers, throwing wood inside the stove, and/or cleaning the house and doing laundry. It was too windy to enjoy any outside activity, but the time flew. It seemed there was always one chore or the other to do and I didn’t even get to take my Grandpa nap.

Sargie was home early last night and we enjoyed huge bowls of popcorn in front of the television.

I’m not sure what today will bring. I’ve got to break this three game losing streak and coach the Packers onto victory. I think today’s the day we begin our comeback bid for a playoff spot.

Sargie gets a rare day off. I imagine we’ll take a drive sooner or later, visit Insurance Liquidators and see what treasures have come into the store we can’t live without, and do a bit of driving around. In another week or two, we’ll begin taking an occasional night drive to look at the Christmas lights. It’s what we do here for excitement in these north woods of America.

But first, it’s time to get another cup of coffee, listen to the news, and think deep thoughts. As you and I well know, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

It was opening day of deer season in Wisconsin on Saturday. I saw more than one deer strapped to the top of a car while coming home from Iron Mountain.