December 15, 2013 – Sunday morning

-3 degrees/clear/very windy

Pentoga Road

After enjoying yesterday’s relatively balmy 13 degrees ABOVE zero, I see the thermometer has decided to turn in the other direction. I don’t really care, but I wish the winds would go away. Supposedly, wind generation isn’t feasible in this area, but I’m beginning to rethink the possibility. While living at Hilltop Camp, north of the Arctic Circle, the majority of electricity used during the winter months was generated by a homemade windmill. The idea of one in the UP will have to be placed on my Deep Thought list.

Saturday morning was spent trying to round up the final projects for both of my Alaska Study classes. This semester’s students have been some of the best I’ve had in years. The majority are adults who are either teaching, have an interest in the education field, or are working other jobs that might require some sort of Alaska history element. But getting them to finish these projects... Monday evening is the deadline. I have a feeling that like their much younger counterparts, some of my mommy and daddy munchkins have procrastinated and will be burning the midnight oil tonight to meet the deadline. I hope they do. I hate to see any sell themselves short.

Sargie and I made our way into town Saturday afternoon. Despite the fact that hours were spent shopping in Green Bay on Friday, we managed to do a bit more on Saturday. I’m shopped out. There’s no more shopping left in me… well, other than browsing the seed catalogues that are beginning to appear in our mailbox. For that, there’s always time and energy.

Strange, after a lousy summer, both with the knee and weather-wise, three months ago, I was more than ready for the gardening season to end. Now, after a brief respite from the world of small-scale horticulture, I can hardly wait for the gardening season to begin. How’s that work?

Right now, the gardening season seems a long ways away

It’s the same with maple syrup season. We pulled the taps early last spring after Sargie and I boiled sixteen gallons of syrup. I’d carried hundreds, if not millions, of gallons of sap through knee-deep snow, and we were eager to call the season to a halt. In fact, I remember at the time, we had enough syrup that I secretly entertained the thought of not tapping this year. Yeah, sure… and maybe I won’t go hiking or fishing this coming summer.

I’ve been studying ways to improve the evaporator, thinking of a modified system to collect sap, and can hardly wait to break out the old boiling pans, clean them after a winter of sitting over the rafters of the barn, and begin tapping sugar maples.  

The seasons come and the seasons go and each brings change. I’m a four-season man and when I do something, I follow the advice Dad and Mom gave me while growing up, do it right or don’t do it at all. It’s great advice, but when any particular season is finished, I’m usually ready to move on to the next great adventure.

I spent several hours Saturday afternoon reading, grading, and making comments on submitted final projects. When the eyes began to wear out, I turned my attentions to fixing one of my old ice fishing reels. Donning magnifiers and a bright light, I was sad to see an internal part was simply worn out. I think I bought that reel at Kmart while at a meeting in Fairbanks twelve or fifteen years ago.

With Christmas music playing in the background, Sargie spent hours wrapping presents Friday afternoon and evening. I think she’d still be wrapping this morning if she hadn’t run out of tape. A table was set up in the living room with a trail of presents, paper, ribbons, boxes, and bags, spread across the house. Sargie says it’s a mess. I think it looks like the days before Christmas are supposed to look.

Sargie works from noon to five today then has an appointment with Melinda, her friend/hairdresser. Since they are friends, I’m not sure if the object is for Sargie to get her hair done or get caught up on the local gossip. I rather suspect it’s a healthy combination of both.

I’d really hoped to go fishing today, but with winds forecast to blow from twenty to thirty miles per hour and temperatures to hover around zero, I believe Brutus and I will stay indoors and watch football. Green Bay plays at 3:30 this afternoon. I’ll be coaching from in front of the television with my green and gold on. A week from today, Andy, Yooper Mark, and I, will be at Lambeau Field watching the visiting Steelers play our Packers.

I guess it’s time to get a cup of coffee, throw another lawg on the far, and think deep thoughts.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

A boat won't do much for the kind of fishing I want to do. It will have to wait until next spring.