April 29, 2014 - Tuesday
35 degrees/heavy snow/breezy
Pentoga Road

The snow just keeps falling. Right now, it's coming down in snowball-sized flakes. Hopefully, it will melt before accumulating. It has to. I took the plow off the four-wheeler last weekend!

Speaking of last weekend, it was a pretty ho hum proposition. Sargie and I were lazy all day Sunday. I tried working a bit in the garden, but it was too cold and damp to do much. We managed to sneak a load of laundry out on the line and have it dry before rain began Sunday afternoon.

Applying fertilizer to the blueberries. My experiment appears to have worked. All the southern blueberries made it though the winter buried deep under the insulating snow.

Pentoga Lake is still growing and we now have a nesting pair of mallard ducks attempting to call it home. 

Brutus continues to think he's a Labrador Retriever spending about half his day swimming in the seasonal lake.

It's snowing heavily this morning. Thankfully, I don't think it will be around long... I hope.

After my usual walk on Monday morning, I spent the entire day inside working on the class I'm teaching for this coming summer session. After I change a few dates on the syllabus, it will be ready to go.

The final projects for the current classes have slowed to a drizzle and after this week, I can put this semester to bed. All that will be left is to enter final grades.

Sargie's off today. With the weather as it is, I imagine we'll probably be lazy and enjoy life. It's not easy, but someone has to do it.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

We enjoyed some excellent Italian food on our Saturday date night.

April 27, 2014 – Sunday

24 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

I just got the fire going in the stove, the sun is beginning to show over the horizon, a partridge is performing his mating ritual by booming nearby, and I have a hot mug of tea; a perfect beginning to the day.

Saturday was near perfect. After my morning stroll, I tackled the problem of the little blue ATV. It was hesitant to start last fall, the last time fuel and spark actually combined to make it run, and though I’ve tried a few half hearted attempts at making the thing come back to life, it’s remained dead since.

The battery was freshly charged so I knew it wasn’t that. Mark suggested the machine might have an air lock. I put my hand over the breather and pulled. That wasn’t it. Finally, I removed the sparkplug, shot some ether into the hole, replaced the plug and pulled the rope. The 200 CC engine reawakened from its winter hibernation and after a few adjustments, seems to be ready for another summer of work.

No more rest for the little ATV. It's back to being the seasonal workhorse that I've come to rely on.

I called and asked Yooper Brother Mark is he was SURE, 100% CERTAIN, that we’d receive no more measureable snow. He simply laughed. I took that as an affirmative that our record-setting winter is over and removed the plow from the Polaris ATV. With the tires aired to the correct pressure, I called it good enough. When Andy visits, I’ll ask him to help me change the oil and filters and should be able to mark all those tasks off my list.

Next came assembling the new mower/trimmer I purchased last January during an off-season sale. As with most goods manufactured in America, the directions were easy to read and I soon had the machine filled with oil and gas and the 8 hp Subaru engine purring. I didn’t realize it had electric start until I spotted the key in the ignition. A further inspection revealed a pint-sized oblong battery.

Sargie and I had purchased two solar powered outdoor yard lights on sale this winter. I assembled both and set them in the sun to charge. Though they don’t give off a great deal of light, they are pretty and add life to some otherwise very dark areas of the yard.

My buddy, Jerad, stopped out for a visit later in the afternoon. It was good to see my young friend and catch up on what's happening in his world. Somewhere/somehow in the last few years, Jerad has grown from a gangly high school kid into a hard-working man. I sat here wondering where the time has gone.

I’d earlier called Sargie at work and asked if she would go out on a date with me last night. I didn’t have to ask twice. She arrived home early after work and we drove into town and ate lasagna at Alice’s Restaurant (yes, we really do have one, but probably not the same Alice’s as the famous 1960’s song is written about).

The lasagna was good and plentiful and we brought home enough to have for supper tomorrow night. We were later laughing about how we are beginning to sound like an old couple. Seems every time we go out to eat, we end up saying we should have only bought one meal and split it. I never thought I’d get to that stage in life as I’ve always had a huge and hearty appetite. My eyes are suddenly much bigger than my belly, though my belly only seems to grow larger with age.

Sargie’s off today. The forecast is for less than favorable conditions, but hopefully, it will stay as it is for part of the day. Wind and rain is forecast for every day in this upcoming week. I hope to use the time to finish up this semester’s classes and get ready for the summer session. There are plenty of “shop jobs” that need completing and I want to set out the Walls of Water in the garden to begin heating the ground underneath. It’s that time.

Speaking of that, time’s burning. I need to get this uploaded, listen to the news, and think a few deep thoughts before taking off on my morning walk.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road… 

Out of the garage and into the barn to be assembled.

Friday was ATV Tire Day on Pentoga Road

April 26, 2014 – Saturday

32 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

The heat from the wood stove feels mighty good this morning. Friday’s siege of heavy squalls blowing in from Lake Superior reminded me of those we used to get in Sitka, a mixed bag of weather, heavy rain, followed by warm sunshine, then a return of heavy rain and wind. Today’s forecast is for sunny and warmer conditions.

Deer grazing on the athletic field in downtown Gaastra, Michigan

Pentoga Lake continues to grow and I find myself wishing it would hang around for more than a month each year. Currently, it’s just a few feet from the back yard and I picture how it would be to have a permanent two-acre pond, fifteen to twenty feet deep, outside our back door. Maybe we can someday after we win the lottery.

I walked my usual five miles on Friday then called Yooper Brother Mark to be sure it was okay to bring the ATV tires in to have them removed from the rims. He said to come right ahead.

They were stubborn buggers, those tires. With the help of a couple of employees at the plant, along with that of Mark’s, they were finally freed. I’d like to say I got right in and helped, but mostly, I watched and cheered those three youngsters on.

A part on the tire changer broke while trying to remove a tire. The guys had to weld the break before they could resume.

Back home, I left the tires alone and got busy grading final projects, finishing three hours later. As of now, I’m officially caught up. No doubt, there’ll be some stragglers coming in over the next week, but by and large, I can begin to think about drawing this semester to a close… and that’s a good thing. The summer session begins in less than three weeks.

It was time to put the tubes in the ATV tires. Since it had been so difficult to break the beads, the boys had only removed one side from the rims. I would have to squeeze the tubes along with my hand into some very tiny spaces, be sure the inner tube wasn’t pinched, and work from there.

To make room for the tube and my hand, I used a wood clamp. I don't believe it is in the tiring-changing handbook, but it worked well.

It took some time, but after a couple of hours, all three were successfully seated and inflated.

The essential Pentoga Road tools for installing inner tubes. One of Dad's old files, covered in duct tape on one end to prevent gouging the tube, Grandpa Reinhardt's large screwdriver, Dad's large screwdriver, a pair of pliers, and a spray bottle of hot, soapy, water, to allow the tire to slip onto the rim easier.

I gathered the mail, brought in wood, and called it a day.

Sargie was home fairly early last night and we had a good evening of watching television and talking. She opens today, should be home early this evening, and has tomorrow off.

I’m going to walk this morning then work outside. If it continues to dry, there are sections of the yard that definitely need raking (most of it). I also want to get the old blue ATV running and switch the wooden rack from the new ATV over to the blue one and take the snowplow off the red four-wheeler. I may have to make a jaunt to town to do some banking before noon. Somewhere along the way, I want to think about assembling the large trimmer mower, the one I purchased last January. It’s still in a shipping crate in the garage. It’s going to be a busy one on Pentoga Road today.

But then, I’m not surprised. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Lake Pentoga now stretches to the furthest reaches of the property.

April 25, 2014 – Friday

34 degrees/cloudy/wet/calm

Pentoga Road

Mom always said life’s not necessarily fair. This year, the same can be applied to the weather. Mother Nature tried to throw several more inches of snow our way, but in the end, the temperate tropical breezes from Wisconsin edged northwards and we ended up with an inch or two of… glop. Our yard is covered with pure, unadulterated, slush, and looks as though someone spilled a large vanilla smoothie over the entire thing. The high is to be 48 degrees so the mess should disappear fairly quickly.

Driving up the hill in inner city Alpha, Michigan

I think I’ll be able to come up for air today. I’ve been buried in grading final projects the past several days… right up to my eyeballs. My class is required to do two final projects, plus one elder interview. Most are very interesting, but some of the interviews last for almost twenty minutes. Multiply that by thirty students and it simply takes time to evaluate them all. Then each student has two final projects… that’s sixty of those puppies. Needless to say, I’m on the downhill side of this semester, just in time to start the summer session, which begins in three weeks.

Even Yooper Brother Mark called to make sure I was still alive. We check in with each other several times a week and he hadn’t heard from me for several days.

Sargie and I went to Green Bay on Thursday so she could purchase some items for the upcoming baby shower. This was a more “sensitive” trip where items such as gift bags and party gifts were purchased. I stayed in the background in an attempt to be a true and understanding partner. Okay, actually, I fielded some classwork comments and questions while waiting as well as attacked a couple of clearance items. My biggest scores were the purchase of two, ten-dollar, ceiling fans that I plan to install in the shop. At ten bucks each, I can afford to enjoy some moving air this coming summer while working on one project or the other.

We drove home in driving rain for most of the trip last night, but encountered snow about forty miles from home. The roads were thick with slush that insisted on pulling the front wheels of the car one way or the other. It was a two-handed proposition.

Pentoga Road

I snapped a few pictures of Lake Pentoga before dark, carried in wood, and called it a night.

I once thought about using this area to expand my garden. Since that's obviously not an option, I'm thinking about stocking brook trout instead. Actually, I've considered it a viable area to have a pond dug in the future. 

Sargie works early today then has a beautician’s appointment after. I’m going to go for my walk first thing, then think about taking the tires from the blue four wheeler to Mark’s plant where there is a tire changing tool. With any luck at all, I’ll get the new inner tubes in the tires by day’s end.

But first, it’s time to get this uploaded, sip some tea, and think a few deep thoughts.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Where is it written two old people can't have fun while shopping? We were in Hobby Lobby and  couldn't resist making faces in a full length mirror.

Neighbor Mike celebrating the end of maple season with a "shot"... of maple syrup

April 24, 2014
38 degrees/cloudy/calm
Pentoga Road

No time to write. I'm grading papers and finals almost nonstop, but here's what I've been doing the past two days.

The maple sap turned yellow, signaling the end of the season.

Neighbor Mike wanted to learn how to make maple syrup, so he helped me boil down the last batch.

I ended processing around five gallons total this season.

Wednesday was spent grading papers and cleaning up the maple equipment.

Spring must be here. The rhubarb is sprouting.

And the geese are flying. So are the tales from Pentoga Road....

That's Jimmy, my watch chickadee, guarding the area while I grade assignments and boil sap.

April 22, 2014 – Tuesday

33 degrees/cloudy/windy

Pentoga Road

After two of the nicest days we’ve experienced since last November, it appears the respite from cold temperatures has temporarily ended. The next several days are forecast to be cold and windy and there’s even a chance of accumulating snow on Thursday.

The geese must think spring is coming. They're heading north.

I spent all of Monday either collecting or boiling sap. The trees didn’t really run, but a few more gallons were collected. More importantly, over a hundred gallons were boiled.

Mike and Paul stopped in again, mostly to keep me company. Old Ken, a fellow walker who lives a mile away, stopped by later to visit. For a while, we had a good, old-fashioned, sewing circle going around the boiler.

Mike is learning the craft of making maple syrup and even though I’m planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail next spring, he’d still like to tap my trees. I’m all for it. Mike owns eighty acres, but very few maples.

I’ve also been wading through the mountains of final projects. The weather has been so nice that I’ve had my laptop outside, alternating tending the boiler and grading papers. I either add sap to the pans or wood to the fire after reading each assignment.

I hope a lot of students get busy today and tomorrow. There are quite a few empty places in my electronic grade book showing that many have yet to do their required work. I worry about them and I’m not sure why. If they don’t have enough pride and gumption to complete their work, why should I lose any sleep? I do. It must be the old school teacher in me.

I’m going to finish boiling down today and should have several gallons of syrup processed by this afternoon. I think I’ll pull the taps tonight or tomorrow. With the weather forecast as it is, gathering sap and making syrup appears as if it might be a hit or miss proposition and suddenly, there are many other projects to be done. I’ll have met my goal of processing several gallons, more than enough for our needs.

Sargie didn’t get home until later on Monday night and closes the next two days. She’s a busy girl.

After a long winter, the woods are beginning to show signs of life.

Time to get this uploaded and start the propane burner. There’s syrup to can today!

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Assuming I pull the taps, this will be the last full bag of the season.

April 21, 2014 – Monday

33 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

Sunday can be summed up in two words; boil sap.

I didn’t think it got cold enough Saturday night to make the sap run on Sunday. Boy, was I wrong. After writing yesterday, I started down the road on my walk and made the mistake of stopping long enough to look at a few hanging sap bags. They were full. And so the day began.

After gathering, I started the boiler and the process began. All four barrels, plus the four gathering buckets, were full.

The times when I wasn’t feeding the fire or adding sap to the pans on Sunday was spent grading final projects. All are due on Wednesday and I finally got caught up last night around 9 PM. There will undoubtedly be many last minute projects coming in during the next three days.

Sargie took advantage of the 65-degree weather and hung out the laundry. The sheets smelled and felt great last night. It’s one of my favorite sensations, sleeping  between sheets dried outside on the line.

Sargie wasn't going to let a little bit of snow stop her from hanging clothes out on the line

Neighbor Mike and Paul came over to visit. Paul decided he wanted to gather the afternoon sap and when I rose to help him, he insisted he do it alone. Dr. Paul’s been doing his internship all year and enjoys a good excuse to stroll in the woods. He and Brutus departed with buckets in hand while Mike and I sat like two old men feeding the fire.

Sargie made a huge batch of great spaghetti for dinner along with garlic bread and I was about to bust before finishing. I certainly didn’t hop on the scales last night before going to bed.

Sunday evening was spent watching Brutus splash through Lake Pentoga playing fetch. He later spent some time chasing ducks who mistakenly thought they might overnight on the water.

It was almost 9 PM before I shut the boiler down last night. I’ll skip walking this morning to start the fire and hopefully, I’ll begin to process syrup sometime this afternoon. Mike wants to learn how to do it and even made mention yesterday that though I’ll be gone next year hiking the Appalachian Trail, he’d like to go ahead and tap trees to put up syrup. My response? Heck yeah!

Brutus is watching from outside the garden perimeter; about the only place he's not allowed. 

Sargie’s working today and I’m about to head out the door.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

An apple tree that made it through the winter in good shape