May 31, 2014 - Saturday
52 degrees/sunny/calm
Pentoga Road

Okay, so who stole May? I mean, really, where'd the month go? We couldn't get rid of March and the end of winter, April came skipping in, and suddenly, it's one day away from June. Lord almighty, there simply aren't enough hours in the day when the weather's warm, nor are there enough days in the month. 

A late flock of geese heading north on Friday morning

An update on Baby Grady; he's fully off the respirator now and doing quite well. Hopefully, we're down to counting days before he can come home rather than weeks. Before we know it, I'll be throwing the little guy on the back of the four wheeler and we'll heading off into the woods for some quality guy-time.

The backhoe continues to work well. Here I'm digging out an old pile of logs and boulders. The area will soon become part of the back yard.

I made fourteen pints of rhubarb jam on Thursday. Using orange juice rather than water, with added sugar, it came out pretty good, even if I say so myself!

I swamped out an old road along the other side of the garden on Thursday just in time to receive the five yards of top soil I'd ordered. It will be used to fill the new raised beds as well as Sargie's flower pots and planters.

It's been a long winter without fresh fish. I spent Thursday afternoon readying the boat and my tackle for another season of putting meat on the table.

The mosquitoes have been horrendous this spring. I had to be careful that I didn't inhale any while fishing.

Friday night's supper

It's nice having an entire lake to myself

The Direct TV receiver in the bedroom quit working. The repairman quickly found the problem; water had dribbled in the cable causing corrosion. Problem solved!

I started making new raised beds within the garden area. First the wood chips had to be removed, then the plastic mulch underneath. After, the incline had to be dealt with. I'll finish digging today and hopefully will set the first frame, then fill it with new topsoil.

It's been hot so Brutus and I have been going to the lake each day for an afternoon swim. 

Sargie's preparing the fillets for Friday night's fish fry

We do the frying over a propane burner in the garage to keep the odor and grease out of the house.

Sargie is working some long hours due to coworkers' vacations. She's closed three times this week meaning she gets home just in time to go to bed so she can get up the next morning and begin all over again.

With summer in full swing, I often have four or five jobs going at once here on Pentoga Road. Added now is putting meat on the table which means I have to go fishing at least twice a week, sometimes more. 

This life of retirement isn't for the weak of heart, but then I'm not surprised.

You know, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Sometimes it feels SO GOOD to roll in a pile of dirt then beg to go to the lake to be washed off.

The Milligan Munchkins at Monday's Memorial Day gathering on Milligan's Mountain. A pitcher pump, water, a warm day, and dressed in patriotic red,white, and blue... the perfect ingredients for having fun.

May 27, 2014 - Tuesday
61 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

I'm lying here in the recliner this morning wondering if I might be able to get Sargie to put me out of my misery. Sargie and I have been suffering from food poisoning. Since we ate in Marquette Sunday with Mel and Macrea, and Mel, Sargie, and I, all had burgers and got sick (Macrea had a chicken burger and was the only person who didn't have any symptoms of poisoning) we're assuming its food poisoning. It's been a real circus the past two days consisting of chills, chattering teeth, fever, being weak, and having every joint in my body ache. 

Summer has arrived in the UP. I think we skipped spring this year; too much effort. Suddenly, we're eating asparagus, the strawberries are in bloom, and 90% of the garden is planted.

We'll be eating fresh strawberries next month

Fried wild turkey breast and fresh asparagus covered in cheese sauce

The potatoes are planted

Sargie's been busy planting flowers and getting out her array of summer ornaments.

Sargie, the biker chick. We took a ride into town on the four-wheeler to get a few groceries on Saturday.

We went to Marquette Sunday to see Grady. That's ice, in the background, still on Lake Superior.

Off the respirator, Sargie FINALLY got to hold her grandson.

Grady and I are having a little chat. We're talking about going fishing, spitting, and whittling, all essential life skills for a young boy.

Memorial Day on Milligan's Mountain

Playing bocci ball

Auntie Nancy cooking the weenies and brats

So, it's been a busy last few days. If I can kick this food poisoning, I'll be back out making trails and digging holes with the backhoe. I would like to start construction of the storage building this week, plus, if my top soil ever arrives, I'd like to make another three raised beds in the garden. 

It's a busy time of year, but then, I'm not surprised. After all, a man's work is never done.

The Menomonee River between home and Marquette 

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Ross and I taking command of the activities while sitting in the shade Monday afternoon.

Neighbor Mike stopped in Friday and asked if I wanted to go walleye fishing very early Saturday morning. Though the fish didn't cooperate, the sunrise alone made the effort well worthwhile. 

May 24, 2014 - Saturday morning
72 degrees/sunny/calm
Pentoga Road

Mom and Dad and Baby Grady. The little guy is improving by leaps and bounds now and Sargie said he might be coming off the respirator soon. 

We traveled to Marquette last Thursday to see Grady. He's gaining strength daily. Sargie and I had a wonderful lunch with Mel and Macrea and were back home by early evening.

The past several days have seen much of the garden being planted and continued work on the back and area around the yard. The area has already been increased by a third. Only half an acre to go!

The landscaping work continues

The boulder that has been sticking out of the yard for years wouldn't fit in the bucket so I dug a huge hole beside and buried the thing.

The fish didn't cooperate Saturday morning, but we had some beautiful views

Sargie has a rare three days off in a row this weekend. She's going to plant flowers today while I work in the garden. It's time the parsnips and green beans go in the ground. Later today, we're planning on taking a four-wheeler trip to town to purchase a watermelon and of course, make a stop for a Coke, something of a tradition around here.

The day is getting long and as we all know, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

May 20, 2014 - Tuesday

65 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

Niece Brielle last Saturday at Jeanne and Boyd's camp

Seems as though now the weather has warmed, the days are flying by entirely too fast. Though we received over an inch of rain during the early morning hours of Tuesday, the sun was out shortly after noon and the temperature warmed into the 70's.

We laid Mr. Milligan to rest in Foster City Saturday morning with full military honors. It was sad, it was beautiful, it was inspirational, but most of all, it was fitting of a true American hero. 

After, the family went to Jeanne and Boyd's camp for lunch. It was good to catch up on the news with everyone. We headed home during the early afternoon.

Jordy Nelson (the dog), Auntie Ashley, and "Auwbie Ann," as she calls herself.

Sargie managed to clean my clock playing HORSE and is currently the reigning International Pentoga Road champion.

After some initial carburetor problems, the backhoe is now working well. I took this picture, brought it inside to look at what I was working on, then proceeded to fix the problem and re-install the carburetor. It started the first pull and has worked flawlessly since. 

I need dirt to fill in the low spots so I dig a large hole, bury the boulders and rocks, and use the leftover dirt elsewhere.

I'm taking all the boulders from the yard that I've been forced to mow around (or often hit) and landscaping so that I can mow without hitting a stump or rock. 

Over half a day was spent trimming the dead limbs from the large spruce trees in the front yard. I cleaned the cobwebs from the chipper/shredder and made a pile of mulch to be used later this summer in the garden paths. 

I am still welding tomato cages. It takes forever, but I'm persistent if nothing else. Four down/eight to go.

Baby Grady appears to be adjusting to the outside world and is making steady progress on a daily basis. Macrea is good about calling two or three times a day to give us progress reports. We'll be going to Marquette on Thursday morning, Sargie's day off, to see the newest grandbaby and take lots of pictures.

I cut seed potatoes today (Tuesday) and will plant those Wednesday morning. It's also time to begin planting the rest of the garden vegetables and hopefully I'll get the majority in the ground over the next week to ten days. Naturally, we'll have several more nights of freezing weather, but I have enough frost blankets that I'm comfortable in going ahead and planting.

So it's a busy time here on Pentoga Road. Between Grady, gardening, yard work, playing with the backhoe, and teaching the summer session (papers are already coming in), there's simply not enough hours in the day.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I use the front end loader on the old Ford to transport the really big boulders out of the way.