Sargie and I are getting ready to feed the bears. We go to the back of the property several times a week and dump any food scraps. The next several pictures will show what happens after.

July 15, 2014 - Tuesday

48 degrees/breezy/clouds/rain

Pentoga Road

 Amazing what roams our woods when we're not around. There are at least two, possibly three, different bears that visited. Before Brutus came to live with us, we'd often see them in the back yard, but they now stay back in the woods. 

Seems as though there's an invisible line drawn by the animals and Brutus. He will go partway back into the woods by himself, but unless I'm on foot, he stops after a bit and is hesitant to go any further. Assuming there's not a cub involved, the bears generally run from him. The wolves, however, are a different story.

My five mile walk went well yesterday morning and I rarely think about my knee or feet. Everything seems to be hitting on all eight cylinders. I talked with the shuttle service yesterday and made arrangements to meet them at Munising Falls at 9 AM on August 8th and be transported up to Grand Marais to begin my hike along Lake Superior. This will be my first solo hike in many years and determine if I'm able to attempt the Appalachian Trail beginning in March. I'm not worried about my body, only seeing the blazes that mark the trail. There are generally enough people on both trails that there's little need for worry.

The wild flowers are everywhere this year. There are patches so thick alongside the road that it feels as though I'm walking through a flower garden.

I arrived home and began work on the storage unit. Unfortunately, rain ran me back inside, but not before I added two more joists and another sheet of flooring. I'm running a bit off square, but I've decided to go ahead, knowing I may have to scab a piece or two of wood at the very end. Once the walls are up, no one will know anyway.

Once it quit raining, I spent the next hour-and-a-half picking strawberries. With between twenty to twenty-five gallon bags in the freezer for winter's use, I don't believe we'll freeze anymore. The main crop is finished, but there should be enough to eat on for the next couple of weeks.

Sargie was home early last night and worked in the kitchen much of the evening.

Sargie always has a treat for Brutus when she walks in the door. 

Mom arrives on the noon flight today from Indianapolis. I think we'll swing by the Vision Center and pick up Sargie so the three of us can have lunch together.

Meanwhile, there are several honey-do jobs to complete this morning before I head to the airport; a wall hanging to measure for, a little chore here, another there. Oh, if only you had my life.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...