On my way to go fishing Monday morning

September 9, 2014 - Tuesday
57 degrees/clear (full moon!)/calm
Pentoga Road

It's just as bright outside as if it were noon and it's not yet 4 AM. The last of the "super moons" is really something. 

I'm up way too early this morning and not sure why. I could barely crawl up the steps at 10 PM and yet, my eyes popped wide open at 3 and I was ready to roll for the day. No amount of snuggling, tossing, turning, or trips to the bathroom could entice the sleep mode to return. So, rather than keep Sargie awake, I decided to come downstairs. 



Monday morning found me on one of the local lakes fishing for bluegills and crappie. I did just okay, nothing spectacular, but certainly caught enough to have a good fish fry for Sargie and me. 



I was back home by mid-morning and turned my attention to finding how a mouse had gotten into our lower cabinets and enjoyed a meal at our expense. A mouse dropping is bad enough, but when he chews a hole through a brand new bag of Sargie's Shredded Wheat? That means war!

As I mentioned last spring while painting the kitchen, our cabinets are a real mismatched conglomeration of used cupboards installed many years before I purchased the house. Some fit well, others seem as if they were thrown against the wall as an afterthought. All were given a facade and made to match on the outside. The interior is a different story.

The rest of Monday was spent taking out all the contents of each cabinet, even removing the corner Lazy Susan, cleaning, scrubbing, and clogging each and every nook and cranny. Old, useless, insulation that had fallen was removed and replaced with spray foam in an effort to deny any future mouse a free meal. 



I'll be tearing into the exterior kitchen wall that is common with the garage this next week. After moving the upright freezer several days ago, I pried off part of the covering and saw there was absolutely no insulation in the wall and could see many signs of mouse activity. Living in a 94 year old house does present its challenges.

Sargie attempted to purchase more mousetraps and Decon yesterday but found the shelves empty. In talking with and listening to others, it seems we're not the only ones who are fighting hoards of mini-rodents this year. The forecast is for as bad as, or a worse, winter than last. Judging from the mouse activity, I'd say the weatherman might actually be right this time.

And speaking of weather, we are under a flood watch from late tonight into Wednesday. I guess we're to receive up to three inches of rain in a short period of time and then, a low of 31 degrees is forecast for Thursday night. If that's the case, we'll kiss the garden goodbye. This darn global warming and impending drought might very well spell doom on Pentoga Road... unless a new ice age and marauding glaciers don't do us in first.

Mom continues to recover from her open heart surgery and will soon be moved from the third floor of the hospital to the fifth where she will undergo two weeks of intensive cardio rehabilitation. It seems plans change on a daily basis. Mom only complains about her appetite, or lack of it. I guess some of the medication she is taking makes most food very unpalatable. Still, Mom's a trooper and has found her newest favorite cuisine is a glass of Ensure accompanied by a dip of ice cream floating on top. 

Sargie's off today and she's planning on spending most of it sorting through the boxes and totes in the storage bin making four piles: keep, burn, sell, or give to the thrift store. I'm going to help out where I can; otherwise, today's goal is to clean the shop and barn so I can find the tools I need to rip into the garage wall. I've been guilty of working from the back of the four-wheeler and/or just piling the tools on top of the work bench during the construction of the storage shed.

The little hand just hit 4 AM. I wonder if I went back upstairs and laid down, if I might drop back to sleep for two or three hours. It's worth a try.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Our favorite food group from the garden, cherry tomatoes