Where just a few weeks ago, the garden was green and lush, it's now barren and ready to be put away for the winter months.

October 22, 2014 - Wednesday

22 degrees/foggy/calm

Pentoga Road

Brrr, the fire in the wood stove feels mighty good. I don't believe I'll be laying out on the back patio this morning working on my tan lines.

Tuesday dawned cloudy and nippy. I walked the five miles with little problem and really, other than one muscle in the calf of my right leg, there seem to be no ill effects. I'll walk again today.

I was sad to hear that a neighbor passed away. John, who loved looking at my garden, died while they were on vacation in Wisconsin Dells. His wife, Miriam, and I, are frequent hiking buddies. She can't walk quite as fast, so we usually walk together just long enough to catch up on the neighborhood news before I go on. John was eighty years old.

Once home, I busied myself and finished applying the primer to the storage shed. The sun finally peaked out and it was almost pleasant slapping the thick, gooey, paint onto the particle board. I covered it as thick as I could to protect it from this winter's snow and moisture and will apply the final coats of barn-red paint next spring.

My attentions were next turned to finishing a rough area in the rear of the yard with the back hoe. I worked for almost two hours and almost have that finished. Like every other place around the perimeter of the yard, that area was used as a dump. It's now smooth and grass will be planted next spring.

The garden was my next project. Oh, how I hate cleaning the garden and always feel as if I'm being punished for any successes I may have had growing large vines and tall plants. 

The giant sunflowers were fun to grow, but they are a pain in the backside to pull and get rid of.

Two hours were spent pulling, yanking, shaking, and transporting, and it will require another two or more to finish. I hope that chore will be completed by day's end.

The Brussels Sprouts are ready to be cut from the stalk, blanched, and frozen, to be eaten later this winter.

Yooper Brother Mark came out with his trailer and we took the central air conditioner into town. I'm happy to have it out of the garage! We also dropped the snow blower off at the mechanic's.

Sargie was home early last night and she, Mark, and I, gabbed for a bit before Mark headed home. Being a first-time grandpa, he reported that Izzy had her first doctor's appointment. In one week, she's gained seven ounces and grown an inch... definitely too big to throw back!

Sargie's working today. I'm going to finish the area at the rear of the back yard and hopefully clean the rest of the garden. The end of the summer chores are getting done, slowly and surely.

Dried beans. They were pulled and shelled and some were placed inside to dry and be used for next year's seed. Others will be used for soup.

But before I do anything, I need to pour another cup of coffee and think some deep thoughts. After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Next year's bean crop just waiting to be planted.