The boat is turned upside down and parked, the backhoe and chipper are wrapped. I think I'm ready for winter.

November 6, 2014 - Thursday

34 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

There's not too much to talk about during these dog days of fall. The weather remains the same, cold, wet, and often blowy. I'm looking at an inch of snow that fell on the ground over night... the wet and gloppy kind, an elementary teacher's nightmare come true. There'll be plenty of wet mittens, socks, and clothes, after recess today.

I've spent much of the past two days working in the barn, cleaning, and putting things away for the winter. The gardening tools were cleaned, scrubbed, and oiled to prevent rust and hung. Other things were put up over the rafters of the barn, and no small amount of "stuff" was burned. It's just that time of year.

I know Brother Mississippi Garry is looking at this picture and thinking, "Holy cow," I better get out and start cleaning MY shop!"

My grades and other classwork are completely up to date in my Alaska Studies class. In fact, I've already laid the digital groundwork for the final projects and interviews to be uploaded, no small task. I've even asked our tech person if she might upload the shell of next semester's class when she gets the chance so I might get it all ready before the holidays arrive. When it comes to my course, I've been a virtual boy scout.


It was with a heavy heart that I towed the backhoe and chipper and covered each for the next six months. Wrapping both, plus turning the boat upside down and parking it, felt like closing the casket lid at a funeral. It signaled a temporary end with a knowledge that they'd be resurrected on the other side; in this case, next spring. 



I was reflecting back on this summer while working. I'm not sure I could have crammed any more into the snow-free months. It began by working on the deck, then there was landscaping, gardening, construction, fishing, fixing and painting... it was a good, but very busy time. I've sworn to slow down next summer and enjoy each and every day before any flies by unnoticed. That's my New Year's resolution a couple of months early.



Sargie was home early last night and we enjoyed a great meal. She wanted chicken, that that was brought home from Tuesday's great meal at the new restaurant located in the old high school in Alpha. We voted late Tuesday afternoon then stopped for a meal. It received two thumbs up!

I threw a steak on the grill last night and had a third of a butter cup winter squash. It was so big that Sargie and I will enjoy the rest with tonight's meal. This wasn't the best season for growing produce, but it was a banner year for winter squash. I'll be saving some seeds and planting the same variety again.

Sargie closes tonight. I hope to begin the process of cleaning off the workbench in the shop. The heavy chores are done, now I simply have to sort nuts and bolts and put tools away. It's also getting time to bring in the fish shack and start the remodeling job. With temperatures forecast for the single numbers in the next ten days, it won't be long.

But first, there's a log that needs to be thrown on the fire, a cup of coffee to be poured, and some not-so-deep thoughts to think. After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...