Yooper Brother Mark visited on Tuesday afternoon and went home with a bag full of rhubarb.

May 19, 2015 - Tuesday evening

36 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

The snow finally melted before noon today, but it remained cold until late this afternoon when the sun came out and the wind subsided. 

Tonight's low is forecast to plunge into the low 20's, possibly the teens. The plants are covered, even in the greenhouse, with one, even two blankets over containers.

Another type of wild flower growing along the edge of the yard.

I was working in the house when the doorbell rang. It was Neighbor on the Lake Bob, the man who gave me two loads of white birch fire wood. Bob asked if I'd seen the other pile closer to the lake. I told him I didn't know there was another one. Well, there was.

I have to be honest, I was still a bit tired from moving and stacking all of yesterday's wood, two full loads, but Bob needed it gone before Memorial Day and the price was right... free. All I had to do was pick it up.

I spent the rest of morning and well into the afternoon moving and stacking another cord of wood. 

I spent some time this afternoon in the garden, then devoted the rest of the day making a "Grady Gate." Our little grandbaby will be here beginning Wednesday night and stay through this weekend. 

He's at that age, one, where he's into everything and makes the average monkey jealous of his climbing ability. I had to devise a gate to fit in front of the wood stove that would be Grady-proof.

It's cut to the exact length to fit between an end table and the couch, but took some thought as to how to keep it from tipping over, either into the stove or have it fall forwards if he climbs on the front.

I built a stand to go behind the gate and will place a heavy weight on it to keep it from tipping one way or the other.

Sargie was home early tonight and we've spent the evening watching the finale of Dancing With the Stars. It's without a doubt our favorite television show.

I've been grading first week assignments submitted by my university students enrolled in the summer session. The first test has been sent to the tech people to upload onto the class website. It's hard to believe that time has come already.

Sargie's back to work early in the morning, her last until next Monday. She will meet Macrea somewhere between Iron Mountain and Marquette tomorrow afternoon to get Grady. There's little doubt our lives will be significantly altered for the next several days chasing after the little guy.

I've got so many things to do before Grady gets here that I'd have to make a list to remember them all. Thankfully, the weather is to turn warmer and the winds subside. It'll be time to shake, rattle, and roll.

But then, are we surprised? After all, a man's work is never done. 

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...