June 14, 2015 - Sunday evening
76 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

I'll be leaving at 6 in the morning to meet Neighbor Mike about an hour north of here for a morning of fishing, so figured I ought to write tonight. Mike will be driving from his home in Marquette.

Today was a whirlwind around here, complete with some real victories in the mechanical department.

The old truck has had a short for sometime that causes the battery to run down after using it several times. Since the truck is no longer licensed and doesn't go on the road, I've not worried too much about it. Still, it's been bothersome and a real pain at times.

I've taken it to a mechanic's and son, Andy, looked at it several times, all to no avail. 

The engine wouldn't turn over this morning. I raised the hood, wiggled some wires and heard the key alarm ding in the cab. Power had been restored. The truck easily started and I drove it to the barn.

There was nothing to do other than put on the magnifiers, get a ladder and crawl head first into the engine compartment. 



I wiggled. I listened... a crackling sound somewhere far down. Wiggle/crackle... I lay across the engine, my head and arms down alongside the monster. Wiggle/crackle... wiggle/crackle. 

FINALLY... a ground wire had corroded and was shorting out on the frame at the base of the engine. 



I soon had the wire loosened from a rusted holder and was wrapping it with electrical tape. The old man-truck is back, complete with a system that charges rather than a continual discharge. 



In real life, it might be considered trivial, but after five years of frustration, I felt as though I'd just won an Olympic gold medal.

This is the fourth year for the wire bread wrappers used to affix the cable from the pedal to the accelerator.  The mechanic wanted $80 plus labor. My fix cost me only a trip to the kitchen and five minutes of time.

The next mechanical feat of the day concerned the trip lever for the bucket on the front end loader. The bungee cord that was used to replace the worn spring broke.



Once again, I had to dig deep into my mechanical bag of goodies and produce another bungie cord to make the lever work. I was back in business within minutes.



Sargie spent several hours mowing. 



Later, she pulled the sweeper over the lawn.



 The only snag occurred when Sargie ran over an extension cord causing it to wind around the brushes. It took a while, but with both of us working, it was freed.



While Sargie mowed the lawn, I worked in the side yard, moving yesterday's boulders and digging out a few more.



 I think I'm about done with the digging phase and will soon be ready to begin leveling and raking the remaining area.

It was mid to late afternoon before we called a halt to our labors and took our ride. Sipping Cokes and munching burgers and fries, we drove north, making a circle of about fifty miles.

The old state prison that was closed several years ago.

It was too nice of an evening to be inside. Sargie and I took a four-wheeler ride to Alpha and back on the trail seeing some beautiful country.

Sargie's back to work tomorrow. I'll go fishing in the morning then continue working on the side yard in the afternoon. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

A rare sighting these days, a Monarch butterfly.