June 20, 2015 - Saturday morning

47 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

For one day, I got to be Birthday Boy and be treated like a king, and what a fun day it was.

The first phone call of the day came bright and early, a bit after 6 AM, from my oldest son, Josh. He wanted to wish me Happy Birthday before leaving for work. Josh is a professor at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. 

The next call came around 6:30 from Neighbor Mike. He had arranged to rent a large tiller and asked if he could borrow my ramps with which to load it on his trailer and if I wanted to ride to town with him. 

Naturally, I said yes to both. Sargie and Brutus were sound asleep so there was no one to play with and it can get lonely in the early mornings on Pentoga Road.

The tiller, a huge Honda Industrial model was really something. I've owned a couple of rear-tined machines in my life, a large TroyBuilt years ago and a Sears model when I lived in northern Maine. The one Mike rented dwarfed those in comparison and could it rip up the sod. I was impressed.

Since Mike was a novice, I helped him get started and arrived back home just as Sargie was beginning to fix a dream breakfast.

She offered to fry potatoes too, but knowing that we'd be having a big supper, I declined.

It took well over an hour to fold and put away the frost blankets that were used on Thursday night. We did receive some scattered frost, so I'm glad we didn't hesitate to cover the garden.

Since she was a major participant, Mom called to wish me a Happy Birthday. Putting the phone on speaker, the three of us sat and talked and laughed for quite a while. We're so excited. Mom will be arriving this coming Wednesday for a visit and we can hardly wait. 

The sun was bright and the humidity low, a perfect time to pull the living room rug out onto the patio for a good shampooing. While it was outside drying, Sargie moved all the furniture and steam-cleaned the 

hardwood floor.

A headlight went out on the Kia a couple of days ago and needed to be replaced. It took a while, but after viewing a how-to Youtube video, it took all of about thirty seconds to remove the halogen bulb. The process made me feel downright ... well, mechanical. I can tell you this, the old days of replacing a sealed beam are long gone. 

Sargie and I went to town for a few groceries and to get a new bulb for her headlight and took our time coming back home. It was too nice a day to not appreciate.

While Sargie was making a birthday cake, I put the most scrumptious, delicious, tender, ribeye steaks and four huge hind chicken quarters into the charcoal smoker. 

With the meat was doing it's thing, I did some repair to the window trim on the south side of the barn, scraped, and finally covered it with a coat of white paint. I think it looks much better than the original powder blue.

The special supper Sargie prepared last night was one of the best ever. Besides the steaks, we had baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and a huge salad. It's a good thing we don't eat like that every day. I'd have to widen the doorways to walk from one room into the other. Sargie also baked a great carrot cake, my favorite, complete with coconut vanilla frosting. 

But the biggest surprise of the day was what Sargie got me for my birthday. I was totally shocked and surprised and more than a bit humbled.

Sargie's birthday presents to me... a Dewalt drill and a Dewalt impact driver. She also gave me a Dewalt drill set and a bit set.

I'll be well equipped to begin building the new shop inside the barn a bit later this summer.

Luke called last night and we talked for quite a while. I also got to talk with my grandbabies, Abigail and Coleman. It was wonderful.

And so, like all special days, mine came to an end and it's back to some semblance of normalcy today. Sargie is working at the Vision Center and I'll be painting, at least for a while. I want to finish the south end of the storage unit. 

After, I think I'll move the backhoe to the rear of the property and begin moving fill dirt again. I'm anxious to get the side yard finished. 

Meanwhile, I smell coffee and that means it's time to pour a cup and think some deep thoughts.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...