July 10, 2015 - Friday
56 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

It appears it's going to be another nice day in the North Woods. Highs are forecast to be in the low 80's, normal for this time of the year.

Heat usually doesn't bother me, especially if it cools off at night, but I sure got my fill yesterday. 

The day started by going fishing to a lake that I've not been to this year. 

While driving to the lake, I enjoyed my early-morning coffee sipped from a travel cup made on a lathe by Mississippi Brother Garry. I feel guilty as it's like drinking from a piece of art rather than a mere cup.

I had fairly good luck there last summer and over the past couple of years, it's become my warm-weather, go-to, body of water.



Fishing started slow, but I eventually found what they were hitting on and where they were and in the end, brought home a basket of "eaters," fish that weren't huge, but were big enough.



I had thoughts of taking a swim, but there were two little boys at the teeny swimming beach, being watched by their grandparents, and I didn't want to scare them to death... some random old guy jumping in the water beside them. That would be enough to frighten anyone. Sometimes I look in a mirror and scare myself.

The fish were cleaned as soon as I arrived home. My attentions were turned to the garden. 

I bought a bunch of bean seed for a nickel a pack two years ago from Insurance Liquidators. I know the packages were marked as bush beans and now I know why they were only five cents each.

Earlier this spring, I planted a large patch of, what I thought were bush beans. They turned out to be pole beans. There was no way I could build a trellis or provide poles for a square patch where the rows were close together.

Sargie purchased the last package of bush beans in Iron Mountain on Wednesday. Yesterday, I tore out the pole beans and planted the new ones. We'll have fall green beans if the frost holds off long enough.



With all the rain we've had, the rest of the garden is beginning to catch fire and looks pretty good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good season.

Sargie will be eating baby carrots pretty soon and the beets are just a week or two away from pickling.

It was time to continue hauling fill and working on the side yard. I moved the backhoe to the rear of the property and while doing so, noticed a few thistles I'd missed cutting a week ago.

I grabbed the hoe for what I thought would be a five-minute job. It turned out to be more like two hours.

There was no breeze in the woods and the place I worked was directly in the sunlight. Sweat poured profusely and I kept having to stop and catch my breath. I kept thinking how out of shape I was.

The thistles taken care of, I began loading the truck with dirt. Even manipulating the controls on the backhoe seemed to take too much energy.

I drove the truck to where I wanted to unload the fill and began shoveling it onto the ground. The world began spinning and I had difficulty breathing. It was time to quit.

Yesterday afternoon was spent drinking water and resting. In fact, when I finally cooled off, I fell fast asleep.

I've never had heat exhaustion, but I believe that's what was bothering me... well, that, and I'd been working and sweating for several hours without drinking any water. 

I went back outside last night and finished emptying the dirt from the truck with no problem. Lesson learned.

The card from the trail cam was checked last night and I can't make up my mind if the following is a coyote or a yearling wolf. It seems too tall to be a coyote and typically our wolves are very thin this time of year. I've sent these pictures to my son, Luke, and to Neighbor Mike. They'll know.

Sargie's working today. I'm going to begin painting the far side of the barn this morning then ride to Green Bay with Sheri to take Sarah and Baby Isabella to the airport to fly home to Wyoming. Yooper Brother Mark is at Boy Scout camp this week, so I thought I'd keep Sheri company. Besides, who turns down an opportunity to visit Title Town?!

But first, it's time to fix breakfast, pack Sargie's lunch, and get ready to meet the day.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...