August 15, 2015 - Saturday 

58 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

It's a full ten degrees cooler this morning than yesterday at this time. Hopefully, that bodes for an upcoming day that isn't quite so hot as Friday's high of 91 degrees. According to Carl the Weatherman, today and Sunday are to remain quite warm before a cool front comes galloping through and returns temperatures back to normal.

I saw Sargie, Grady, and Macrea, off Friday morning and decided to make an early morning trip to town via four wheeler, before it became too hot. I couldn't have asked for a better time or ride.

Several weeks ago, I had noticed a new limb of the trail branching off to the south, towards Wisconsin. I decided to explore a bit on my way back from town.

The trail took me over an old railroad trestle, across the Brule River, and into Wisconsin. 

I really wanted to continue on south, but the ATV isn't licensed to ride Wisconsin's trails and I had other things to do before the temperature rose even more.

I'd planned to begin work on the shop, but decided to take advantage of the quickly rising temperatures and apply some blacktop patch to areas alongside the drive that were cracked due to last spring's frost heaves.

Rather than use a hose or high pressure washer to clean the cracks, I simply brought out the compressor and used a strong stream of air to clear any of dirt and debris.

It took awhile, but all the areas were filled. I'll have to go back over the biggest in the future to apply another coat. The main thing was to seal any place where water can enter next spring during the melt, then freeze and expand, causing the blacktop to crack and break away.

It was early afternoon before I finished and entirely too hot to work in the barn. Brutus and I settled into the house and the air conditioning to wait out the hottest part of the day. 

Later, when the shadows grew long, I mowed the front and back yards. Once again, a rock jumped out in front of me and I knocked another wheel off the mower deck. I didn't notice it had broken off and continued to mow. When I was done and walking to the house from the barn, I noticed something didn't look quite right with the lawn. Seems the deck was uneven and cut the grass the same way. Oh well, it will grow back someday.

Sargie was home early and we met Mark and Sheri later in the evening for a Friday night fish fry. As always, the food was delicious, the company even better.

Wildflowers along the ATV trail

There's a catastrophe in the making on Pentoga Road. In measuring the giant pumpkin's growth on Friday, I discovered that it's grown so fast, part of it has pushed away the vine causing a tear between the vine and stem. I don't know how it will affect the pumpkin, but it can't be good for it.

Right now, the pumpkin weighs 314 pounds and has gained almost a 100 lbs a week since hand pollinating it on July 19th, less than a month ago. Really, I've reached my goal of a fruit more than 300 pounds. On the other hand, if we have a normal growing season, there's no reason why it couldn't reach over 600 pounds, possibly more. 

I'm hoping there'll be enough nutrients flow through the torn vine to keep the monster alive and growing. 

A postscript - 8 AM Saturday morning - It appears that, at least for now, the pumpkin is still growing. According to my measurements, it gained another 9 lbs overnight. 

Taken on July 19

August 13

One of these days, hopefully after it grows another few hundred pounds, I'll publish the entire sequence of pictures, all taken days apart. The growing spurts are unbelievable.

Sargie is at work again today. I'm going to do my garden duties then hopefully, begin framing the shop before it gets too hot.

But first, there's coffee to sip and deep thoughts to think. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Grady and cousin, Aubrey, playing at Ross and Holly's on Friday. Thanks for sending the picture, Ross!