It's that time of year again... pumpkins on the front porch.

October 2, 2015 - Friday
27 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

Brr. I had to chip ice from Brutus's water pail.

Thursday began by cleaning the barn. I wanted to get a good start before Grady was awake and out of bed. The boy has a way of sidetracking any big person who might be in his general vicinity.



The barn is down to the final stages of being winter-ready. There are many little things to be put or thrown away, but it's about ready for the cold weather and snow that lie ahead.

One problem that was encountered... I wanted to use the tractor to haul a large chest/desk to the burn pile. The thing weighed about the same as a Volkswagen. 



I tried to start the tractor... nothing. The tester showed the battery was good, so there was nothing to do but clean the cables. Thankfully, the first one I took apart was the culprit. The tractor jumped to life immediately after.



The large chest/dresser was eventually hauled to the burn pile.



I took a coffee break and came inside to find Grady up and playing. He entertained his Grandma Sargie and Grandpa for quite a while.

Grady and I hung out in the shop for a while Friday morning. 

He became quite proficient at pounding a piece of wood on an old kitchen chair.



Grady and his BFF, Brutus, had a good day together. In fact, they were rarely apart. It was funny watching each battle over a stick that Brutus had brought out of the woods and was chewing on. The next sequence of pictures say it all:

In the end, Grady got the stick... until Brutus took it away from him and trotted away with it in his mouth.

Later in the day, Grady discovered the two-wheeled dolly. He loved riding on it, being pulled backwards, but sitting so close to the warm pavement caused him to fall fast asleep.

After a ride into town and as Grady was taking a nap, Grandpa snuck out to the garden and hauled the field pumpkins up to the front porch. 

I started the burn pile on fire last night just before dark. I see it's still smoldering this morning. As soon as I'm finished with today's entry, I'll rake the coals into a pile to continue burning all day.

Macrea and Grady spent the night with us and were up and gone early this morning. Sargie's left for work and suddenly, this old house, one that was filled with noise, toys, and laughter a short while ago, is very quiet. Too quiet. 

It's time to start the day. After I get the fire going again, I'll load the trailer and make a trip to the dump. Finishing the barn will come after then maybe I'll squeeze out enough time to solve world hunger and peace.

After all, a man's work is never done. So are the tales from Pentoga Road...