October 11, 2015 - Sunday morning
55 degrees/sunny/breezy
Pentoga Road

It's been a fast and furious past two days, but unfortunately, our southern friends seem to think they ought to begin winding their way home sometime this morning. 

The ladies have talked and laughed and discussed all the important things in life. One of their favorite activities is to pick on (tease) us men-folk. We don't have a chance. Feigning great distress, Garry and/or I act hurt, then we all laugh.



Sunday evening

I didn't get this uploaded this morning and today was too nice to sit in front of a computer. I'll publish Saturday's pictures tonight and try to upload those from today in the morning.

Garry and I worked all Saturday morning and part of the afternoon on the solar heater. We pronounced the unit finished in the early afternoon.

A temporary stand on which the 200 lb heater will sit

Bringing it out of the shop to the side of the barn

Garry's hooking up the intake and exhaust ducts

Opening up the wall to install the heating duct

The cold air ducts. Cold air is sucked off the floor of the shop, drawn into the solar heater, warmed, then blown back into the shop with a temperature nearing 200 degrees F.

A small 8 inch fan pulls the air through the heater and out into the shop. Yes, that's an ice cream pail being used as a plenum.

The day was too nice to work in its entirety. Jody, Sargie, Garry, and I, hopped in the car and went leaf peeping.

We stopped by the old Mansfield Church where Jody played the old pump organ.

We caught the last part of Saturday night's sunset on our way home. Sargie was driving and since we were in the woods, she sped from one clearing to another so we could observe the beautiful western sky.

The four of us talked until almost midnight on Saturday. It was as if we had to get in every last word that needed to be said, at least until we visit Garry and Jody in southern Mississippi sometime this coming winter.

Garry was having a tough time transferring pictures onto his computer. Thinking I might assist, in the end, I was absolutely no help whatsoever. He has a Windows PC machine. I'm a Mac guy.

With hugs, kisses, and promises we'd visit this winter, our friends left mid morning on Sunday. 

Sargie and I have enjoyed our record setting temperatures by going for a short drive and later, after the Packers game, walking three miles among the red, yellow, and orange trees.

Sargie's back to work tomorrow. I'm going to clean the shop and look for another fan with which to exhaust the solar heater. It's an ongoing experiment and I imagine I'll be fine-tuning it for the next year or five.

Meanwhile, it's time to shut off this computer and enjoy the evening and Sargie. It's going to be a busy week culminating with me leaving on Friday for the East Coast to see the sons, their wives, and grandbabies.

Time to take Brutus outside to do his thing and think about taking a shower before heading upstairs for the night.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...