Thursday, October 1, 2015


Somehow, I think this year's garden is about finished.
October 1, 2015 - Thursday
28 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

I'm sitting here worrying about the darn pumpkins. A few of the bigger ones, plus the giant, are covered in an attempt to keep them from freezing, but several more nights of cold temperatures are forecast. 

I'm still bringing in the flower planters. For these tall and heavy ones, I use the two-wheeled cart.
I need to get the pumpkins in... which means I need to get the barn finished so there's room.

Sister-in-law, Jeanne, with a pumpkin she grew. Hmm, I wonder if she knows they're supposed to be orange?
I spent some time in the garden on Wednesday taking inventory. Other than the root crops, it was fairly well cleaned out before the big freeze. Now the real work of storing the vegetables begins.


I was hoping to leave the giant pumpkin in the garden until it's time to move it to Derek and Leah's, but I'm fearful it will freeze through. Dare I attempt to move it into the barn for the next two weeks? Maybe the middle of the living room just to be on the safe side? Brutus could move to the garden and sleep on it to keep it warm. I may have to move it out of the garden in the next few days. No one ever said this retirement thing was going to be easy. All these decisions...

I spent most of Wednesday morning in the barn, working on building a wood rack. The actual building was easy and simple, but I couldn't decide on the design and exactly where to hang it. I wanted it off the floor and high enough that I wouldn't be bumping my head. The one I cobbled together yesterday should suffice.




Noon came and went. It was a beautiful day and I wanted to go fishing. Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I? Shouldn't I? Satan, get behind me and all that stuff. That didn't do any good. Ah, heck with cleaning the barn. 

I kissed off any thoughts of being responsible, hooked up the trailer, and drove to one of my favorite lakes.


Fishing was just okay, but the scenery was beautiful. 


The leaves are just beginning to change and I'm excited to think that they might be at their peak while Mississippi Brother Garry and Jody are here next week.



The water is beginning to cool down and the bigger fish are moving. It's still slow, but improving. In the end, I caught enough nice bluegills for a fish fry for Sargie and me. 


One of my favorite programs was playing on the small solar-powered radio. Suddenly, the wind blew the boat around and reception was lost. The only way the station would come in was if I physically touched the antenna to ground it. 

Well, that wasn't possible... I was fishing, for cryin' out loud. In the end, Yankee ingenuity triumphed. The radio was grounded and I still caught fish.

I've never been accused of being one of those sensitive, liberal, professors; one who feigned he belonged to an upper class, wore cardigan sweaters with patches on the elbows, puffed a long stemmed pipe, and pretended to think deep thoughts. 
Grady came to visit with us last night and will stay until later today when his daddy picks him up on his way through the area.

The little guy kept us entertained and no doubt, we'll hang out today. He doesn't know it yet, but after our walk, he's going to help me clean the barn. I'll set his plastic bulldozer in the middle of the floor and he can move all the sawdust he wants.

It's almost bedtime and Grandma Sargie and Grady are engrossed in an epic novel. 
Sargie's home today and will be doing her Grandma Sargie thing and no doubt, working around the house. I'm going to finish the barn... no question about it. Those pumpkins have to get under cover before they freeze solid then rot after they thaw. There's still thirty days to go before Halloween. I hope Grady eats a big breakfast and feels strong because we've got a full plate on our agenda today. 

After all, a man's work (and a boy's) is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

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