November 25, 2015 - Wednesday
33 degrees/partly cloudy/breezy
Pentoga Road

Sargie walked into the house last night, gave me a hug and a kiss, then said, "I've got a surprise for you." 

I could tell by the look on her face that she was excited and I attempted to feign indifference, but I have to admit, the little boy in me was jumping up and down.

She handed me a bag and inside... a new shockproof, waterproof, cold proof, pocket camera! I didn't know what to say, so I simply hugged her, choked back a tear, and thanked her. What a sweetheart.

I've gone through a gaggle of pocket cameras over the past fifteen to twenty years. Why? Well, I've forgotten my wallet on occasion, but I never forget my camera. It's become as much a part of me as one of my limbs and anyone who is around me quickly grows used to seeing me remove my camera from my pocket, snap a quick photo, and return it just as quickly. It's become a part of my personality and I often don't realize I'm doing it at the time.

My last three pocket cameras have all been the high-end bombproof kind. With me, regular pocket cameras seem to last anywhere from a month to less than a year. Unlike most people, I actually use mine, many times daily, each and every day of the year.

The camera I've been using is from my Alaska days. It's been dropped into 18 feet of sea water, frozen, stepped on, covered in mud and snow, run over by a snowmobile, and though often out of focus and with the ability to turn itself off at the most inopportune times, it still works.

The pictures you see on this webpage are only a small fraction of what is actually taken during the previous day. I've been complimented on my photos and my answer... if you take as many as I do, one or two are bound to turn out. It's simply a numbers game.

Most importantly, the camera has become a very important tool for me since my eyesight went south several years ago. In fact, my favorite part of the day is very early morning, when I unload all the pictures from the day before onto my computer, enlarge each, and enjoy the previous day all over again, this time with brightness and clarity. Gone is that dark, blurry, haziness that clouds everything I look at. The computer allows me to adjust the size, brightness, and contrast, and suddenly, it's as if the previous day is crystal clear. It makes me feel as though there's not a thing wrong with my sight, it's just a day late.

I also utilize the camera while doing close-up work. Many is the time that I've been working on a motor or performing some intricate project that I snap a picture and upload it on the computer so I can see what the situation is. Lately, I've been taking my computer to the shop for convenience. It's slow, tedious, and frustrating, but it works and sure beats sitting around cussing and quitting.

So thank you Sargie. I love you. 

After my usual three mile hike on Tuesday, I hopped in the Blazer and made my way to town to purchase some lumber for the new sign. I also bought a small can of paint and stopped by the plant to talk with Yooper Brother Mark for a bit. It appeared things were going smoothly and he didn't need my supervision, so I came on home.

The rest of the day was spent sanding and painting the letters for the sign. Talk about time consuming and frustrating. 



At one point, I was tempted to merely dip them in the can of paint, but a calmer attitude prevailed and I did it the old-fashioned way, with a small brush.



I came back in the house at dark and began sweeping and vacuuming the floors. The place looked pretty darn good by the time I was finished.

Sargie was home early. We had a good supper then enjoyed the season finale of Dancing With the Stars. A seventeen-year-old girl, Bindi Irwin, won. What a talent at such a young age. 

Today's going to be a busy one. I am going to do my walk, then come home and pull rutabagas and begin working those up. Sargie will perform her Thanksgiving kitchen magic tomorrow morning when she boils them, then adds her highly guarded secret herbs and spices to make them really tasty. I'd tell you her recipe, but then I'd have to hunt you down and do you in. Even the Queen of England wanted the inside rutabaga scoop and I cautioned her to not even go there.  

Okay, I lied about the Queen and all, but Sargie's rutabagas are the best.

I sneaked outside in the dark and pulled one rutabaga so I could take a picture.

I'm also making cranberry sauce today, not the fifi canned jell stuff, but the real thing. My recipe includes the berries that pop in your mouth and this year, I might even throw in a bit of maple syrup. Uh huh, you read it right. If it's a success, I might share it with you, but I'm not sure about the Queen of England.

I found a pork loin buried at the bottom of our large chest freezer and got it out to thaw. It may be too old and have freezer burn, but I'm going to throw it in the smoker and see if it's edible. If so, I'll run it through the deli slicer and make sandwich meat out of it. Worse case scenario, Brutus will have his own feast on Thanksgiving Day.

Sargie's sons, Cale and Macrea, also Grady, may be coming to spend the night with us. I sure hope so. Boy, the boar hog male testosterone will be flowing on Pentoga Road tonight! We'll all head to Holly and Ross's tomorrow for the big Mighty Milligan Thanksgiving Day celebration, one of my favorite days of the year. 

Of course...

It's about time to get Sargie up so she can begin her day. I'm going to begin pulling rutabagas as soon as it's light enough. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...