A former graduate student, who now lives in the Kenai of Alaska, sent me this video of a moose "singing" in her back yard. Thanks, Joanna!

December 1, 2015 - Tuesday
34 degrees/rainy/calm winds
Pentoga Road

I knew it was coming, but darn it anyway, we were just days away from the beginning of ice fishing season. There was at least an inch, maybe two inches of clear ice on the lake. Two will easily hold a grown man, but I require four as I don't hold my breath under water as well as I used to.

Anyway, it's rainy and I see the long term forecast is for temperatures to rise into the forties for the next several days. Though I love to ice fish, it's nice to not be wading through waist-deep snow while enduring below-zero temperatures accompanied by strong northerly winds. Ice fishing will have to wait.

Grady came through the kitchen door last night with Grandma Sargie! I'm not sure how or why we got this surprise visit, but our little buddy stayed last night and I think, is here for today and tonight. Grandma and I like that very much.

Monday flew by. I arrived home from my three-mile stroll and immediately started the smoker and prepared the fifteen pounds of loin and six-pound turkey breast. It took a while to cut the hardwood into small chunks and ready the heat and even longer to figure out how to fit all that meat onto one rack. In the end, I did.

Smoked turkey breast injected with butter redefines the term, "Butter Ball."

The meat came out just okay. The smoker is too small to do so much at one time. Oh, everything is edible, to be sure, but when it comes to my outdoor cooking, I'm picky. I won't try so much the next time.

With the meat in the smoker, I began working on the background for the sign. In my mind's eye, I'd completely messed up the gluing and clamping of the four boards, but after removing the clamps and donning the magnifiers, I saw the boards were smooth, even, and in line. Why do I worry about such things? Even if they weren't perfect, it's only a sign to go out by the road.

I sanded the boards and was soon ready to apply a coat of polyurethane, that was purchased after a quick trip to town.



Wood was applied to the smoker throughout the morning and early afternoon and I was surprised when the meat thermometer registered that it was done. I anticipated it would take longer than it did.

I worked for quite a while on the cross with the rose. Boy, talk about intricate work! I think it's going okay... I'm not sure. I have to remove the blade for each interior cut and I raised and lowered the magnifiers so many times it almost made me dizzy.



Still, what a joy to sit at my desk in the shop, the music playing in the background, warm and with the smell of wood in the air, all with the bulldog lying on my feet, keeping them warm. I was living the dream. Cutting and carving on a scrap piece of lumber were only an excuse to be so happy and content. I'm a lucky man.

Sargie arrived home mid evening with Grady in tow. I was sure happy to see the little guy and it didn't take long for Grandpa to be heading out to the storage shed for his toys and high chair. We spent last evening playing and over an hour with Grady on my lap, watching musical nursery rhymes on the computer, singing and clapping to every one.



Sargie's off today. I'm guessing we'll decorate for Christmas... or she'll decorate and Grady and I will hang out. I doubt I'll get much done on the sign or the cross and that's okay. There's always tomorrow and if not then, the day after.

Grandma Sargie's in the shower and I hear rustling going on upstairs. That means life as I know it is about to change in the form of a year-and-a-half old little boy who will want to sit on Grandpa's lap and snuggle before beginning his day. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...