It's been a while, but Pentoga Road was finally plowed, scraped, and sanded on Tuesday. Since there are few homes, our road is usually one of the last (often three or four days) to be plowed after a snowfall. 

February 24, 2016 - Wednesday
29 degrees/cloudy/calm winds
Pentoga Road

I know I could be condemned to the wrong side of River Styx for saying this, but you know, this El Nino/Al Gore-propagated global warming thing isn't all bad. There's plenty of ice on which to fish, enough snow to make it look like winter, and cold enough to make the cheeks red and rosy. On the other hand, the house is easy to keep warm, the drive and roads are fairly clean, and one doesn't have to automatically run from one heated shelter to another for six or seven months straight. After the past two record-setting winters of cold and snow, this year has been a very welcome reprieve. 

Page Two:

I'm in a mental dilemma trying to decide if I should expand the garden or merely work to improve what is already there. It's the same with making pasture out of the old popple woods on the other side of the back yard. 

This summer's activity list keeps expanding.

I've decided to get a few rabbits for meat and to provide fertilizer for the garden, possibly fence off the popple woods, build a small barn, and keep an animal or five. I'd like to get a miniature horse to work with for a guide animal and a few goats to use as living, breathing, weed eaters. 

I also need to expand the shop completely across the back of the barn. I love my workplace as it is, but another eight feet will make all the difference. Then there's the kitchen window to replace, and a large one on the south side of the shop to install for more light. 

Speaking of installation, permanent irrigation will be built into the existing raised beds in the garden this year and hopefully the same will be done with all all the planters. 

Then there is wood to haul from Yooper Brother Mark's plant. About ten large trailer loads are needed before next winter. 

The landscaping for the back and side yards, touch up really, has to be finished. 

I promised Grady and any other grandchild, niece, nephew, or friend who may visit, a playhouse... and the garden gazebo to build.

So the list goes on and on. I figure the day will eventually come when I'll not be able to do all the above, at least alone, so I might as well make hay while the sun shines and my skies are bright and without clouds. It's looking to be a fun summer.

Speaking of busy, I kept myself that way on Tuesday. It began with my three-mile walk. After, I stood on my head for over an hour attempting to find the computer port under the dash on the Blazer in which to plug Progressive Insurance Company's Snap Shot, a tattle tale device that reports one's driving habits directly to them. If a person goes so many months with a satisfactory driving record, he can receive up to a 30% discount on his premiums. 

A few year's ago, a group of lame brain politicians decided to make Michigan a no-fault insurance state. Loosely translated, that means our premiums are almost double those of other states. I'm not wild about Progressive Insurance knowing everything we do with our vehicles, but we don't do anything we shouldn't and if it saves money, why not? I figure Big Brother already knows my every move. What's one more thing?

No small amount of time was spent realigning, gluing, clamping, and fixing a door from the cabinet where we keep Brutus's food.



 Made from genuine Chinese fake wood, particle board, and wood-looking paper, complete with the cheapest hardware available, it never has been what one would call a quality piece of furniture. Still, it serves its purpose and with the fix, ought to last for a few more years. 

Whoops. Sargie loves it when I do any gluing and clamping on her kitchen counters. Dad taught me right. I put down papers.

The rest of Tuesday was spent wrestling that darned strawberry pyramid in the shop. I finally got the knots chiseled on the treated post and the base and vertical supports attached. 

One side of the horizontal shelves were cut and installed with three more left. I should finish the planter either today or tomorrow.

Sargie was home early last night and we had a quiet evening. She closes tonight, opens on Thursday, then taking the last of her yearly vacation, will be off Friday and all of next week. 

Sitting on the couch last night, I was was watching tv when I felt my knees being pried apart. What popped up but an ugly bulldog who wanted to be petted.

I'm going to walk first thing this morning and after, take the trailer to Yooper Brother Mark's plant to be filled with wood. I also need to pick up a bottle of propane for the heater in the shop. Later, it will be pyramid building time. After this one's complete, there'll be just two more left to build to give away, but that doesn't include the two I want to design and construct for the end of the driveway and possibly one for each corner of the garden. 

Does it ever end? Heck no. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...