The first greenery of the year, a stem from a group of bunching onions breaks the ground.

March 13, 2015 - Sunday

35 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It appears the internet is out this morning. Since it's Sunday, unless it resets itself, I doubt we'll see any connection until tomorrow. 

Saturday dawned as promised, clear, sunny, and warm. After uploading the log, I made my way to the garden and began clearing the asparagus patch. It should have been done late last fall, but then what would I have to do in the early spring while I'm waiting for warmer weather to arrive?

The first order of business was to cut down last year's asparagus stalks with the two-wheeled weed eater.

After raking the old stalks from the patch, I noticed the rhubarb is preparing to make it's yearly appearance.

The bunches that grow at the edge of the garden are from two teeny starts I planted five years ago. The rhubarb is just beginning to push through the mulch.

It took a couple of hours, but in the end, the asparagus patch and a couple of raised beds were cleaned and made ready for a new season of growing.

As a side note, we should have a bumper crop of strawberries this year. Last year was a complete wash out. The current berries, an ever bearing variety, produced beautiful fruit their first year, but due to a very late freeze last spring, the blossoms froze and none did well after that. 

If they don't produce this year, I'll rip them out and start again next spring.

Page Two:

Sargie and I left midmorning to deliver the strawberry pyramids. 

Nancy and Sargie high atop Milligan Mountain

After delivering three in the Foster City area, we turned towards Iron Mountain to leave the rest. 

That's me, Jeanne, and Boyd

After dropping off the last planter, we made our way to Home Depot and purchased lights for the kitchen and more lumber for future projects. 

Boy, I could kick myself. We heard the air compressor in the barn badly leaking air when we returned home. I determined it came from a leaky fitting and normally, it's not a big deal or a difficult fix.

While I worked on the compressor, Sargie unloaded the trailer.

I loosened what was needed, cleaned everything, then wrapped the threads with teflon plumber's tape. I tightened, then tightened a bit more before turning the compressor on. It still had the teeniest leak, a slight hiss.

I was snugging the fitting just a bit more when I heard a cracking sound and the fitting became loose in my wrench. I'd cracked the housing. For that, there is no remedy. 

The compressor was an inexpensive one purchased from Harbor Freight several years ago.  Rust has taken its toll and I've noticed the motor isn't as quick to turn on as it once was.

I can buy a part online for around $50 or I can purchase another comparable inexpensive compressor for a bit more than double that amount. I think Sargie and I will go compressor shopping later today. Between using an air nailer or some other air powered tool, blowing parts clean, or inflating a low tire, I seem to use the compressor several times a week.

Page Three:

Daylight was growing short and since we shouldn't need the trailer in the distant future, we towed it to town and left it off at Yooper Brother Mark's plant to be filled with wood. 

Rows of logs, almost as far as the eye can see.

Last night was spent shopping for parts online and later, compressors. 

I let Brutus out just before we went to bed so he might do his nightly dog duty before coming back inside. I stood on the deck enjoying the nighttime air when I heard him let out a woof then run off after a deer. 

That in itself isn't unusual. Brutus runs like a fifty-pound cement block with three-inch legs. In fact, Grady has a better chance of outrunning a deer than Brutus.

I waited... and waited, then called, whistled, and waited some more. I'm almost completely blind after dark and the dog knows that. I could hear him trot around the edge of the yard, taking his time, playing, sniffing, and doing all those things that puppy dogs do on warm spring nights. 

He'd done the same thing the night before. Sargie's a kinder person than I am. She waited for him to finish playing, then let him in. That wasn't the case last night.

I gave one last whistle and called his name. The bulldog continued to ignore me. I flipped the light switch, closed and locked the door, extinguished the inside lights, and went to bed.

It was a humble and shivering 125 lb. puppy that met me at the back door this morning. Maybe he learned. If not, he'll get to camp out under the stars again tonight. 

By the way, Brutus has that luxurious, heated, insulated, doghouse, so he's not exactly being thrown to the mercy of the heartless and cold north country.

Page Four:

We awakened this morning to a clock that had set itself ahead by one hour. When one is retired, he really doesn't care, but with the time change, Sargie won't be continually driving home in the dark. 

I think we'll travel to Rhinelander or Marquette to look at air compressors this morning. Later, we'll attend the annual St. Pat's Day corned beef and cabbage feed with Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri at St. Agnus Catholic Church in Iron River. It's one of my most favorite yearly events.

The internet is still out, so who knows when this will get uploaded. Until then, I think I'll have another cup of coffee and think deep thoughts. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The old hand pump, barn, and wooden silo, at the family farm on Milligan Mountain