And we thought spring had arrived a month ago...
 "He who laughs last, laughs best." Mother Nature is certainly chuckling now.

April 5, 2016 - Tuesday

3 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

We officially discovered what has been ailing Sargie for the past ten days to two weeks. After hours of tests, blood work, and visits with multiple doctors, none of whom could diagnose the problem, the ailment became evident yesterday. Shingles.

The rash began a couple of days ago around her middle. We didn't realize that shingles could affect her internal organs, especially the heart, lungs, and kidneys, thus her pain from the past ten days.

Sargie visited the doctor yesterday who gave her a prescription for antibiotics. She'll be proceeding gingerly until the conditions disappear. Thanks to the many who have sent along their well-wishes, thoughts, and prayers. 

Sargie says she's going to try to keep on working. We'll see. 

Page Two:

I rode to Iron Mountain with Sargie Monday morning so that I could purchase the lumber needed for the garden arbor. With the help of a couple of young men, I found some good, straight, pieces, and was soon on my way home. 

The lumber needed for the arbor, stacked, sorted, and ready to go.

Making tenons on top of the 4x4 corner posts was yesterday's task.

The combination of a saw and chisel was used to remove the wood. Things went well until I ran into a knot.

But then, isn't that what wood glue is for? Aesthetics aren't really all that important for the tenons. They'll be wedged between two cross pieces at the top of the arbor and be hidden anyhow.

And the directions, hmmm.

They are from an old magazine I found online. There is a service that will sell me the same instructions for ten dollars. After spending an evening searching, I found them reprinted through a Russian website. Though a bit fuzzy, they give me what I need to know, the dimensions.

 

Page Three:

I've enjoyed pigging out, grazing, and feeding from the trough all winter. It's time to begin cutting into this spare tire I've called my belly for the past three months.

With that in mind, I started a low carbohydrate diet and made a simple omelet for lunch/supper with eggs, cheese, and packed with plenty of pickled jalapeno peppers from last summer's garden. Perfect!

Sargie was home early and spent the rest of the day on the couch. The poor girl has been through some tough times these past two weeks.  

I was carrying my external hard drive across the living room last night when my foot snagged the rug causing the hard drive to be thrown across the room, landing on the brick hearth, and breaking into two pieces. 

I was sick. The drive contains all my pictures and logs dating back to the beginning of my arctic adventures and continuing right up to the present time. Thankfully, I put it back together and it worked. I'll be ordering a back up external hard drive in short order.

Sargie opens the Vision Center today. I'm going to walk my usual five miles, make a quick trip into town, then begin working on the sides of the arbor. I hope to make a lattice out of 1x2's, notching each so they all interconnect. If you see blue smoke rising from this direction, don't worry, it's me fussing and fuming. 

Time to get busy. Those five miles aren't going to walk themselves.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...