A swallow tail butterfly on one of our geraniums

June 8, 2016 - Wednesday

32 degrees/clear/calm winds

Pentoga Road

The calendar says it's summer. The song birds are back and there's no shortage of bugs and other summertime critters. If that's the case, why is it only 32 degrees? 

Everything is covered in frost blankets or styrofoam cups

Tuesday was a busy one on Pentoga Road, although I'm not sure I accomplished all that much.

I had worked Monday on the arch for the garden arbor and glued the two pieces together at day's end. Since the arch is, really, half a circle, I couldn't clamp the two sides and found yesterday, the union was weak. In the end, I countersunk three screws at an angle and used them to fasten both together. It seems to have worked.

I also had to make a piece to fill in one side from where the arch had to be trimmed to fit the arbor. Once painted, it was difficult to tell where the repair had been made.

I paused long enough to take Brutus to the veterinarian's. He was on his best behavior, did all his doggie tricks, and before his visit had concluded, was sitting on the doctor's lap, licking her face. What a ham.

My constant companion was pronounced fit although his back knees are, as she said, "getting rickety." He's in no pain and moves without difficulty, so we'll hope and pray he continues. Paying several thousand dollars for a temporary fix on a middle-aged dog isn't an option, so we'll enjoy Brutus as long as we can. Hopefully, it will be for several more years.

Back home, I sanded, then painted, the arch. I thought installing it in the arbor would be a walk in the park. Naturally, it wasn't. Still, before afternoon's end, it was permanently affixed. One arch down, another to go on the backside of the arbor.

The temperature was forecast to plunge and frost warnings had been issued. I dug into the stack of McDonald's styrofoam glasses that we've been collecting all year and began covering the delicate garden plants and flowers. 

"You deserve a break today, so get up and get away, at ...."

Covering everything took well over an hour.

Ice cream pails are also used to protect the larger plants, in this case, pumpkins and squash

It was time to head to Iron Mountain to meet Sargie and ride back with her. We had a pleasant ride home and after a day of nonstop action, it felt good to let her do the driving, sit, and talk.

It was well past dark before we finished covering the planters and tomato and pepper beds with frost blankets. 

Thankfully, the wind had gone down making our job much easier and warmer.

Today looks to be every bit as busy. I'll ride back over to Iron Mountain with Sargie first thing this morning before meeting Ross at 9 for breakfast and a catch-up gab session. Their daughter, Sargie's niece, Ashley, is due any day with her second baby, a girl, whom they are naming Piper. Ashley, her husband, Brent, and their daughter, Brielle, live in Menasha, Wisconsin.

After breakfast, I'll take Sargie's Kia to the Jiffy Lube for an oil change, then pick up the Blazer and make my way to Home Depot to purchase what is needed to make the side lattice for the arbor. I hope to be home by noon.

I'm going to finish getting the boat ready for the season this afternoon. Tomorrow's forecast is for calm winds and sunny skies. Come the devil or the deep blue sea, I'm going fishing in the morning.

I've decided to forgo getting a new mower, at least for now. After hearing from several of my friends, ranging from Georgia and Mississippi to Alaska and several points in between, the consensus seems to be that I should continue to use the old one until it drops. Yooper Brother Mark would like to see me purchase a zero turn industrial model, but that's only because he wants to come out and play with it. I'll make do with what I have and call it good enough. 

Another piece of news! Mom's coming to visit! Yay!!! We'll drive down next Friday after Sargie's finished with work, getting a room somewhere along the way. We'll continue on to Terre Haute, Indiana, and get Mom on Saturday, then immediately retrace our route back north. Hopefully, we'll arrive on Pentoga Road sometime during the 19th in time to celebrate Father's Day and my birthday.

We're really excited that Mom can spend a couple of weeks with us and honestly, it wouldn't seem like the Fourth of July if she weren't here to enjoy it. I know the real reason Mom wants to come. It's to see her best buddy, Brutus and also to take advantage of the bumper strawberry harvest. Mom's been known to inhale a handful of freshly picked berries without any difficulty. Well, there's that and to party in honor of her 89th birthday on the 26th. Oh, then there's the fact that she has officially adopted the Millligan clan and wouldn't miss the annual Mighty Milligan Fourth of July Celebration. 

And all this time we thought she just wanted to see Sargie and me.

I need to finish this and get outside and begin uncovering the plants before we drive to Iron Mountain. Lord almighty, it never ends, but are we surprised?

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...