Yooper Brother Mark sent this picture of Sheri's pyramid planter filled with pansies.

June 7, 2016 - Tuesday

44 degrees/rain/breezy

Pentoga Road

I have a dilemma and I can't make up my mind, a problem big enough that I'm beginning to think about it in my sleep.

Should I purchase a new riding mower or make do with the old one? The rapidly aging rider still runs like a top, but the frame, deck, steering, and every other non motorized part is showing stress from years of extreme use. I believe the old Cub Cadet has mowed over or hit every rock and tree on our forty-two acres, and yet, like a Timex, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking. It's been welded, bolted, and wired and in more than one instance, duct tape has been used. The tires are held together with multiple plugs, yet, the old beast refuses to die.

I've faithfully changed the oil, usually several times during a mowing season. The engine runs as good now as the day I brought the machine home. The bearings have always been greased and the battery even receives an occasional jolt from the charger simply to keep it fresh.

So why purchase a new one? I'm thinking that in the future, I'll keep piecing the old rider together to mow the trails and rougher areas on the property. Those are the areas where I enjoy walking, yet have rocks and boulders that emerge from the ground each spring, just in time to catch the blade or deck. If the mower gets dented a bit more, who cares.

The new one would be used exclusively for the immediate yard where rocks and trees grow further apart, a place where the blades and deck might remain somewhat intact, at least for more than a week or two.

The old mower no longer mows evenly, something that would be perfectly okay on the trails. I believe the current problem is a bearing. The last one I replaced cost in excess of $45 and took half a day and ten skinned knuckles to replace.

Then there's that nasty word we all hate, payments. I can get an almost nonexistent interest rate for eighteen months, one that wouldn't hurt the wallet too badly and in another year and a half, I'd have a good mower. But still, if I can get along, what's wrong with the one I have now?

Never mind! Just never mind!! I'll either purchase one or I won't. Golly, I drive myself crazy. Maybe I'll just fence in the entire property, yard included, and get a herd of goats. Yeah, that's it.

Monday morning was spent on the garden fountain. Though I'm not nearly done, the basics are finished... I think.

With rain coming down, I played in the mud and dug a depression in the flower box I made last winter to go in front of the green house. 

Next came stealing Grady's wading pool and firmly burying it into the planter to be sure it would be supported all the way around.

I carefully lifted the pool after and spray painted it the color of sand with sand actually being added to the bottom.

A layer of screen was added to be used as a special pre filter (filter) and used rocks and gravel to keep as much sand as possible away the pump.

Last but not least came the water. So far, the fountain is working well with flowers, plants, and rocks to be added for aesthetic value.

It's a work in progress. Stay tuned.

A couple of hours were spent doing maintenance on the two-wheeled weed trimmer. Oil and filters were changed and it was made ready for this coming season.

I've noticed that the trimmer has been cutting unevenly over the past year or two, but figured it was the nature of the beast. It's not meant to be a lawn mower, merely a trimmer.

While I had my nose next to the machine yesterday, I noticed that it was sitting unevenly. Upon further examination, I found the left wheel was larger than the right!

Two years ago, while under warranty, the hub of one wheel cracked. I called the company who sent me two new ones. Since only one wheel was bad, I took the spare and hung it on the barn wall for future use. What I didn't realize was the new wheels were two inches smaller than the originals. It's been cutting lopsided since and I now know why. Things have been put right and yesterday's hour-long trim session was downright enjoyable.

Late afternoon was spent working on one arch for the garden arbor. After measuring it one last time, I found the width was incorrect. How could that be?

I soon remembered that the top of the arch was repositioned as an accommodation for the footing that was off by over an inch. That threw everything else out of kilter.

It wasn't the end of the world. The arches were able to be trimmed and after being glued, sanded, and painted, both should look just fine once they are installed. Perfect? No. Good 'nuff? Uh huh. Only you and I will know they aren't exactly right. Shh, that'll be our little garden arbor secret.

Sargie closes tonight and doesn't work until noon today. Brutus and I will leave later this morning for the animal doctor's. His appointment was cancelled last Friday and rescheduled for today. It's time for his rabies shot, check up, and to get his oil, plugs, and points, changed for another year.

With it raining and cold, I'll probably spend most of the afternoon in the shop working on the arches. I see there's a possibility of frost tonight, so everything will have to be covered late this evening.

Sargie is closing tonight so I'll drive over to Iron Mountain late this afternoon and ride back home with her. Brother-in-law, Ross, and I are going to meet Wednesday morning for breakfast and after, I'll take Sargie's car to the garage and have the oil changed. 

Meanwhile, it's time to rock and roll, whatever the heck that means. All I know is a man's work is never done.

When I was a little boy, Dad used to tell me a hummingbird hums because he never learned the words. He still hasn't.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The bright yellow and deep blue violets are those I transplanted a month ago from the woods. They are much prettier and have grown much faster than the tame violas and pansies I purchased at the same time.