A mixture of day lilies and hostas in bloom.

July 25, 2016 - Monday morning

62 degrees/clear/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I should be out fishing this morning, but just don't have the gumption. Sargie mentioned last night that we should have gone earlier in the evening. I agreed, however, we didn't arrive home from our day of activities until almost 6 PM.

Sunday began as usual. I worked for over an hour in the garden and listened to a radio broadcast from our local Lutheran church. I was also relishing the fact that we'd received some badly needed rain and marveling how fast everything grows after a good, soaking, shower. 

The dahlia's are beginning to bloom 

The flowers were more colorful than usual and the vegetables had jumped to life. 

The cosmos are everywhere, including the aisles where they self seeded from last year.

Irrigating seems to simply keep the plants alive. Rain is like nature's fertilizer and has the ability to kick start an entire garden.

One leaf on a giant cabbage. This year's goal is a head of forty five pounds.

Neighbor Mike called and asked what I was doing. He said that he was at the camp alone and thought he'd walk down for a visit. 

Mike asked to tour the garden and after, we sat in the shade of the barn and gabbed for over an hour. Things seem to be going well in Neighbor Mike's world.

It was past noon when Sargie and I left for our usual Sunday afternoon ride. We made one stop here, another there, and before we knew it, I'd asked if she wanted to make an impromptu jaunt over the Rhinelander. One of my large lights went out in the shop and I needed to find another, stronger, source of light. Saying she wasn't dressed to go shopping, I told Sargie this wasn't a shopping trip, but rather one of necessity. With that, I pointed the car in that direction and away we went.

Sargie found a small chair she really liked. Unfortunately, it was a demo and rickety from being sat in so many times. The store had no others so we walked away.

Most of the time was spent at Menards, a big box store. I found my light and other treasures that we couldn't live without. 

I wouldn't pay the money they are asking for the playhouse and swing set, but I might be enticed to build one from scratch. Grady and the great nieces would probably enjoy it. Hmm, do I feel a Pawpaw project coming on, if not this summer, then next?

A trip was also made to Aldi's, a discount grocery store. 

Too bad cars can't run on moo juice as milk prices have really plummeted. I remember paying over $11 for a gallon in one of the small arctic villages years ago. 

It was 6 PM before we arrived back home. I headed for the garden to feed the pumpkins. Sargie worked on her coffee table in the shop and after, we sat out on the front porch and talked until almost dark. It had been a wonderful day.

There's a squirrel up yonder in that thar tree somewhere.

Sargie opens today, the busiest of the week. I'm going to walk first thing then begin replacing the bearings on the mowing deck of the Cub Cadet. Better plug your ears. That's usually a knuckle scraping job that finds me with grease up to my elbows, sweat dripping in my eyes, and words coming from my mouth that would cause Mama to reach for the bar of soap.

Sargie purchased a nickel plated light on clearance that she'd like hung in the front kitchen window. The girl also bought a solar security light to mount outside over the garage door. Never, I repeat, NEVER, allow Sargie to tour the lighting section of a large store. She'll find half a dozen every time that she can't live without.

The back door on the living room badly needs replacing. Sargie found one she likes.

Needless to say, it appears that no grass will grow under my feet today.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...  

The best part of waking up might be finding Folgers in your cup, but by far, the very best part of a hot summer day is at sundown, when temperatures begin to cool, sitting on the front porch, relaxing and talking.