Over an hour was spent in the orchard Tuesday morning picking blueberries

July 27, 2016 - Wednesday

62 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Another two-tenths of an inch of rain fell last evening and more is forecast for today. As with last year, everything is green and lush.

Daisies, cosmos, dahlias, and a giant sunflower, all growing around the small greenhouse fountain

Tuesday dawned hot and humid. I started the day in the barn, storing twenty treated posts overhead. What a treat to finally have the floor to where I can pull in the mower, both four wheeler's, the lawn sweeper, the hand mowers and trimmers, and still have room to walk.

There're still plenty of other goodies remaining to put or throw away, but this is a start. Since summer is more than half over, it's probably a good thing.

I attacked part of the nasturtiums growing in the pyramids. They are getting long and gangly and the leaves have lost their brilliance. I read somewhere that the plants can be trimmed back to encourage regeneration. Since I've never tried it before, I simply did a test trim on those in one planter. If it works, I'll know what to do next year.

Check out the pumpkin plant growing up the side of the barn.

I wanted to get the blueberries picked before it became too hot. After spending years picking the smaller wild ones, both in northern Maine and on the tundra of Alaska, it's a pure pleasure to pluck the large tame fruits from waist-high bushes. 

It didn't take long to fill an ice cream pail about one-third full.

The temperature was approaching the upper 80's so I retreated to the shop. One thing I did well when building the shop was to over insulate it. During really hot weather, it stays comfortably cool inside for most the day, much like a basement. 

I'd purchased a large LED bulb on Sunday to replace an overhead light that had quit working. With a bit of work, I scavenged a porcelain receptacle from an old kitchen light, grabbed a hanger from another, and utilizing a tin pan to use as a reflector, made a perfectly acceptable overhead light.

Sargie's been wanting a new light over the kitchen table and I offered to make her a similar one. So far, all my well-meaning efforts have been ignored. 

It was late afternoon and I was hot and tired. 

The phone rang.

Grady's babysitter seems to have backed out from her responsibilities this week. Would it be possible to have a Pawpaw/Grady day on Wednesday? 

I'd really planned on working on the mower today then cutting the grass as well as doing some electrical work in the barn. Hmm, sure, we could have a Grady day.

I headed back outside and postponing replacing the bearings in the deck, hopped on the old machine and started cutting the grass. Three hours later I turned the engine off.

I'd just taken a shower and sat down when I heard someone talking outside. It was Yooper Brother Mark and Isabella. They'd stopped by for a visit.

It didn't take long for Isabella to discover Grady's toy box.

Isabella had just woken up after a quick nap in Grandpa's truck and though I got one or two quick smiles, we never did get to snuggle or play.

A fairly good storm blew through last night, but produced little rain. In looking at the radar this morning, it appears we'll have ample opportunity to get more. There's a pretty large cell just off to our west heading this way.

Sargie and Grady arrived home around 9:30 and it didn't take Hambone long to settle into the routine.

The first order of business was to put on Pawpaw's old imitation Crocs. I'd worn a hole in the old ones and Sargie had purchased a new pair for me earlier in the day. As I tried on the new ones, Grady put on the old.

They fit Grady perfectly, wrong feet and all! Yes, I know, I'm making an after-shower fashion statement. Packers jammie shorts, an old Coast Guard shirt, socks and Crocs. No wonder everybody wants to dress like me.

It was getting late so we had just a sandwich for supper. 

Bedtime came shortly after.

I'm not certain what's on the agenda for today. Since almost everything Grady and I do seems to be weather-driven, it might be more of on inside day.

I'll call Isabella later this afternoon and see if she wants to come over. Maybe she'll even bring her mommy, one of my former college students, and we can talk while the munchkins frolic and play.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Today's random photo.
What happens to imitation Crocs after several summers' of hard use.