Ivy - 8 months old

August 18, 2016 - Thursday

63 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I see the hummingbirds are making a fuss all around the feeder this morning. It took me a bit to realize it's empty and they aren't happy. I'll have to mix up a new batch of sugar water for the pint sized bombers in a little bit. 

Brother-in-law, Ross, and I met for breakfast in Iron Mountain first thing Wednesday morning. We had a great visit and good breakfast. 

I stopped at an auto parts place before leaving town and bought a new tensioner for the serpentine belt on the Blazer. The old tensioner has been chirping and squealing for quite a while. Since we only drive the Blazer locally and it only squeals in hot weather, I haven't been in too much of a hurry to replace the thing.

I was going to have Dave the Mechanic replace the tensioner, but then I thought, why shouldn't I try it myself? Thus began two hours of Pentoga Road auto mechanics.

It took a bit of doing to figure out how to loosen the old one, but after a bit, the bolt was freed and off it came. Unfortunately, the belt came with it. 

A serpentine belt is flat with grooves and if stretched completely out, would measure from Pentoga Road to New Mexico, or at least several feet. The belt winds up and down and around six or eight pulleys, some easy to reach, others that lie near the bottom of the engine.

I didn't panic. Hey, I can read an easy to follow diagram and get the belt back into place.

Problem was, I couldn't see down into the engine. Even with three bright lights, I couldn't make out heads nor tails by sight.

To make a long story short, the belt was installed by touch and feel. Over the next two hours, my hands came to know each and every pulley on the front of that engine. 

Frightened? You bet.
I had to manually wade deep within the bowels of the darkened engine where only brave mechanics dare to trod.

It took a couple of attempts. Initially, I started the engine before it became evident that something was wrong. The belt squealed, tangled around the bottom pulley shaft, and jammed onto another one. 

I hurriedly turned the engine off, took a big breath, muttered a word or two, undid the mess, and began again.

The last bolt was tightened. I sat in the driver's seat, hesitating, before turning the key. Would the God of Serpentine Belt Tensioners smile upon me? He did. The old Blazer now runs chirp and squeal-free.

Mechanic's hands made me feel especially manly

The rest of the day was spent mowing the grass, but even that wasn't without its drama.

Mowing went well, especially in the side yard where I'd dug out the boulders a couple of weeks ago. It was after, in the back yard, where the action began.

I didn't see the extension cord that runs from the house to the electric deer fence. I'd missed it while cutting the grass, but snagged the thing while picking up the clippings with the lawn sweeper. 

I won't begin to tell you the words that were said over the next hour.

Due to an influx of last minute patients, Sargie didn't get home until later Wednesday evening. It was a short time together before bedtime.

The poor girl closes tonight so it will be another late one. I'm going for my walk this morning then run a couple of errands in Iron River. After, I'm going to make a few simple wooden boxes in which to put mouse bait and leave those around the outside of the house. We are suddenly being overrun with field mice. Three have been caught in the garage over the past two days, one in the house, and there are signs that another has been traipsing through the kitchen during the nighttime hours. Is this a foreboding of an especially harsh winter ahead? Only time will tell.

It's time to get this uploaded and get on with the day.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...