One of my giant sunflowers. This one has been bred for height and to have multiple smaller heads rather than one big one causing it to bend almost in two later in the season.

August 9, 2016 - Tuesday

63 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I see a forest fire watch has been posted for the UP again today. It's dry. Mighty dry. With the spruce budworm killing many of the spruce trees and all the dead wood lying around deep in the forests, I can only imagine what would happen should a fire begin. Thunderstorms are in the forecast beginning Wednesday night and stretching through Friday. I hope they bring plenty of rain.

The side yard was finished by noon on Monday. It feels good to have the last of the rocks and boulders gone and the holes filled.

It's hard to believe that seven years ago, when I first bought the place, the area where the garden and side yard are located, was so choked with boulders, waist high brush, and human trash, that I was unable to drive the tractor or truck from one side to the other. It's been quite the journey, but one well worth the effort.

The Man Truck continued to fall apart. Yesterday saw the complete destruction of the driver's side rocker panel. 

Also, when I went to fix the accelerator cable with a new bread twist tie, I found the spring that returns the throttle to the idle position had broken. When I pressed on the accelerator pedal, it wouldn't move, causing the twist tie to break. Yesterday's use of the truck consisted of setting the accelerator under the hood by hand then controlling the speed of the truck utilizing the clutch. 

I'm going to keep the old beast around through late fall, but after that, I'll give the junk man a call. It will be time to find a new Man Truck, one that will haul dirt and firewood, yet never be licensed, insured, or see the pavement of the road. 

The afternoon was spent mowing the yard. It really didn't need it, yet there were tufts of grass here and there that needed trimming. With the season getting late and the lack of rain, I wouldn't be surprised that our mowing days are about finished for the year. 

Sargie and I had a quiet evening while enjoying her stuffed zucchini and eating entirely too much. Thankfully, there's plenty left so we can enjoy ourselves another time or two before it's all gone.

Sargie closes tonight. I'm going to begin work in the back of the storage shed, mowing, painting, fixing the drip edge, and moving and throwing away junk. Every country place has a back of the barn, a collection place of stuff that no one wants to see. There's nothing in back of our barn that is valuable, it's simply become an out-of-sight/out-of-mind area. I believe there's a trip to the dump in my near future.

I'll be going over to Iron Mountain late this afternoon and riding home with Sargie. I'll go back tomorrow with her and purchase some blacktop patch and accessories at Home Depot. It's time to get everything sealed and patched before winter gets here.

Ah, the sun is finally up over the horizon, feeding time for the pumpkins. I don't need either to cause a commotion in the neighborhood due to their voracious appetite. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...