One of Saturday's rainy-day activities was to install a new hanging light in the front window of the kitchen.

August 14, 2016 - Sunday

54 degrees/partly cloudy skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I just had a mini panic attack. In checking the news of my former home town, Madawaska, Maine, the most northern community east of the Mississippi River, I saw that the first day of classes for the middle/high school is Wednesday, the 17th. My heart skipped a beat, my breath quickened. OH NO, summer break is over with a hundred-ninety days of nonstop teaching ahead? 

Thankfully, I had a moment of reality. That was in another lifetime, long long ago. It was when I was much younger and filled with more energy and enthusiasm than good sense. 

I was a band director (along with other things) back in those days and directed one of the largest bands in the state of Maine. We marched all over Canada and the eastern United States. From a very small school of approximately four-hundred (middle and high school combined) our band numbered between a hundred and twenty to a hundred and forty members. Compared to the big schools, we weren't all that great, but we had pride and we worked hard. 

I caught word a while back that the district might drop the instrumental music program. With the paper mill all but closed, the school is a fraction of the size it used to be. 

It makes me sad, but at least for a while, in another lifetime many years ago, a group of hard-working students supported by volunteer parents, were able to experience what it was like to attend practices at 6 AM for weeks on end, to sacrifice, sweat, and work for the good of the group. In the end, all that's left are some great memories.

A picture taken of an old picture. Almost twenty-five years ago, in front of the White House in Washington DC. I'm at the far right standing alongside our US Congressman at the time.

Saturday was cloudy, damp, and chilly, not exactly weather conducive to painting the back of the storage unit. 

I started hanging the swag light in the front kitchen window until Sargie informed me the used chain I'd found in the shop was the wrong color. It was copper, she wanted nickel.

Sargie suggested we take a road trip to Marquette in search of nickel-plated chain and other treasures too numerous to mention. Both of us love to travel. Why not?

We drove past Lake Superior, but the wind, rain, and fog, were so bad that it made getting out of the car and walking along the lake uncomfortable.

The flags are up. No swimming!

 We spent some time driving alongside the lake, but quickly found an inordinate amount of traffic. It seems that classes begin this coming week at Northern Michigan University and millions, literally billions, of parents were moving their munchkins into the dorms.

I told Sargie that after she wins the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes, maybe we could pick up one of these lakefront condos for a summer place, you know, a weekend getaway. We could sit out on the veranda each morning, sipping our tea and nibbling away at our croissants while watching the little people stroll along the lake. 

 Back to reality... a kit was purchased to hang the new light in the kitchen and Sargie found an item or two on clearance that she couldn't live without at TJ Maxx. 

The chair stayed in the store, but she had to try it on for size.

After arriving home last evening, I played with Brutus while Sargie put the groceries away. Later, with her help, we hung the light and spent the rest of the evening watching the Olympics.

Sargie's off today. With this nice weather, I'm going to head out to the storage shed and begin painting. Later? I think there may be a fishing trip on the agenda.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...