Any Questions?

September 14, 2016 - Wednesday

42 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

There's one thing I know for certain. The air conditioners are coming out of the windows sooner rather than later. Temperatures are forecast to dip into the 30's tonight and the plastic accordion-like dividers that allow the units to fit tightly into the window frame aren't insulated. It's time to switch gears and think about keeping the house warm, not cool.

Tuesday was a busy one. I rode with Sargie to a couple of area schools to deliver the complimentary eye care supplies from the Vision Center. 

Sargie really took a fall at West Iron Elementary School. There's a narrow concrete lip across the threshold of the main door that she caught with her foot and completely fell. It appears Sargie will be be fine, but she's going to be black and blue on her chin, elbow, and knee, as well as other places. 

We stopped at the local McDonalds drive-through to order sausage muffins for the road and ran into one of the rudest people, a manager, I've come across in a long time. Her personality was that of sandpaper and after she got our order wrong, she shoved a glass of ice (that I'd asked for) at me and turned away.

I said something about NOT saying thank you and she took rudeness to a new level. Needless to say, I wrote a lengthy email to McDonalds Corporate last night and asked that they contact me. 

I'm tired of people, young and old alike, having few, if any, manners. If this is a sign of new times, all I'll say is no thanks. Consider me old, crusty, and on a crusade. 

At one point in another lifetime, I had over a hundred-forty members in my high school marching band. Regardless of where we were, on tour or in front of an individual's parents, if I heard a lack of manners, I corrected them. In return for their hard work and great behavior, band members got to visit and perform in the eastern half of the United States, both north and south, and Canada. 

No exaggeration, I bet I've corrected at least five or six store clerks this summer who have failed to thank me after check out. One was at our local hardware store right in front of a supervisor. He, the supervisor, just smiled while I fumed. Unless it's a sale item or inconvenient, I'll take my business elsewhere.

I'm now on a mission. Anyone want to join me?

Once in Iron Mountain, Tuesday morning, I purchased the fire brick for the wood stove at one of their hardware stores where the clerk who waited on us, in another town, had manners. I also ducked into Walmart and took advantage of a clearance bargain, a hundred foot non kinking hose, for $20 that was originally priced at $55. It will be put into action next spring.

Back home, the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon was spent installing the new fire bricks in the wood stove. 

I've learned a few tricks over the past forty years on how to keep the dust down, but it's still a messy job. 

The new bricks are installed and the stove is ready to go.

With the indoor heating chores completed, I moved my attentions to the outside where I climbed up on the roof and cleaned the flue. 

Now that was dirty! I usually scrub it in the fall, again between Christmas and New Years, and for the last time in late February or March.

Before

I scrubbed and I muttered, but in the end, the wood heating system is ready for another season of use.

After

It was too nice of a day to stay inside. I ate a late lunch then hopped on the rider and mowed the lawn. The temperature was in the upper 60's. That, coupled with low humidity, made mowing the grass downright enjoyable. 

I finished off the day by watching the 6 o'clock news in my shop while researching plans on how to build a play fort. Grady's getting to the age that he'll need a fort/playhouse next summer. It's time to start thinking in that direction. 

Sargie didn't arrive home until well after nine, but neither of us cared. She's off for the next five days! We celebrated by watching America's Got Talent on the DVR, a perfect way to begin a mini vacation!

Sargie has an appointment in Iron Mountain this morning then we're returning home to go fishing. Today's goal is to put bluegills in the basket, meat in the freezer. The season is getting short and since I don't do much fishing without Sargie anymore, we have to make the most out of our angling time. In reality, if we don't have very good luck, who cares? We're not going to starve either way.

It's time to wake up my fishing partner and get this show on the road. Those fish aren't going to catch themselves.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Those are mothballs sitting on the ground in front of the planter. Without them, the deer would have eaten the flowers and plants long ago.