Granddaughter, Emerson, sporting her Meme Pelletier's majorette hat (from her high school days) marching and playing the drum.

September 24, 2016 - Saturday morning

51 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I had today's blatherings almost finished when the page suddenly disappeared along with all the pictures. Where'd they go? What happens to all those little digits, those ones and zeros, when the magically go away? I'll try it again.

Friday was spent working on the garden arbor. 

Sargie had earlier suggested that since I intended to give the entire thing another coat of paint, that I do so before hanging the gate. Good idea. 

Over an hour was spent making the structure look brand new and spiffy clean.

I was in a great mood, the sun was shining, the temperatures cool. It was a good day to hang a red gate.

I could go into details, describe blow by blow detail, but let me just say this; I had that *(&^#  blankety-blank gate every way but up before it was hung. At one point, the hinges were going on backwards, then on the wrong side, inside out, and once, I even set it up against the arbor upside down. 

I don't get mad, I get even, but taking a chain saw to the entire arbor and gate didn't seem to be an option, so I simply took a break, came inside and rested my eyes, then started again. By the time a half hour had passed, it was properly hung with the latch installed.

I dusted my hands of that chore and decided to tighten a couple of bolts on the boat trailer that had come loose. Why, I ask you, WHY didn't I simply stop there?

Of course, the boat had to be moved first. In the end, it fell off the trailer onto the drive.

I really intended to spend a few minutes on the trailer, but since the boat was already on the ground and I could freely work, why not do a few other maintenance-type chores?

What started as a five-minute job took over three hours as I ended up rebuilding the bed and doing some major welding. 

At least the next time Sargie and I are going down the road on the way to our favorite fishing hole, we won't have to worry about the trailer falling apart.



It was almost evening and I was all done in. Time to head to my happy place, the garden.

I found another Asian cucumber that had gotten away from me. This one measured well over three feet in length.

Though it's not fit to eat, I almost wish I could take it to a taxidermist, have it mounted, and hang on a wall somewhere. Hey, hunters have their deer heads, why can't gardeners do the same with their vegetables?

I picked a shirt load (that SHIRT) of chocolate cherry tomatoes, our favorite variety.

Sargie loves taking them in her lunch bag and of all the tomatoes we grow, these are by far, our favorite.

They'll sit on our counter and I guarantee that all will be eaten within the next two or three days.

The real gem of the garden was discovered under a pile of foliage from the cosmos flowers. A simple and beautiful aster.

I sowed the seed directly into the ground this spring and none seemed to germinate so I forgot about them and allowed the cosmos to grow wild. Next spring, I'll sow the seeds in the greenhouse then plant the asters into the flower beds.

A check on the giant pumpkin found that it is still growing. I've not measured to calculate the weight, but it weighs well into the hundreds of pounds. It was long and thin, but has since gained substantially in girth. Once it's removed from the garden, I'll be able to calculate it's weight within a few pounds.

Standing on end, it would be well over four feet tall.

We spent a quiet evening last night in front of the television. Sargie was tired after a full day and I wasn't far behind.

She closes tonight, another long day for her. I'm going for my walk this morning then we'll see what develops. I need to save my strength because Yooper Brother Mark and I will be in attendance at:

SUNDAY'S HOME OPENER OF THE GREEN BAY PACKERS IN LAMBEAU FIELD!

Yes, there we'll be, along with 79,998 other fans, coaching and cheering our favorite team to victory over the Detroit Lions. Sargie and Sheri are going with and will do some shopping while Mark and I are at the game. The girls will swing by after to pick us up and we'll come back home.

Meanwhile, it's time to get Sargie's lunch packed and breakfast ready.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...