September 7, 2016 - Wednesday
64 degrees/drizzle/calm winds
Pentoga Road

We're back into the monsoon season, as though we ever left. A hefty 2.1 inches of rain fell Tuesday, most of it during the morning hours.

The sun came out for a short while Tuesday afternoon

At one point, I was listening to the news Tuesday morning and had to turn up the volume. Between the thunder crashing and the rain pounding the metal roof overhead, it was difficult to hear anything.



Sargie started the Kia to drive to work and heard a clicking sound. Knowing it was better to err on the side of caution, she drove the Blazer to Iron Mountain. When I started the Kia to go to town, the clicking sound had disappeared.

With 160,000 miles on the car, we've decided to replace the timing belt and Dave will look at several other things while he's under the hood. Hopefully, the Kia will last another 200,000 miles or more.

I picked up several parts for the Blazer while in Iron River then stopped by the plant to see Yooper Brother Mark. It appeared as if he had everything under control. I also talked with Mechanic Dave, who will work on both the SUV and the Kia this weekend.

Several hours were spent in the shop on Tuesday, playing mostly. An old storm window was discovered in the rafters of the garage that is large enough to work for my television cabinet in the shop. I spent quite a bit of time sketching what the cabinet should look like, then more time making a frame for the glass. 



So much sawdust flies in the shop that I'm fearful the television won't last long without some protection. I think the cabinet should do the job.

We'd purchased new brushed nickel knobs for the kitchen cabinets and drawers while in Marquette on Monday. A rainy afternoon was as good a time to install them as any. Talk about repetition. 

The old ones featured a rose design

Sargie went with the brushed nickel to match the lighting and fixtures.



When the house was first purchased, the kitchen had old wallpaper, poor recessed lighting, and rose knobs. It's still an old kitchen, but thankfully, Sargie has brought it into the 21st Century.



The next major project will be to sand and refinish the hard wood floors.

My smoker, really nothing more than a charcoal-fired fancy barrel, had developed a large area of rust. The smoker wasn't expensive. In fact, it was purchased at Insurance Liquidators in a box that looked as though it had been through all the major world wars. After slapping down $25, I brought it home.



How many pounds of meat have been cured inside that smoker over hickory chips and glowing red charcoal?



The rust was removed and the bare metal covered with heat resistant paint.



The garden is in the last phases of growing. Either the plants and vines are mushrooming as if on steroids, or they are quickly fading and dying. 

Unseen winter squash that were invisible until the leaves began dying

Many are setting blossoms and fruit that will never develop, but it's as if the vegetables and flowers know the end is near and they have to try anyway.

I make a nightly round of the garden with scissors in hand, cutting back any vines that cross the electric deer fence.

9,000 volts will burn a pumpkin leaf pretty quickly

If I didn't trim the foliage, the electricity would quickly be grounded.



Sargie and I watched America's Got Talent and ate more leftovers. She closes the Vision Center tonight, so this evening will be a short one. 

I'm going to pick, slice, and begin dehydrating tomatoes this morning. I refuse to let all the red ones go to waste and since everyone has garden-ripe tomatoes this time of year, it's almost impossible to give them away.

It's getting light outside and time to wake up Sargie to get this day on the road.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

There are quite a number of regular-sized pumpkins hidden under the leaves. All are quickly turning orange.