The pork loin and bacon were taken from the freezer on Friday to thaw. The loin, wrapped in the bacon, will go into the smoker later today.

September 3, 2016 - Saturday

42 degrees/clear/calm winds

Pentoga Road

The countdown is nearing the end with everything coming together in preparation for Sunday's Mighty Milligan Family Labor Day Celebration.

Poor Sargie's been coming home each night, sometimes arriving late into the evening, and cleaning. 

The exterior and yard are done and after the laminate floors are swept and steamed today, the inside of the house should be ready for company.

Most of Friday was spent either trimming or mowing the yard, meadows, and trails.

Thankfully, I'd mowed everything last week, so it wasn't a horrible job. Trimming took most the morning and well into the afternoon. 

The south side yard. It's difficult to believe that three years ago, I couldn't drive the truck or tractor across for all the trash, brush, and boulders. After hundreds of hours of backhoe work, rock removal, and fill, it's now a part of our yard.

I was getting tired and not paying attention when a pesky tree jumped out and knocked another wheel off the mower deck. There was nothing to do but limp to the shop for repairs.

It seemed to take forever to grind off the old weld and prepare the surface.

In the end, everything was tacked back on and the mower worked just fine.

My goal for next year is to become wealthy and purchase a new mower. As you may remember, I was going to this past spring, but decided to make do with what I have. After seven seasons of hitting every rock and tree on our forty-two acres, I've certainly gotten my money's worth from this old Cub Cadet.

It's evident that fall is quickly approaching. I noticed a goodly amount of popple leaves lying on the ground. Popples, also known as aspens, are some of the first trees to shed their leaves at the end of each summer. 

With all the rain we've received, there are some interesting mushrooms and toadstools popping up all over the yard. This one looks like a marshmallow that's been skewered and held over a fire.

It was past six before I finished working outside Friday evening. Sargie was home soon after and immediately began cleaning the front porch then after, washing windows. Two tired kids fell into bed last night shortly after 9 PM.

Sargie opens the Vision Center today. I told her I would steam all the laminate floors and otherwise clean. Later today, I'll fill the smoker with charcoal and wood chips and smoke the pork loin. It will be that much less to that needs to be done Sunday before everyone arrives.

There are ten pounds of hamburger, a loin that is several pounds heavier, a large lake trout to put on the grill, plus brats. I was going to deep fry bluegill filets, but I'm running out of time and energy, mostly energy. We'll have a fish fry at another time.

Speaking of which, it's time to get Sargie up and around for the day. I'm going to pour another cup of coffee and listen to the news.

It's getting light and will soon be time make hay.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...