The view from Eric, the Boy Dentist's chair. It's a welcome respite from the wintery weather outside.

December 9, 2016 - Friday

10 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It's a short one this morning filled with more pictures than words. Sargie and I are on our way to Green Bay to... oh goody, Christmas shop.

Thursday began in the capable hands of Eric and his crew as he drilled and filled this year's token cavity.

My favorite dentist hesitated to deaden the area and asked if I felt tough. 

Tough? 

Why, I'm the Alaska mountain man who has climbed the highest peaks, traveled solo for tens of thousands of miles across the arctic wilderness, fought off wild animals, survived temperatures that would kill the average human, and lived to tell about it.

I looked Eric in the eye and told him...

... that I was a flower... delicate. When it comes to having a tooth drilled, I'm a pansy. Though it was damaging to my self esteem, Eric gave me a painless shot and the rest is history.

I may be tough, but Mama didn't have no dummy. I'd rather drool for a bit than writhe in pain.

It's nice to go to the dentist and come out laughing. Eric and his support staff are great people.

I spent the rest of the day in the shop, mostly making a mess and dodging a bullet... or rather, a chunk of wood.

I was putting a piece of small popple in the wood stove when I noticed it had no knots and was fairly straight. Hmm, why not try turning a cup from the wood? 

Garry had told me previously that popple is soft and doesn't turn well. He sure had that right.

I finally got the cup to where I could sand it and took off my face shield. Oops, there was a bit more that needed to be removed. Rather than putting the shield on, I grabbed the chisel and began.

I had just begun when the entire piece flew off the lathe and struck me on the cheek bone.

Yeah, I know. Don't even say it. I learned my lesson. Garry told me last year to NEVER take off the shield while turning. I'm lucky it was my cheek and not an eye or my mouth.

The cup ended up falling apart and eventually ended up in the wood stove. It didn't even make decent kindling.

Winter has arrived in the UP with a vengeance. Temperatures have plummeted to below normal levels and yesterday saw frequent snow squalls.

All it will take is one clear and calm night for our local lake to freeze over. I hope to be ice fishing the week after next.

I guess it's time to dig the rest of the carrots, rutabagas, and beets from the garden.

We experienced frequent snow squalls throughout Thursday resulting in two or three inches of accumulation.

I hadn't taken the Tundra for a ride since purchasing it two weeks ago. There was no time like the present.

The machine started on the second pull and I took off towards the back of the property. Ah, to be zooming across the snow once again on a Tundra! I pictured myself back in the arctic, going where few had gone before. 

I was ready to turn around when the snowmobile suddenly died. I knew that sound all too well. I'd neglected to check the fuel level and was out of gas.

It was a pleasant walk to the barn for more fuel. In the end, the only thing hurt was, once again, my delicate ego. Someday I'll learn to check the fuel level before taking off.

We're off to Green Bay in a little while. Sargie is off today and tomorrow and wants to make the most of her time. 

Me? I'm along for the ride. We'll no doubt stop at all our favorite places and in the end, I'll find a quiet spot to sit while Sargie does her shopping magic.

Time to do a preflight check on the Kia, make sure it's ready for the trip ahead.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...