January 1, 2017 - Sunday

20 degrees/overcast/breezy

Pentoga Road

Indeed, Sargie and I wish all a happy new year. May this coming year be a good one, filled with love, joy, peace, good health, and no political commercials or phone calls.

At the risk of sounding like the opening of a yearly Christmas letter, where in the devil did 2016 go? It's not fair. I'm at the age where I can truly enjoy life, only to have the days, weeks, months, and years all turn into one big whirlwind. 

Sure enough, 2016's history. Welcome 2017!

Saturday was a busy one on Pentoga Road. After receiving five inches of light and fluffy snow, I was out the door before daylight cleaning the drive and deck.

There was only one problem. I don't see so well in the dark and not once, but twice, I plowed too far to one side causing the wheels of the four wheeler to slip off the drive. I used the Blazer to pull myself out both times.

I rode with Sargie five miles down the road and walked back. The plows had been out and the journey home was pleasant.

At one point, I rounded a curve and found a strong north wind blowing, causing near white-out conditions.

We can't complain about our snowfall. My son, Luke, sent me a picture of the snow that fell in Maine two days ago. He said they received close to thirty inches before the storm moved on.

I miss the old nor'easter days of northern Maine, back when we'd wake up in the morning with two to three feet of newly blown snow, drifts over ten feet tall, and best of all, to learn that school was cancelled for the day.

In our part of the UP, here on the northern Wisconsin border, we are on the slow-but-steady snowfall plan. Once in the winter groove, we seem to receive a constant inch or two every few days, sometimes six or eight, but seldom feet and feet as we did in northern Maine. The folks who live a bit closer to Lake Superior are influenced by lake effect snow. Their accumulations can be measured in feet and yards, not mere inches. 

Oh well, the older I get, the more I appreciate measuring my snowfall in inches, not feet.

Once home from my walk on Saturday, I cleaned the places I'd missed on the drive then spent some time working on the plow and undercarriage of the four wheeler. A bolt had come loose which would have been no problem during the summer months. The wintertime is a different story. I had to lie on my back and reach in underneath bare handed. It took some time, but in the end, all was tightened and made ready for the next snowfall.

While plowing Neighbor Mike's, I noticed a medium sized spruce tree had blown over in his back yard. We've had some fairly hefty winds over the past two weeks.

The rest of the Saturday was spent working on a draw bar and hitch so that I might attach the ice shack to the Tundra and pull it down the road. 



The rope that's been on there would probably suffice, but I don't want the ice shack running into the back of the snowmobile every time I stop. 

I really wanted to weld a draw bar and hitch, but with all the wood dust and shavings in the heated shop, I was fearful of starting a fire. 

I could have welded everything together out in the barn, but as I've indicated before, I can sometimes be a flower, a pansy, entirely too delicate to work out in the strong wind and temperatures that were only registering in the teens.

So I ripped a two by four, cut pieces of angle iron, and used lag bolts.



After an afternoon of sawing, heating, pounding, cutting, and drilling, the hitch was ready to mount to the shack.

The thing is ugly as sin, but will only be used when moving the shack. Once in place, it can easily be taken off by removing three pins and propped against the side until it's needed again.

My sister, Barb, sent a family picture taken on Christmas Day. She and my brother-in-law, John, were at my niece's in Indianapolis to enjoy the day.

In front is great niece, Livy, holding a dog that rivals Brutus for being ugly.
2nd row: John, Barb, great niece Sophie, niece Christy, and nephew, Ricky

The last time Livy was here, she was about two feet tall and weighed little or nothing. Around kindergarten age, the mini girl insisted that she have her own kayak when floating the mighty Brule River.  

Livy bounced from rock to rock in pinball fashion while going through the rapids, didn't panic, and never got wet. I've witnessed many adults tipping in the rapids, but Livy's kayak simply bounced from one rock to another. Other than one area of dead water, the little pipsqueak paddled the entire sixteen miles entirely on her own, never complaining and always happy. I remember thinking that if age and geography were different, she'd have fit right in with my four sons while they were growing up. 

Lest it seems as though I'm ignoring the rest of the family, Mom, Christy, widowed at a very young age, is a nurse. 

Sister, Sophie, a senior in high school, is beautiful, smart, enjoys going on mission trips with their church, and I'm told is thinking of majoring in accounting after graduation. Sophie also works two jobs to earn money towards her upcoming university costs. 

Livy is a freshman in high school, is also beautiful, plays the fiddle, and embraces life to its fullest. Though we don't get to talk to or see each other very much, I hope all three know how proud they make their Uncle Tom.

Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri arrived home yesterday after a week-long visit in Wyoming with Isabella, Sarah, and Curtis. We talked daily, either on the phone or by text, and I know that Grandma and Grandpa are already missing their grandbaby.

Isabella's teaching Grandpa how to color

It was well past three before I came in the house on Saturday afternoon. I'd gone directly from my walk to other activities and completely forgot about adding wood to the stove or eating lunch. Needless to say, once the house was once again warm and I'd taken a hot shower, I completely collapsed on the couch.

Sargie arrived home around 7:30. We had a wonderful and quiet evening eating left over pizza, watching a bit of television, and simply enjoyed being with each other. 

We almost made it to see in the New Year as the last I remember, the clock was showing 11:45 PM. We missed the ball drop by fifteen minutes. I'm guessing 2017 made it in just fine without our help.

Sargie's off today and I think we'll be taking down the Christmas decorations. Between the new life-size Santa and added reindeer and sleigh, I'm going to spend some time rearranging the storage shed. There's more going in than originally came out.

Green Bay plays Detroit this evening to decide who will be the NFC North Central Division Champions. If we win, we'll be in the playoffs. Depending on what Washington does today, if we lose, we're liable to be finished for the year.

Meanwhile, it's time to listen to the news and think the first deep thoughts of the New Year. My initial one will be what to have for breakfast.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Now that Mom has gone home, Brutus is happy to come out to the shop with me. While she was here, he preferred to stay in the warm house with her.