January 17, 2017 - Tuesday
24 degrees/cloudy skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

Seems the largest bills of the year come due during the month of January. It's like everyone lies in wait for Christmas to be over then gleefully sends a statement that something or the other needs to be paid. 

I just received the yearly bill for the internet service. Then there are the property taxes, a larger than usual electric bill, and the list goes on and on. The annual homeowners insurance used to be due this time of the year, but I finally got smart and elected to pay that monthly.

Oh well, we budget and we do what needs to be done. I guess if it weren't for the bills and taxes, I'd have little to complain about.

Monday was a beautiful day, absolutely gorgeous. With the sun shining and no wind, I clicked off my usual five miles while enjoying nature at its best.



Once home, I spent most of the morning working on a scroll saw piece in the shop. I'm making a lowly panfish, a crappie. Some people do flowers or other pretties. I decided to be different and try my hand at a fish composition or two. Besides, the way my angling luck has been, it'll probably be the biggest crappie in my possession for a long time. 

I really like sawing in the mornings, right after the sun has peaked over the trees and the light is shining directly through the large window of the shop. Funny how much more beneficial natural light is compared to the four strong LED fixtures that surround my sawing table. I'll take the sun any day.

Neighbor Mike called and asked if I could lend him a hand erecting some scaffolding in his camp.

Who needs to go to Las Vegas? Pentoga Road has its own version of Cirque de Soleil 

Always a work in progress, Neighbor Mike is finishing some trim in the living/dining room which is near the ceiling. The scaffolding was outside, so we carried in each piece, then used our bodies, arms, and legs, and managed to cobble it all together. 

Mike was ready to go fishing. Sure, why not? We jigged our baits through holes in the ice for the last two hours of the day.

Though fishing wasn't as good as the other day, we still caught a few, enough to clean last night.

Sargie was home a bit later in the evening, making a stop at her beauticians after work. We enjoyed a quiet evening in front of the television.

Sargie's opening today. There's freezing drizzle falling in the area and I'm waiting until daylight to check on the conditions. Schools to the east have been cancelled, but it appears to be fine here. 

This entire week looks as though it's going to be warm, in the upper thirties and forties. We'll take any and all of that we can get, especially since January is typically our coldest month of the year. Dad was fond of saying, "Every day of no snow or cold is one less day of winter." I hear you, Dad.

I'm going to walk this morning then plan on heading to the shop.  I know Neighbor Mike's going to need help moving his scaffolding and he made mention about going fishing. I think I'll just play today by ear and take it as it comes. There's seldom a dull moment when Mike's in the neighborhood. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

 Some things are sacred in a hunting camp. I think tears were coming down Neighbor Mike's face as he removed his beloved trophy deer mount so we could assemble the scaffolding.