Grandson, Cody, showing Grandpa how it's done

April 13, 2017 - Thursday

33 degrees/high clouds/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm coming to the conclusion that if I want to catch any fish to speak of, I need to have one or more of my grandbabies show me how it's done.

Ellie appears be doing just as well

Their father, my oldest son, Josh, and I spent many hours fishing together when he was young. Josh is now a full Commander in the US Coast Guard. A professor at the USCG Academy in Connecticut, I'm pleased that he is passing down the family fishing tradition.

Wyatt is in the foreground

I rode back to Iron Mountain on Wednesday with Sargie and ran a few errands while in the big city. My main goal was to get the oil changed in the Kia.

Showing over 175,000 miles on the odometer, Sargie has the oil changed every 2,500 miles like clockwork. Next for the Kia is a brake job on the front and back. It's much less expensive to keep up on the maintenance than to purchase a new car.

Once home, I stretched a new clothesline to replace the old one that had come down with one of the trees during a storm a few weeks ago. 

The first order of business was to hang the newly washed sheets and pillow cases. The heavenly smell of the North Woods surrounded us in bed last night.

Most of the day was spent in the shop working on the 4H projects. I finished one birch bowl.

I'm not sure I'm in love with the design, but one never knows unless he tries it.

I took a midday break and added another coat of varnish to the sign at the end of the drive.

It has held up pretty well despite the beating it gets from the snow and rocks thrown against it by the snowplow. Facing west, it also takes the worst of the weather.

Back in the shop, I started a new bowl made from a piece of wild cherry.

I decided to try a new design, one where the top and bottom are smaller than the middle requiring some different interior chisel work.

I was pleased until I found a worm hole on the exterior. Sometimes, old insect damage can add to the flavor of the piece, but in this case, it simply looked like an area where the critter burrowed his way under the bark.

I took the finest cherry saw dust and mixed it with wood glue to make a putty.

The paste was used to fill in the insect damage and hopefully, it will finish out smoothly and no one, but you or me, will know the difference.

I'm beginning to look at larger lathes via the internet. I've really enjoyed making the smaller bowls and other pieces on my mini lathe, but I'm anticipating the day when I'm not so limited by the frame or power of the motor. Mississippi Brother Garry made a suggestion of one that costs several thousand dollars, but he didn't offer to pay for it. Geesh, what kind of loving brother is he?

Speaking of Mississippi Brother Garry, the better looking of the two, Miss Jody, took a fall the day before yesterday and broke her left wrist. I told her that after almost fifty-five years of marriage, she should have learned long ago that no good will come to her by thumping Garry over that hard head of his. 

Just her luck, for most people, breaking the left wrist would be the lesser of two evils. Miss Jody is left handed.

At any rate, Sargie and I send our love and prayers that the wrist heals quickly. Also, we'll send a ball bat she can use to get Garry's attention. It doesn't hurt as much and is less harmful to the body.

With the temperature approaching sixty degrees, I walked around the orchard and yard late Wednesday afternoon checking for any storm damage. Thankfully, I didn't find any. It's amazing how green the grass is after the recent snow.

I was especially pleased that the honey berries are beginning to leaf out. Related to the honey suckle, they are a hardy bush that bears wonderful blueberry-like fruit early in the season. We enjoy eating the berries fresh from the bush or with ice cream or cereal. 

Sargie arrived home early last night with a family sized pizza. This family of two managed to inhale the entire thing. 

I'm not certain what we'll be doing today. I'm going to sneak back out to the shop and try to finish the cherry bowl. With any luck, I'll begin a third so I can chalk the 4H project off my list. 

Meanwhile, it's time to pour another cup of coffee and think at least one, possibly two, deep thoughts.

Lake Pentoga

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

There really is a sweet side to Grady

We prayed the same prayer nightly when growing up