Sargie, Sheri, and Yooper Brother Mark
Out for dinner on Friday evening

April 22, 2017 - Saturday

23 degrees/clear/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Oh boy, what a beautiful day this is shaping up to be. 

We're going to enjoy it. For the most part, highs are forecast to reach only into the forties and low fifties next week with rain and even snow mentioned. 

I rode back to Iron Mountain with Sargie Friday morning to retrieve the Blazer. 

Sargie opened the Vision Center. After a quick kiss and hug, I was out the door.

I ran a few errands that included purchasing four Boston Ferns to hang on the front porch and a couple of bags of grass seed to sow in the bare areas around the yard, mostly where the large stump was removed a few days ago.

The double ruffled petunias and tomato seedlings started a few weeks ago needed to be transplanted into three inch pots. Though the temperature outside was chilly, the greenhouse was a very comfortable eighty degrees.

I am pleased with the propagation percentage of the petunias this year. In the end, thirty were transplanted into bigger pots. 

The tomatoes, a forty-two day variety, are pretty much no-brainers. Give them warmth, sun, dirt, and water, and they'll grow about anywhere.

Until they are set out into the garden, the plants will be carried outdoors daily to grow and harden off. Below freezing temperatures dictate they are brought back to the inside greenhouse or the garden greenhouse nightly.

The hollyhocks germinated a month ago are doing well. Perennials, the multi-colored variety will be planted sometime in May, but won't bloom until next year.

The remainder of last year's parsnips were harvested.

It was going well until I hit a rock and one of the tines bent. A bit of heat and quick trip through the large vice in the shop brought it back into line with the others.

It seems a bit strange that I'm just finishing harvesting last summer's garden while preparing for this coming year's, all in the same day.

Taking a break from the outdoors, I spent a bit of time in the shop, cleaning and putting a few tools away.

This Polly may want a cracker, but I wanted him out of the shop. The pieces were painted and left to dry Thursday.

I'm also trying to round a large piece of birch on the small lathe. With only fractions of an inch of clearance and sorely underpowered, it's a challenge.

Friday afternoon was entirely too nice to play in the shop. With rake and backhoe in hand, I headed to the area where the spruce stump had been removed.

The stump may be missing, but there were plenty of roots sticking above the ground. It took a couple of hours to remove the last of them.

I hope to use the tiller today then rake the area smooth before pouring concrete and setting the new flag pole.

We went out to eat last night with Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri. Feeling rather wild and out of control, this herd of party animals ventured to a different restaurant, Annie's Trading Post, outside of Florence, Wisconsin. 

The food was absolutely delicious and there was plenty of it.

I splurged and had the Friday night special, surf and turf, steak and lobster. Both were done to perfection. Sargie enjoyed the deep fried walleye.

Mark and Sheri stopped by the house after where we enjoyed each other's company in a quieter setting.

Sargie's off this weekend and I'm fairly certain that we'll both be outside today. I'd like to set the new flagpole and seed that entire area where the stump was removed. 

Pavers were purchased a couple of weeks ago so I could begin rebuilding the front stoop and entry area. That will be a fairly major project. Then there's the front porch and back deck to power wash and seal, a couple of places on the house that require my attention, and the list goes on and on. Note, I've not even mentioned digging the garden pond and setting up the waterfalls.

Will it ever end? I think not.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Chewing on that stick between his front paws while watching me remove tree roots became entirely too stressful for Brutus.