The latest picture of my youngest grandson, Bennet

May 6, 2017 - Saturday

33 degrees/clear/calm winds

Pentoga Road

A wild fire warning for the UP just flashed across the computer screen. With water sitting everywhere, a person has to wonder how a fire could spread. In our case, we have so many dying or dead balsam trees that the entire area would burn in a flash. 

Friday can be summed up in one word. 

STOOP. 

The second tier was finally finished.

There were a few of Grady's tools to clear from inside the frame, or as he called the area, HIS sandbox.

I was eager to set the pavers and finish the job. Arriving home from my morning walk, I began laying the 12 x 12 inch cement pieces into sand.

What? Nothing fit. They had to. Grady and I had carefully measured.

The furthest long side was off by over two inches.

I'll blame Hambone. 

I specifically remember being on my hands and knees, my nose almost touching the tape measure. My assistant, three year old Grady climbed over my shoulder to help me. 

I asked, "Does that look like 41 inches to you?"

He himmed and hawed, studied the tape measure, scratched his chin, and said, "Uh huh, Pawpaw."

"Think I ought to mark it?" I asked.

"Mark it, Pawpaw," he said, then walked away to play with his Tonka truck in the sand. 

Having no reason not to believe him, I did. 

There was another problem. Even after making the adjustments, the framing didn't look right.

The problem? I'd made the lower tier completely square, but the drive to which one end butts, ran at an angle.

I was going to have to make the second stoop look square even though I knew it would be off by several inches.

It took almost an hour to dig the sand and gravel away from two sides.

The contents were put in five gallon buckets to be used again once the frame was secured.

The third problem arose when I attempted to imbed the square pavers.

Nine had to be trimmed, most at a slight angle, to fit and look square.

On a positive note, the diamond masonry blade I'd purchased Thursday evening cut through the cement like a hot knife through butter. The air compressor was used to blow the dust off the saw and working parts after each cut. I can't imagine a more abrasive substance. I also wore a dust mask throughout the entire process.

Late afternoon, accompanied by a light rain, had arrived before I finished. The stoop passed inspection with Sargie, so I can put that project to rest. 

From buckets to tools to earth moving plastic toys, Grady and I managed to trash the entire area. It seemed to take forever to get everything loaded and put away.

One of the many loads taken back to the barn

Both tiers are now ready for Sargie's fountain and whatever decorative pieces or flowers she chooses.

There have been a pair of very amorous mallard ducks living on and around our flooded front meadow, also known as Lake Pentoga.

I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures with my Nikon D-50, 35 mm digital SLR camera. 

All was going well until my buddy, the bulldog, decided he could no longer restrain himself and took off running through the water towards the ducks. 

So much for my wildlife photography session.

The lawn may get sheared today for the first time this season. Laying out the garden pond is on the agenda for this afternoon, but the green space it will replace needs to be mowed first.

I hope to utilize Sargie's eyes later and begin digging. Part of the electric fence will have to be removed to accommodate the backhoe and the trailer on which to load the dirt. Also, I need to decide the design for the waterfalls that will drain into the pond. 

It's going to be a project, of that I'm certain.

Time to put words into action.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...