July 29, 2017
Saturday Evening

I was thinking about what I might say in tomorrow's blog when it occurred to me that I've lost my enthusiasm for writing, no doubt temporarily, but as it's said in the hiking world, I've hit the wall. 

I've either penned a newspaper column, some sort of publication, or written a daily blog, for thirty-five years. If all were published and bound, I could probably fill a rather large library.

This lack of enthusiasm is predictable. My zest for writing wanes at least twice, sometimes three times a year. I often swear I'm finished with writing for good until a few days go by and my creative batteries recharge. It's then that my fingers get itchy and the urge to waggle them over the keyboard becomes uncontrollable.

So it's time to take a break, step out of this goldfish bowl in which Sargie and I reside, and live in blessed obscurity for a while. 

Hey, we'll see you somewhere down the road, Pentoga Road, that is.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Dare I hope that a giant pumpkin blossom is actually fertilized? 

July 29, 2017 - Saturday

50 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It appears that I have not one, but two giant pumpkins that have set on to begin their race against a season ending frost. I have my work cut out if I hope to see another six-hundred pound giant this year. We can expect our first frost in six weeks, if not earlier. 

Hmm, a hundred pounds of gain per week? I don't see it happening. Still, I'll push the pumpkins as fast as I can. 

Due to the feet of rain and cold temperatures we experienced earlier this summer, our growing season is a full month behind so I'm grateful for anything that grows, matures, and can be harvested.

Speaking of which, I spent well over an hour picking blueberries Friday morning.

I've never seen berries so huge and thick. I assumed it would be a chore to pick the dark blue ones from those that aren't yet ripe, but a gentle nudge with my thumb loosens each enough to fall into a waiting pail without disturbing those that aren't yet ripe.

It appears I'll be picking blueberries every other day for the next two weeks.

I resumed walking Friday morning. It felt good to stretch the legs, but I've noticed I'm much more winded on the steep hills. I have a two-fisted reputation to maintain and need to get back into shape.

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon was spent working on the front stoop. 

The mice had really undermined the pavers and combined with the heavy rainfall earlier this summer, the stoop was a mess. I took everything completely out and after stealing more sand from Grady's sandbox, completely redid both tiers.

If the same thing happens again, I'll try bedding the pavers in crushed gravel mixed with dry concrete. That should be more stable and much more difficult for any mice to burrow through.

No small amount of time was spent reattaching the wheel and bracket back onto the mower's deck.

First I had to grind off the old weld before completing the repair. And yes, Scotty in Atlanta, worry not, I used big ol' gobs of welded metal to attach the bracket.

The rest of the day was spent mowing the yards, meadows, and trails. It was a dust storm when I mowed the area where Lake Pentoga once flowed. Dried mud still clings to everything and what was once beautiful, thick, lush, green grass, now resembles... well, it resembles a dry lake bed.

That cloud is dust and dirt caused by mowing over what was, until three weeks ago, several feet of water.

I really hadn't planned on mowing everything, but one thing led to another. At least that chore is finished for the week.

It seems with mid to late summer approaching, all the flora has kicked into overdrive to either grow faster, produce, or bloom.

The double-ruffled Auntie Hollyhocks that were planted from seed early this spring are beginning to bloom. 

Perennials, the hollyhocks aren't supposed to bloom until next year, but it seems they didn't read the instruction manual. 

The pastel yellow hollyhocks that are growing along the south side of the house are gorgeous. In fact, of all the flowers, they might be my very favorite.

This is the time of year when the fruits of one's labors become evident and a person can sit back, dust himself off, and say that with God's help, it's all been worth while.



Even the goldfish in the garden pond seem to be responding to the beautiful weather. 



A few have grown significantly this summer and I'm beginning to plot the best way of how to overwinter them. Some will swim in conventional aquariums upstairs, but the others, sadly, will be relegated to a tub in the basement.

Sargie closes tonight, a long day for her. She also works on Sunday. 

I may get another load of wood today from Yooper Brother Mark's plant or I may simply leave the trailer for the boys to fill over the next few days. It all depends on how high the thermometer climbs this afternoon. Failing that, I think I'll retire to the shop and be creative, or simply take a nap while pretending to watch television.



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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

It's green bean season on Pentoga Road

July 28, 2017 - Friday

45 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

It seems that Sargie's day off flew by, but then, isn't that the way they all are? It was a mere twenty-four hours ago that we were anticipating a lazy day together. 

I found myself in the garden first thing Thursday morning. Initially, I'd planned to pick beans on Friday, but found plenty to harvest yesterday.



The Blue Lake variety are still very young and tender, perfect for steaming and eating fresh.

I discovered one thing Thursday morning. My newest favorite bean is that of the red variety.



Why? With diminished eyesight, I had difficulty finding the green beans hidden among the stems and leaves. But the red kind... ah, no problem. They stick out like sore thumbs.

Sargie loves beets and loves beet greens even more. A quick check of the patch showed that several were ready to pull.



I took any plants that had failed to develop roots to boil as greens along with those that had edible bottoms. 



I don't care for beets, but do enjoy the greens, boiled, with slices of boiled eggs and a bit of apple cider sprinkled over the top.

We took our afternoon drive to Milligan Mountain. Nancy and Ron had brought over their lawn chairs for Mom's birthday party and since they departed before some of the crowd, left them.

The Milligan Family Homestead

An avowed vegetable lover, we also took Nancy some beans and beets. No one was home, but we later talked to her on the phone.

Last evening was a quiet one. Sargie worked around the flower planters while I did this, that, and the other, in the garden. For whatever reason, the mosquitoes about ate both of us alive and ran us inside the house.

Supper last night was one of our favorites, pork steak done on the grill, squash, and beet greens with hard boiled eggs on top. For dessert? Chocolate ice cream smothered in peanuts and caramel sauce. Mmmm.

Sargie's back to work today. I'm going to finish repairing the front stoop then head to the garden and pick blueberries. It's time to begin filling the pails. If I get bored, there's always that wheel to reattach to the mower deck. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Shadow Man is carrying a bag of vegetables

Sister-in-law, Nancy, sent this picture of a cougar crossing the road on the east side of Iron Mountain Tuesday morning. It was taken by a local real estate agent out on a morning walk.

July 27, 2017 - Thursday

59 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm told the real estate agent said the big cat simply looked at her and kept walking. Strange, Michigan's DNR (Department of Natural Resources) claimed for years that there were no mountain lions (cougars) in the UP. Though many of us had proof, they still refused to admit there were big cats living in the Upper Peninsula.

My trail cam snapped a picture of one several years ago taken towards the back of our property.

The showers that were forecast for Wednesday produced only a trace amount of rain. Storms went to our south, some to the north, but by and large, we remained high and dry. The next chance of rain is predicted for the middle of next week.

I spent some time in the garden Wednesday morning. Blueberry season has arrived. They are the largest and most plentiful we've ever grown. The heavy rains that fell earlier certainly didn't hurt.

The green beans are setting on and we'll begin harvesting this weekend. 

Neighbor Mike made mention that he was out of maple syrup. Since they were leaving for Marquette Wednesday morning and I had a meeting in Crystal Falls, I left half a gallon on the front porch for him to pick up before they left. I noticed both the jars and Neighbor Mike had disappeared by the time I arrived back home.

A few of the pavers in the front stoop had loosened and a couple had become unstable. I removed several and found that mice had burrowed underneath. Essentially, the pavers were tipping into the mice borrows.

I raided Grady's sandbox, filled the burrows, and quickly replaced the pavers before someone could trip and break his leg. I plan to get more sand this morning and do the pavers correctly.

The mice population seems to have exploded this summer. We saw evidence of one in the basement last month, something that is quite unusual for this time of the year. We also saw an earlier influx of snakes around the house meaning they were hunting the rodents.

When we had such problems two years ago, I asked a professional exterminator what he did to rid homes of mice. He said the best way to prevent mice inside is to kill them on the outside. At that time, I put out bait stations and last winter, we had zero mice problems. We never saw evidence of any, either outside, in the barn, or in the house. 

I placed bait around the perimeter last month and since, our mice problems have gone away. It's about time to fill the bait stations again. Cold weather will be here before we know it, causing the critters to look for warmer places to spend the winter months.

With sunny, breezy, conditions replacing the morning's drizzle, I did several loads of laundry yesterday afternoon and hung out two sets of sheets on the line.

It felt good to lay between fresh sheets last night that smelled like the north woods.

With Sargie closing the Vision Center, I was in no hurry to come in the house, so after feeding the goldfish in the garden pond, I migrated to the shop.

I've had a new design idea for a miniature vase bouncing around my head for sometime. An appropriate piece of dried maple was dug from the wood pile and I began.

I often find it frustrating to transfer an idea that's between my ears onto a chunk of firewood. I can see it in my mind's eye, but sometimes, the hands controlling the chisels don't cooperate.

I wanted a lip that would curve outward, almost like a large wave about to break on the beach. I never did achieve that effect and when the walls became too thin I had to settle for a more conventional design around the top.

I'll get it. Oh yes, by all that is holy, that curved, flared, lip will be mine someday. I have forty-two acres of wood to practice on.

I guess I'll add yesterday's creation to the pile of goodies that are fun to look at, but have no practical value. I hope to make a much larger vase with a flared lip in the future to display in the gallery in Marquette.



Joanne called last night saying she made it back to the Atlanta without incident. I'm not certain who was happier to be home, Joanne or Schamz the Dog.

Sargie's off today. Our agenda is still undecided, but rest assured, we'll take our drive while sipping Cokes along the way. Other than that, we have no plans.

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


So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

When Joanne told Schamz the Dog that it was time to leave, she ran to the front porch and refused to move.

July 26, 2017 - Wednesday

67 degrees/cloudy skies/breezy

Pentoga Road

It's dark and breezy this morning and I'm keeping an ear out for the sound of rain hitting the metal roof overhead. Believe it or not, we could use a nice, easy, shower, NOT a deluge. I noticed yesterday that the raised beds in the garden are a bit dry. If precipitation doesn't come in the form of rain in the next few days, it'll have to flow from the garden hose. At least the lawn has quit growing at break neck speed.

Joanne and Schamz the Dog left around 9 AM yesterday morning. It was tough to see them drive down the road, but after a hug and kiss and a promise they'd be back next year, the car disappeared from sight.

Joanne called late yesterday afternoon saying they'd made it to Bloomington, Illinois, in good shape. She plans to drive on to the Atlanta area today.

Time was spent in the garden where I used garden twine to attach a few sprawling cucumber vines to the trellis.

Some have fruits that are two inches long and it appears I'll be making pickles in the near future.

Neighbor Mike and Germaine are staying at their camp. Mike was excited that he'd found a couple of bats under the siding that he was ripping off an outbuilding.

The bats in the UP have suffered from the fungal White Nose Syndrome that has all but wiped out the population, but at least on Pentoga Road, a few are surviving.

It was late morning before I hooked the trailer onto the Blazer and made my way to Yooper Brother Mark's plant for a load of firewood. I was only half through before someone needed to back a semi trailer where I was parked, but I was happy to quit. As it turned out, half a load enabled me to come back home, work up the wood, and empty the trailer before day's end. 

All that's needed are another three or four loads

There was still enough time left before Sargie arrived home to make a block name in the shop. 

It took exactly an hour from start to finish. We've been keeping track so we can figure out how much to charge once we begin trying to market the custom names. Right now, it appears $15 per name is about right.

Sargie was home early and we spent the evening watching America's Got Talent. She closes tonight, but thankfully, is off Thursday.

I need to drive to Crystal Falls today for a meeting. Otherwise, it appears it will be a day of being creative in the shop. I'm caught up in the garden and the grass doesn't need mowing. Yep, it'll be a shop day spent in my favorite place.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

July 25, 2017 - Tuesday
51 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

We hate to see Joanne leaving us this morning and beginning her long drive back to the Atlanta area. There are some people who will always be friends, regardless of distance or time. Joanne is one of the best. 

I spent most of Monday turning a bowl, a keepsake that Joanne could take home with her as a reminder of her visit to the North Woods. I had a piece of birch that I thought might work.



I worked on it for a while Monday morning before Joanne said she was ready to go for a walk. By the time our hike was finished, we'd covered three miles to our local lake and back.

Some time was spent in the garden later in the morning. My giant pumpkin plants are colossal with some of the largest leaves I've ever seen.



Unfortunately, there is nary a pumpkin on any of the vines. The few female blossoms that have been pollinated haven't taken as it's simply been too cold and wet this summer. This very well could be a pumpkin-less year.

Joanne wanted to have her car clean before she headed south. We drove through a carwash in town, filled her tank with gas, and came back home.

Joanne cleaned the interior while I headed to the shop to work on her bowl.

Made from old and spalted birch, I had difficulty with the wood cracking once the walls were turned thin. Quick (and permanent) fixes with CA glue, a super glue for wood, solved any problems and the bowl was finished by afternoon's end.



I also made a block/carved name for Joanne's granddaughter, Lola.



Sargie arrived home around 7 and the three of us had a nice, quiet, evening, just talking and watching television.

Sargie opens this morning and Joanne will, do doubt, leave shortly after. Once again the house will be quiet, too quiet. 

I think I'll hook up the trailer and drive to Yooper Brother Mark's plant for another load of firewood this morning. I can't believe July's almost over with August knocking on the door. The leaves will be turning colors in another month and before we know it, winter's snow will be covering the ground.

A person could almost say that this is the summer that never happened. Oh well, that's why there's next year.

On that happy and positive note, it's time to get this day started.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The giant sunflowers are FINALLY beginning to grow. Will they bloom before the first frost? 

Sargie and Joanne in the old Mansfield Church

July 24, 2017 - Monday

48 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It's Monday and Sargie's back to work today. Today will be Joanne's last with us and I wish Sargie could stay home so we could continue the good times we've had this past weekend. Darn.

Little was accomplished on Sunday other than talking and socializing. We were slow to get around in the morning, but I managed to sneak out to the shop for a bit. Joanne soon caught up to me and asked how a bowl is turned.

Boom, the words I love to hear.

In the end, I made her a small bowl from a convenient piece of maple.

I made omelets for brunch stuffed with shrimp, bacon, and all kinds of vegetables. Good stuff.

It was past noon when the three of us left for town, first stopping to purchase fried chicken at the deli, then later for Cokes. We eventually made our way over to the old Mansfield Church on the other side of Crystal Falls.

Mansfield is a ghost town that suffered a mine tragedy in the late 1800's when the Paint River poured into the 1,500 ft. deep iron mine, trapping and killing 28 miners. That alone was devastating, but a huge fire swept through the following year burning much of the community to the ground.

All that's left are a few derelict log structures and the church that's been resurrected.

I enjoy playing the old bellows pump organ each time we visit the church. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of playing, I Come to the Garden, and the song ran through my head for the rest of the day.

The girls explored the building and read the history. We've been there many times and I never tire of visiting. It's like stepping back in time.

We arrived back home and I noticed the ladies had disappeared. 

What?

Both were grazing in my garden!

It was a contest to see who could pick snap peas the fastest. If that wasn't bad enough, they migrated from the peas to the blueberries. 

I knew I was in trouble when Joanne, without looking up, said, "Go get a bowl."

Both discovered the beets and I made the mistake of checking on the potatoes where I found a handful of new spuds, the very best kind.

Needless to say, we had a huge supper last night consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, fresh beets, and beet greens.

For dessert, we enjoyed ice cream with generous dollops of honey berry jam ladled over the top.

Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri dropped by for a visit last evening. The five of us had a wonderful visit.

As I said, Sargie's back to work today. Joanne and I are going to take her car through the car wash in town and no doubt, spend much of the day solving the problems of the world... even if no one will listen to us. 

It's time to get breakfast going and pack Sargie's lunch.

Sargie giving her newest BFF a doggy treat before supper

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...