July 13, 2017 - Thursday
59 degrees/cloudy/calm winds
Pentoga Road

Thanks to my friend, Eileen, for sending the above picture and reminding me just how costly and difficult it can be to grow a garden.

Several years ago, I calculated the cost of my favorite summertime hobby. I figured my time was worth $10 an hour, plus there was the equipment, seed, fertilizer, etc. etc. 

In the end, I estimated the garden cost between $1,300 and $1,500 a season. Not cheap.

In retrospect, as I wrote Eileen, if I paid myself a mere $5 for every hour of enjoyment received from the garden each summer, I'd be a millionaire several times over.


Wednesday morning began with thunderstorms roaring through the area. Though the rain had ceased by midmorning, it remained drizzly all day.

My activities were almost identical to Tuesday's. I worked in the shop finishing the lion puzzle.



I had to manufacture and cut two pieces to join the back half to the front of the body, no small task.

Neighbor Mike later knocked on the shop door and we had a good time catching up on the news. I later went up to his camp to help unload his new/used ATV.



Back home, I put the finishing touches on the puzzle. It's now ready for Sargie's artistic hand.

The rain quit and I decided there was no time like the present to build the next section of privacy fence. 



The second section went much faster than the first and both were permanently fastened into place before afternoon's end.

I've unplugged the waterfalls in the garden pond until I get the chance to work on the problem, probably the first of next week. I don't believe the fix will be too difficult.



The fountain will be kept running all weekend so there should be plenty of oxygen for the goldfish should the temperatures turn hot.

Strong storms rumbled through late Wednesday afternoon. Sargie said the sirens went off in Florence, Wisconsin, shortly after she drove through on her way home. Thankfully, the severe weather went around us, but we received another .6 of an inch of rain. 

The garden is beginning to produce. Blueberries and beans appear to be the next veggies on the agenda.

Ten days of warm sunshine are needed for the blueberries to ripen. With any luck at all, we should have a bumper crop this year.

The beans are beginning to blossom. I like the red blossoms of this variety.



Sargie's off today and no doubt, we'll make our way to town and take our usual afternoon drive after.

We'll be leaving fairly early Friday morning for Green Bay. Nephew Regan and his fiance', Jessica, will be getting married on Saturday and naturally, the Mighty Milligans will be in full attendance. We'll stay Saturday night and make our way home Sunday.

Oh, and the reception is being held at... LAMBEAU FIELD! I wonder if Aaron and the boys will drop by? Maybe I'll take my play book, just in case.

I'm running way late this morning. It's time to shift this machine into gear and get going.



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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Isabella and Uncle Jerad getting ready for the UP Fireman's Tournament this coming weekend.