Pentoga Road has suddenly become the hummingbird capitol of the Upper Peninsula

August 31, 2017 - Thursday

40 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm currently filling the hummingbird feeder daily, something I haven't had to do for several years. Mississippi Brother Garry and Miss Jody have been known to fill their's several times a day, but they feed flying herds, gaggles, schools, and flocks, of little hummers. We seldom have more than half a dozen birds at any given time.

I have to think that North America's smallest birds are stuffing their little beaks in preparation for their annual migration south. Seems they can't inhale sugar water fast enough. 

Oh great, here we go again. Another frost warning just came across my screen with lows forecast to dip into the twenties for tonight. We were lucky that last week's frosts didn't kill the garden, but temperatures in the twenties? That's not a frost, that's a freeze. 

It would be a fitting end to this past summer. You might know we'd be on the killing end of a hard freeze just in time for this weekend's family gathering. Our guests would have to look at the wilted flowers and rotting garden. Oh well, all the family are native to the UP and used to such quirky weather. 

And me? I'm from Alaska where quirky was invented. 

It is what it is. That's why there's always next year.

Wednesday began with a bang and ended with a nap. Rather than ride with Sargie and walk the three easy miles back home, I've been hiking to the Wisconsin state line, the same distance, but much more challenging due to several steep hills.

Back home, I began spreading sand and gravel in the area north of the barn.

The fill was scraped into the lower areas, then raked smooth by hand.

I was on a roll until I took a break and heard thunder overhead. I'd been oblivious to the approaching storm so I quickly covered the backhoe and put my tools away.

It rained! Oh boy, did it ever rain with six tenths of an inch falling in half an hour. Any thought of doing more meaningful work outside quickly went away.

The rest of the day was spent doing small odd jobs. One was to patch a long crack in the garage floor. 

I've used a squeeze bottle of commercial concrete repair for the past several years and have been quite pleased with the results. The annual frost heaves play havoc with the paved drive and garage floor.

Sargie was home mid evening and we enjoyed one of our favorite summertime meals, bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches.

I'm really disappointed with the tomatoes this year. They have the taste and consistency of cardboard. 

What can I say? It's just one of those years. 

Sargie doesn't have to be at the Vision Center until noon today. Unfortunately, she'll be closing tonight. 

I'm going to get this uploaded then go for my walk. After, I want to finish spreading the fill on the north side of the barn then install a set of old metal shelves in the shipping container. 

I guess with the pending cold weather, I ought to do one of my least favorite jobs, remove the stove pipe and completely clean the interior of the stove, the flue, and replace the fire brick. It appears we'll need the stove sooner rather than later this year.

If only you had my life.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

August 30, 2017 - Wednesday
53 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

After four days away from the Vision Center, Sargie's back to work this morning. Darn it. I don't understand how the days can fly by so quickly when she's home, yet tend to crawl when she's working.

I was out the door first thing Tuesday morning heading to the blueberry patch. Once again, it was surprising how large the berries were and the number remaining to be picked.



I learned something new this year. With all the rain, the berries are growing out of their skins much like ripe tomatoes have the tendency to split open after being exposed to too much moisture.



It doesn't affect the blueberry's flavor, but does cause them to spoil fairly quickly as their natural sugars are exposed to the air.

Sargie was busy all day doing laundry, cleaning the house, and washing the floors.




We took a short ride later in the afternoon simply to enjoy the beautiful day. Once home, Sargie resumed her work and I began cutting a trail from the barn to new shipping container.



It took some chain saw work plus I spent time using the trimmer mower. After hauling the trees and brush to the burn pile, the trail was pronounced finished.

The path will save having to go all the way around the barn and backyard and is wide enough for a four wheeler to navigate.



I had just finished feeding the goldfish and giant pumpkin and was walking back to the house when I noticed something creeping up the siding.



It was the size of a bug, but didn't act like one. Turned out it was a frog, a teeny peeper.

The peepers sounded by the millions earlier this summer after all the rain fell. Their combined audio effort to attract a mate was almost deafening some nights.



Stretching the day out as long as possible, Sargie and I took a late afternoon four wheeler ride.



We rode about five miles, halfway to Iron River, to the old railroad trestle that stretches across the Brule River into Wisconsin.



It was the perfect ending to a great day.

Sargie opens today. I'm going for my walk then I think I'll use the backhoe to spread the rock and gravel that was intended to be the base for the storage container. It should make the area north of the barn much more useable for temporarily parking machinery out of sight during the summer months. Snow will be pushed there from the drive in the winter.

It's time to get breakfast started and Sargie's lunch packed.



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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Taking a break on the railroad trestle during our ATV ride, Sargie decided to get some exercise by jogging to Wisconsin and back. That girl's an interstate runner!

As long as Sargie had the day off and we were in Iron Mountain, we decided to drive the extra fifty miles to Escanaba, located on the north shore of Lake Michigan.

August 29, 2017 - Tuesday

47 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Rad

What an unexpected treat it was to find that Sargie has today off. Since today isn't a doctor's day, she decided to use some of her vacation time and stay home. I could get used to this.

Monday was a fun one. After Sargie's appointment in Iron Mountain, we decided to drive onto Escanaba, fifty miles to the east. There's a food wholesale store where one can buy meat for much less than in our local grocery. We walked away with ten pounds of hamburger and a large pork loin, both to be eaten this coming Sunday when we host the Mighty Milligan Labor Day Celebration.

A stop was made at the mall in Escanaba. It's sad. Like many across America, it's mostly empty, a reminder that brick and mortar stores are quickly fading into history.

What was once a vibrant shopping center now resembles a ghost town. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire structure becomes a parking lot within a few short years.

Still, Sargie found her favorite hand soap in Bath and Body Works, one of the few remaining stores.

We enjoyed walking through the recently opened Meijer Department Store. It's always fun to check out the new and different items. 

Sargie's "cleardar" (clearance radar) quickly led her to the bargain items.

From there, we went to Menards where we found several goodies to put in our basket. I purchased an LED shop light for the new addition. We also bought a new indoor/outdoor thermometer/clock to replace the one that recently died.

No trip to Escanaba would be complete without a drive along Lake Michigan. We stopped at Sand Point Lighthouse and walked around for a bit, mostly enjoying the afternoon sun and warmth.

The park by the yacht club is a beautiful place. I thought about looking around for a yacht to purchase, just a little something on which we could spend the weekends, but then I'd have to hire a full time cook, crew, and captain, and decided it was more trouble than it was worth.

The water in the Great Lakes is crystal clear. I grew up in the days of man made water pollution, when every river and lake was a dump. 

As I remember, it was the Cuyahoga River flowing into Lake Erie that caught fire in Cleveland, Ohio, in the late 60's due to industrial pollution. 

It was a quick ride home. Going by the old Alpha General store, we noticed some changes had been made to the exterior and we saw a new sign.

What's this? A new micro brewery in the old store that was once a bus barn attached to the abandoned high school!

It appears big times are coming to our neck of the woods.

Last evening was a quiet one on Pentoga Road. After seeing what I brought in from the garden, Sargie requested veggie omelets.

I included broccoli, two types of peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, and basil. To make it well-rounded, I HAD to throw in a handful of bacon. Pigs need love too, even the two-legged kind.

It's time to get this uploaded and head out the door for the last picking of blueberries. I've said that three or four times before, but I think I really mean it this time. I've never had blueberries last this late in the season, but then the entire garden is running six weeks behind.

Even the giant pumpkin has finally begun to grow.

If only we could have another three to four weeks of frost free nights. I seriously doubt that will happen. The forecasted highs for next week are only in the fifties, let alone what the nighttime lows will dip down to.

Be that as it may, those blueberries aren't going to pick themselves. It's time to head to the garden.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Only a retired school teacher can truly appreciate the pure joy of not having to head back to the classroom this time of year.

Rain rain go away...

August 28, 2017 - Monday

60 degrees/clouds/calm winds

Pentoga Road

That's it. I'm going to build an ark. I know I shouldn't be complaining. Those poor folks in Texas have a real catastrophe happening, but darn, this rain is getting old. I see there's a chance for more later today, then a few days of nice weather before more is forecast to fall.

A critter that WON'T be included on my ark is our resident skunk. I've got one that is doing a fairly decent job of plowing up the yard between the house and garden.

I have traps of every size and shape, live traps, foot traps, killer traps, the Von Trapp Family Singers on DVD, but with the annual Mighty Milligan Labor Day Celebration next Sunday, I really don't want to take a chance of one spraying so close to the house.

I may not have a choice. I've done it before, I can do it again, a live trap wrapped with an old blanket except on one end. I'm thinking that will be the way to go. What a skunk can't see, he won't spray. Stinky's going down.

There's not much to write about concerning Sunday. With the blog written, I returned to bed yesterday morning, snuggled in next to Sargie, and spent the entire morning dozing and sleeping. The rain was slamming onto the metal roof overhead, the wind howling, and with the temperature hovering around 50, there was absolutely no incentive to do anything other than sleep. 

Not going to bed until the wee hours of Sunday morning probably had something to do with the desire to sleep the day away. Whatever the reason, it felt good to do absolutely nothing.

We came alive around noon. Our tummy's were growling and we both became obsessed with getting to town and purchasing a box of fried chicken from the deli. 

Sargie even said she was going to skip putting on makeup. 

Now that's a hungry hungry woman. 

Anyone who knows my bride knows that she doesn't walk across the road to check the mail unless she has on make up. I promised her that she could stay in the car and I'd go inside to get the chicken.

We didn't even take a ride yesterday. The boxed chicken was smelling better than Mom's kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. With McDonalds Cokes sitting in the cup holders, we made our way home.

I've had to perform a bit of garden maintenance lately. The giant sunflowers are becoming mega giants. Several are in excess of fifteen feet tall and with all the rain, the dirt has turned to mud, the roots loosened, and several are in danger of falling over.

I've taken the liberty of securing several with garden twine, much as one would stake a wayward apple tree that insists on growing sideways.

A steel post was pounded into the middle of the sunflower bed and the twine wrapped and tied around the base. 

Hopefully, the support will keep them from toppling before they've bloomed.

Neither Sargie or I had the least difficulty falling asleep last night. 

Sargie's off today and has an appointment later this morning. I'll ride with to keep her company and we'll play the rest of the day by ear. Since everything is dripping wet and I don't want to begin work on the shop addition until after the Labor Day gathering, I might as well. 

This afternoon? Well, there's always the possibility of taking a grandpa snooze. These deep thoughts I have don't happen without the proper rest and a bedtime bowl of ice cream.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

These sunflowers are the typical eight-foot mammoth variety

Courtney and Garth

August 27, 2017 - Sunday

58 degrees/heavy rain/breezy

Pentoga Road

I'm thinking Hurricane Harvey skipped over the rest of the lower 48 and landed in the UP. It's rained nonstop all night and continues to pound down this morning. The dampness, coupled with the chilly temperatures, make the house seem cold inside. I'll turn on the furnace once Sargie's up to remove the chill.

Yesterday was all about Sargie's nephew, Garth, and his new bride, Courtney's, wedding. The bride looked beautiful and Garth, a police officer, looked downright debonair.

We drove to Mel and Macrea's before the wedding to help dress Grady. There was some question about buttons and other formal paraphernalia.

We found Hambone taking on fuel in the form of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, sporting his jammies and showing off his brand new boots.

Sargie's son, Cale, and Grady

 Other than the bride and groom, Aubrey and Grady were the real rockstars of the ceremony.

I asked Grady before the wedding if he were the ring bearer. Exhaling a huge sigh and gently shaking his head back and forth, he replied, "No Pawpaw, I'm Sign Boy."

The weight of the world lay firmly on Hambone's shoulders.

As always, pictures can say it better than I write.

The wedding was held at the base of our local ski hill. You can see the chair lifts in the background.

Sasha gave the reading

Grandma Sargie, also a rock star of a different generation, supplied Sign Boy with S'more animal crackers to keep him occupied during the ceremony. It worked. He was good as gold.

Macrea was one of the groomsmen

Sister-in-law, Nancy, preparing to model this season's ski wear

Mel, Grady, Macrea

 After the ceremony, the family traveled to Holly and Ross's for a fun time on their deck while waiting for the reception/dinner/dance later in the afternoon.

Sister's-in-law, Debbie and Jeanne

The food at the wedding reception was out of this world. I enjoyed a huge pork loin chop, Sargie had salmon. Both were excellent.

I have no idea how many hundred people were in attendance, but they filled two banquet rooms and more.

There was a lot of finger-pointing going on at our table

With the toasts and speeches given and dinner eaten, it was time to dance!

Sargie and I danced for quite a while and as the evening wore on, I began to wear out. I told Sargie to dance the night away. It appeared that she and sister-in-law, Tricia, weren't letting any grass grow under their feet on the dance floor. 

Meanwhile I found cooler and quieter climes downstairs in the sports bar where a Packers preseason game just happened to be on television. 

We left late in the evening, laughing and talking, but hot and tired. It was time to go home.

Sargie's still sound asleep upstairs, somewhere I should probably be. As usual, my internal alarm clock sounded this morning at 5 AM. I tried to go back to sleep for over two hours, but it wasn't to be.

We have no plans for today. The house is clean, the laundry is done. No doubt we'll take our drive, sip a Coke, and stop at the deli for fried chicken.

Other than that, I believe there might be an afternoon nap in my future.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...