August 7, 2017 - Monday
38 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

It dawned on me last night that the house was quiet. Too quiet. Grady had left a few minutes earlier with his mama and daddy. It was just Grandma Sargie and me. 

I felt a certain loneliness after my shadow had departed. For the past thirty-six hours, he'd followed in my every footstep.

On the other hand, blissful normalcy was already creeping into our little home on Pentoga Road. I wasn't playing tickle belly or asking Hambone if he was sure, really really certain, he didn't have to go potty.

I looked across the room at Sargie. Since she's potty trained and probably didn't want to play tickle belly, I sighed and enjoyed the silence. 

There's a reason why God makes parents young, you know.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Hambone had left the building.

Dwarfed by the towering giant sunflowers

Grady and Grandma Sargie helped to clean the area around the old woodpile Sunday. It's the same place where Grady and I worked all day Saturday.



We made multiple trips to the burn pile and Grady magically transformed from Pusher Boy to Bucket Boy, the person who raises and lowers the bucket on the old Ford 8N tractor.



Bucket Boy transformed into Bicycle Boy and was riding his bike when he spied something under the car.



He cried, "IT'S A MOUSE!" and Grandma Sargie went running with shovel in hand. No mouse that messes with Grandma Sargie's little guy should expect to live very long.



Come to find out, the mouse was already deceased, but thumped on the head just for good measure, and moved to where ever it is that departed mice go.



Excitement abounded on Pentoga Road. The last of the wood was moved and the backhoe brought in to dig out a few large rocks and begin leveling the ground.

Andy and I tried digging that rock out by hand several years ago and gave up. Even with the backhoe, it was still a challenge to coax it from the ground.

I was using a rake to apply the finishing touches when Grady arrived, fresh from the sandbox, with his implements to help. Together, we made short work of our task.



Once he was back with Grandma Sargie and safely out of harm's way, I started the backhoe and resumed work.



My goal is to make it easier to mow and keep the area clean. I'll also be able to push the snow from the drive without snagging the tops of boulders jutting from the ground with the plow.

There was a tarp used to cover the firewood that had become muddy. Hambone volunteered to man the hose and after the better part of an hour (and with a bit of help from Grandma Sargie) had the tarp washed off.

A three year old, a hose, and a warm summer day. How could life get any better?

Mama and Daddy arrived mid afternoon and Grady was happy to show them around the garden, especially where one of his favorite vegetables grow, the snap peas.



After a Sunday meal of fried chicken with all the fixings, lots of conversation, and short naps for Daddy, Grady, and Pawpaw, Grady gathered his parents and left for home. 

Sargie opens the Vision Center this morning. I'm going for my usual walk then return home to pick blueberries. After, I hope to work in the area on the north side of the barn. There are a few more boulders to remove, fill to haul, and landscaping that needs to be finished. I also need to call and price a load of gravel to be spread where the storage container will eventually sit.

Time to wake Sargie and get this day going.

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



So are the tales from Pentoga Road...