It was bound to happen. The first red leaves of the... fall?

August 18, 2017 - Saturday

56 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

As much as I hate to say it, signs of fall are becoming more and more evident. A week ago, there were no red leaves. It's just been in the past three or four days that there's been a noticeable change. 

This has been the summer that never happened. 

Early Friday morning found me in the blueberry patch.

As with the last several pickings, I filled a five quart pail with large, juicy, berries.

I had finished picking by the time Sargie had to leave for work so I hopped in the car with her and walked three miles back.

Once home, I made final arrangements with the storage container folks down in Milwaukee. We were originally scheduled for a Monday delivery, but the owner said he was getting a batch of new containers on Monday and would pick out the best one for me. It would mean having it delivered a day or two later. Works for me.

There were several errands to be run in town and stops were made at the bank and both grocery stores. I stopped by Yooper Brother Mark's plant and hooked onto the trailer that had been filled with firewood.

The rest of the day was spent working up the wood. By late afternoon, the trailer was emptied, swept, and put away.

The firewood gathering season is officially over. There are several loads elsewhere under a tarp, both wood sheds are filled to the roof, and then there's the new pile, six loads worth, that is hidden behind the privacy fence and will be completely covered with a tarp. It's a good feeling to be finished as I have eighty gajillion things to finish before snow flies. 

The garden continues to struggle. I was disheartened when I discovered one of the giant pumpkins is rotting.

It was doing well during the warm weather two weeks ago, but with the renewed rainfall, coupled with the cooler temperatures, mildew set in. I'm down to one giant pumpkin and presently, it's about a fourth the size it should be for this late in the season.

I'm especially impressed with the spaghetti squash. Several are larger than any of the other vine crops, pumpkins included.

I saved some seeds from last year's Jack Be Little pumpkins, the tiny table top variety. Evidently they crossed with something else as these don't look anything like last year's.

This is like a cheap remake of the movie, The Island of Dr. Moreau. A squash? A pumpkin? A gourd? Stay tuned. Only time will tell.

Sargie arrived home well after 9 Friday night, so our evening was short. She closes again tonight, but thankfully, will be off Sunday.

Sister-in-law, Debbie, sent a picture of what appears to be a large pumpkin or squash plant growing in and around her pyramid planter.

I'm not sure what today will bring. With nice weather in the forecast, I think I'll spend most of it in the garden pulling weeds after my walk. All the rain of the past two weeks has made the weeds magically appear.

Time to get Sargie up for the day, pack her lunch, and get breakfast on the table.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...