Unfortunately, we live in the western UP
After a cold, wet, summer, we really need a colder winter with more snow.

November 10, 2017 - Friday - 3 AM

1 degree/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I awakened an hour ago and lay in bed listening to the furnace running. All I could think of was how much fuel oil was being burned keeping the house warm. I finally gave up any hope of drifting back to sleep and got up to fill the wood stove. 

Like it or not, the day has started. This global warming is already making for a long winter.

We awakened to snow squalls Thursday morning, some of them quite heavy. 

In fact, our customary drive was kept to a minimum yesterday afternoon as we found ourselves in white out conditions on some very slippery roads.

Sargie was going to the license bureau to renew her driver's license, but we decided it would be best to turn around and come back home.

Earlier, I'd spent much of the morning in the shop fashioning a Thanksgiving turkey. 

I want a rather large, fat, body, so I used the largest piece of available wood that would fit on the lathe.

Unfortunately, the piece isn't completely dry and will be prone to cracking. I called Mississippi Brother Garry for his recipe on how to gently dry  wood using a microwave. 

It's a somewhat time consuming process so I simply placed the wood behind the wood stove. If it cracks, then so be it. 

I'm not at all certain this is what I want the body to look like, but once the head is complete, I'll see if they are compatible. If not, I'll turn another body.

I'm turning the head and hat as all one piece. Looks like I'm doing the werewolf thing and sprouting wood shavings.



If you use your imagination, maybe you can see the beginnings of the neck and head on the right, the hat on the left. Stay tuned on this one. It could very well end up in the wood stove.

I've spent hours looking at larger lathes online. If I find something that looks interesting, I'll send the link to Mississippi Brother Garry or I'll call and we'll talk about it.

Garry's also in the market for a new lathe. I keep telling him that I wish he'd hurry up and buy his so I know if I would like the same model or should continue looking. There's no sense in both of us making the same mistake. 

With a forecast calling for lows near zero, I gathered all the craft paints from the shop and brought them inside. Over the past year, I've accumulated quite a few and don't want to see them freeze.



We had a lazy afternoon, watching television, talking, eating, and at one point, I might have taken a short nap. It was just that kind of day.

Sargie's making another of her now-famous Pentoga Road chocolate malts.
Eat your heart out. I married a malt making mama!

Sargie opens the Vision Center this morning. I thought I had a podiatrist's appointment, but discovered it is scheduled for Monday morning, not today.  I'll go for my usual walk then plan on playing in the shop for the rest of the day. I hope to cut my first portrait puzzle today. Poor little Bennet is the guinea pig.

Meanwhile, the house is warm, the fire is crackling, and I may sneak back upstairs and crawl into bed alongside Sargie. There's no reason why I can't get another couple of hours of sleep in before it's time for the day to really begin.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...