Coming down the hill on Pentoga Road just before our drive

December 3, 2017 - Sunday

19 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Supposedly, this is the next to last day of springlike temperatures like those we've enjoyed this past week. Carl the Weatherman says beginning Tuesday, it's going to get chilly, then cold, colder, and finally, frigid. In fact, after Monday's forecast high in the mid 40's, along with 100% chance of rain, the next fifteen days will bring highs only in the twenties with teens and single numbers here and there. 

It was so pleasant on Saturday that I couldn't resist hanging the sheets outside. Sargie had stripped the bed before going to work. Crawling between sheets that smelled like the north woods was pure bliss last night.

I headed to the shop later in the morning where I found a piece of wild cherry from which to cut a small piece to carve a cross for the birch bowl.

A small length was ripped and cut to a quarter of an inch thick.

It didn't take long to carve the cross. Cherry is considered a hard wood, but nothing like maple, oak, or hickory.

The cross was stained then glued onto the lid. I can check the bowl off my list.

It was too nice to stay inside the entire day. Hmm, what to do.

The yard was full of deer manure, droppings that resemble bunny poop on steroids. Over an hour was spent collecting and spreading it on the raised beds in the garden.

I collected it several years ago and raised one of the best gardens I've ever grown. Hopefully, it will work the same magic next summer. After this past season, there's no where to go but up.

The rest of the day was spent finishing the hickory ashtray.

It's the largest thing I've turned on the mini lathe and it took every bit of power the small motor could produce.

It's also the first thing I've turned from laminating (gluing) two boards together. I also used a face plate, rather than the chuck, with which to fasten the wood to the lathe. I thoroughly enjoyed the new experience and like everything else, can hardly wait to get a bigger lathe so I can expand my horizons.

Sargie walked in the house early last evening with pizza in hand. We enjoyed chowing down like piggies and watching television.

Sargie's off today and will be attending her sister Tricia's Christmas Tea later this afternoon. I'm going to play outside, and if past history is any indication, end up in the shop continuing to make Christmas presents.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...