Wolf tracks that crossed the road where I walked Friday morning

 February 3, 2018 - Saturday morning
4 degrees/clouds/snow
Pentoga Road

The snow that was forecast to fall during the night just started. 

Better late than never. 

As much as I would like to see spring arrive in the next day or two, I have to admit, we really need the snow. We don't have all that much lying on the ground.



That being said, winter is normally our dryer time of the year. Seems that March usually marks the beginning of the monsoon season and often, our largest snows fall then. Last year's monsoon lasted into September.

Speaking of winter and cold, I began ordering flower and vegetable seeds last night for this coming summer's garden. For a man that was going to cut back, my order is as big or bigger than normal. 

Catalogues are scattered in a semi circle around my chair with pen marks, spread sheets, varieties crossed out, other's penciled in. I need to find a twelve-step program.

".... my name is Tom and I'm a seedaholic."

After Friday's Toastie Tushy death march that I called a walk, yesterday's was most enjoyable. The sun was bright and the wind had died down to a pleasant breeze, just enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay... in the -6 degree temperatures.

Once home, I turned the heat on in the shop, came inside and looked at more pictures of flowers, then returned to the shop to begin making a series of small flowers on a longer stem.

I enjoy making these nameless flowers, letting my imagination dictate what my hands will do.

I just had one of "those" moments. That's Dad's hand in the picture, yet, I know it's mine. I remember sitting on Dad's lap as a small boy and tracing his hands with my finger. I knew them well.
It's no wonder I still feel Dad's presence every day.

What I don't enjoy is attaching my index finger and thumb to a flower petal with hot glue. 

I cut, glued, and painted my way through the afternoon. The birch vase is almost finished with only one more flower to be added to the side branch. The biggest difficulty has been making and arranging the flowers so all the sides look equally good, regardless which one faces out.

I'll make the last flower today or tomorrow, get it painted and glued, and we can call this project finished. 

My oldest son, Josh, called yesterday afternoon with exciting news. My grandson, Wyatt, was runner up in the spelling bee in his fourth grade class which made him eligible to compete in the all-school championship. Competing grades ran from fourth through eighth. All were thrown into the same competition.

As the contest wore on, Wyatt destroyed all those in front of him as he clawed his way to the top with the exception of the two eighth graders. When it was all said and done, Wyatt won third place. Congratulations, Buddy! We're proud of you!

Sargie surprised me last night and pulled in the drive two hours early with a huge, family-sized pizza. We had a wonderful evening in front of the television, especially since Sargie's off for the next two days. 

Today's agenda? Who knows? The snow has arrived so we may simply sit inside throwing more logs on the fire and do what the farmers in Maine do when it snows.

Let it snow.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...