While some of us Northerners shiver, Neighbor Mike was enjoying their month-long vacation in Florida.

March 8, 2018 - Thursday 

20 degrees/partly cloudy/breezy

Pentoga Road

Thanks for the picture, Jambo. Just rub it in, buddy. You know what they say about paybacks!

You might remember that Neighbor Mike's name on Pentoga Road is Jambo, a moniker given due to his abilities to make some of the best jellies and jams in the world. We recently scraped the bottom of a jar and finished the last of Jambo's homemade delight. Mmm. So good, so sweet.

Speaking of good and sweet, remember the candy you loved as a child?

One of my go-to choices was DOTS. I preferred the precursors to Gummy Bears, usually bought at the movie theater, simply because they lasted so long. I could make a large box last through an entire Saturday afternoon double feature, cartoons and news included.

I found a mini box of DOTS, leftover Halloween candy, yesterday afternoon. It was one that Grady had missed.

Mmm. Prying one end of the box open, I eagerly popped an orange piece into my mouth and waited.

Yuck. 

It didn't taste anything like it used to. The green and yellow DOTS were the same. I guess the recipe has changed over the past fifty years.

Sargie tells me it's because I've grown up and that cheap movie theater candy never was all that good, at least to grown ups.

Darn her, next she's going to tell me there's no Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

I also loved Cocoa Krispies. Half a century had passed from my last bowl full as a child to my first as an adult. They didn't taste anything like I remembered and the entire box of cereal was dumped into the garbage.

I'm not certain growing up and becoming a big person is all it's cracked up to be. In fact, I liked my taste buds the way they were fifty years ago, back when DOTS and Cocoa Krispies were some of the best foods known to a little boy. 

Isn't it too bad that we outgrow some of the more simple pleasures of life?

One of my big boy pleasures in the non food category is being surrounded by and using tools. My buddy, Freddie, who lives down in southern Mississippi, sent this picture to show what a REAL shop looks like.

Good thing I'm building an addition onto the shop. I have a ways to go before I catch up to this boy.

Wednesday's walk was a cold one. No matter which direction I was walking, the wind seemed to be blowing in my face.

I was happy to arrive home after walking over six miles.

The rest of the day was spent in the shop. I made one puzzle and should finish that later today. 

I began an Easter piece on the scroll saw and worked on that well into the afternoon.

With Sargie working late, I fixed two of my favorite food groups for supper Wednesday evening, grilled pork chops and baked potatoes with sour cream.

Sargie didn't arrive home until well past 9:30 last night, but thankfully, she's off today. I'm going to turn the heat on in the shop pretty soon and spend some time out there. I'll let Sargie call the shots for this afternoon.

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

Oh, and I might conclude by saying, hurry home, Jambo. It's almost maple season and the jam I make just doesn't cut it.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...