A snowy owl circling high overhead

April 24, 2018 - Tuesday

29 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Though snowy owls are occasionally spotted in the area, this is the first one I've seen since leaving the arctic where they are quite common.

The picture's not very good. He was circling at a high altitude and I had only my pocket camera handy. In fact, I couldn't see him in the view finder. I used the zoom lens and began taking a slew of random pictures hoping to get lucky.

I picked 'em up and put 'em down all day Monday. Forsaking my usual morning stroll, I was making sawdust as soon as Sargie left for work.

The first task was to rebuild the rear wall over the frost heave. 

The inch and a half gap should leave plenty of space should that area heave again next spring. Since the shop will be heated on a daily basis, I doubt it will, but better safe than sorry.



I decided to go ahead and cover the window. It looks out into the dark storage shed and provides little, if any, light. The other window that looks into the storage shed has been a pain (no pun intended). It's just a single pane that provides no light or ventilation and I've been tempted to cover it over as well. I have the option of putting in an outside window on the side wall like I did in the original shop. Since it faces north, I haven't been too tempted as of yet.

The side wall went up fairly easy.



The floor slopes both ways and the walls are anything but square and even, but isn't that why trim was invented? I think in the end, no one will know and it'll be our dirty little secret.

It was mid afternoon before I took a break. I'd heard some activity up at Neighbor Mike's, so I figured I'd better check in.



The boy was hauling some posts from an old barn that had been torn down years ago.

We've yet to trap the skunk that is smelling up his yard. Any areas connected to the house have been ruled out and we think we might have found the source, an old shed that houses a cistern of some sort.

Mike started to check it out, but thought better. No one wants to be caught in an enclosed area with a stinky skunk. We'll keep the trap set.

I returned home to what has been the biggest challenge of building the addition so far, that of reducing a twelve foot wall down to eight feet, yet retaining the service and double doors.



The actual remodel was simple. It was handling the weight, while balancing the entire thing, that made it a challenge.

In the end, the wall was set into place and secured. 



Next step, will be securing the ceiling. That will be made from 2x6's, twelve feet long. Running the electric wire, outlets, switches, and lights, will follow.

One of the real pains of construction so far has been tripping over material taken from the old wall that will be used again to make the addition. I'm having a hard time staying out of my own way.

Grandma Sargie and Hambone walked in late last evening. Mr. Chatter, I mean, Grady, was wound up and talked nonstop for well over an hour. If he wasn't telling us a story, he was asking questions.

I don't anticipate getting anything accomplished today as we'll be heading over to our niece, Marley's, elementary play this afternoon in Iron Mountain. 

We'll leave late this morning, attend the play, drop Grady off in town, and by the time we arrive back home, the day will be pretty well done.

Sometimes you have to take one for the team. The overhead rafters can wait until tomorrow.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...