More natural beauty. These wild flowers give the appearance of Queen Anne's Lace, but aren't.

July 6, 2018 - Friday

50 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm sitting here this morning looking out across the front meadow, remembering how it looked a year ago when four feet of water was lapping at the edge of the garden. We could currently use a nice, easy, rain, but I'd rather have it a bit dry than return to last summer's mosquito-laden swamp that lasted for a three months. 

Thursday was a mellow day on Pentoga Road. Sargie spent her morning working in the house. 

I began cleaning in the shop with the intent of making a push to finish the sign. Gathering all my paint pens and brushes, it dawned on me that I had no place to keep them together. I make bowls and containers for everyone else, but have never made anything for me, something practical that might solve my pen and brush problem.

I found a pine fence post in back of the barn and cut a length. It had few knots, but no cracks. 

Perfect.

I was delighted with the new drill press when a forstner bit was used to begin the hollowing process. 

The old drill press simply wasn't powerful enough for the job. Since I was making the pencil holder for the shop, I didn't have to be too particular what it looked like or of the shape.

I'm having a love fest with the new motor on the lathe. Much more powerful than the old one, it didn't take long to turn soft pine. A bit of sanding and a quick finish, and my pencil holder was finished.

A bit of paint was applied around the rim. I've never tried any colored accents before, but figured since this would only see the light of the shop and not be in public, why not? I like it.

Sargie yelled out the back door that she was ready to go to town. We needed to pick up a couple of things, get fuel for the mower and backhoe, and of course, her daily Coke. Our drive was short. Sargie wanted to mow and I was intent on removing a stump, the remains of a large spruce tree I'd cut two weeks ago, from the back yard.

After a quick grease job and oil and filter check, Sargie was aboard her galloping lawn tractor zooming round the yard and into the front meadow.

I pulled the old trim mower to life and spent an hour cutting all those places the rider couldn't. I'm beginning to sense an inequity in the mowing chores around here.

It was time to tackle the stump. I've been occasionally dumping diesel fuel into the middle and burning the interior, but I've become too impatient. Not wanting to chance hitting the thing on the snowmobile this winter, I decided to play lawn surgeon and operate.

I've dug enough stumps in the past few years to learn that if I begin digging around the outside of the perimeter and attack the smaller roots first, then gradually move to the inside, the stump comes out much faster.

After half an hour of digging, the main tap root and stump popped out of the ground like a loosened cork sealing a bottle of vintage champagne. 

The shadows were beginning to grow long when the yard was put back together. Sargie had just finished mowing and it was time to take showers and call it a day.

Some more raking and a few handfuls of grass seed will make this area look good as new and blend in with the rest of the yard.

Last evening was spent in front of the television. It was a couple of tired kids who later crawled up the stairs to bed.

I'm not sure what's on our agenda for today. If it remains calm, we may try to go fishing later on. The area lakes are still crawling with tourists enjoying this holiday week and there are boats and campers everywhere. I'm going to head out to the garden and cheer on the plants before treking to the shop. Remember, I said I was going to begin cleaning yesterday? The pencil holder got in the way and that didn't happen. Today, I really really mean it... unless I can think of something else to do.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Hmm, how's this work? Sargie gets to ride and I have to push. Sometimes life's not fair.