September 26, 2018 - Wednesday
43 degrees/partly cloudy/breezy
Pentoga Road

Today would have been Dad's 90th birthday. It's hard to imagine Dad as a ninety year-old as in my mind, he never aged throughout his lifetime. He always looked like... well, Dad. If he were still with us, we'd have a big ol' party, the boys and families would be here, all the Milligans, and our friends. 

Strange, I had a difficult time remembering Dad's birthday all the years he was alive, yet now, sixteen years later, I haven't forgotten once. Golly I miss him.

There's so much that Dad could have taught his little guy of sixty-six years and I would have been a willing student. 

Happy 90th, Dad. I love you. 

Tuesday was a pick 'em up and throw 'em down type of day. I rode with Sargie and walked four and a half miles back home. The foot is doing well and my body is responding in kind. The kinks are getting worked out and the stiffness in the foot is loosening. It appears I'll soon be hitting on all cylinders.

I hopped on the backhoe and later, the tractor, and finished loading, hauling, and spreading, the two large piles of fill. 



All that remains is smoothing over the area where the burn pile once was and sowing grass seed.

Jambo appeared out of nowhere. I didn't even realize he was down from Marquette, but I heard a whistle, looked up, and there he was. 

He smiled and the first words out of his mouth were, "Hey, wanna go fishing?"

I pretended to ponder the very deep question before immediately answering, "Let go!"

Neighbor Mike put on a clinic Tuesday morning. While I caught mere eating sized crappies, he scored with several that were much nicer. I later learned that he was using a new super-dooper secret lure found in his local bait store. 

Cheater.



Wind, rain, and cold temperatures eventually ran us in off the lake, but not before we put a nice mess in the fish basket. Since Jambo gave me the day's catch, I quickly forgave him for his new top secret lure indiscretions. 

Much of the rest of the day was spent drying out and soaking up the heat from the wood stove. The day had turned from warm and humid to cold and windy. I stuck my nose in a Kindle book and might have dozed somewhere along the way.

I traveled to Iron Mountain late in the afternoon to meet my bride after work. While Sargie had an appointment immediately after, I visited with Ross and Holly. I always enjoy our visits and getting caught up on the news in their world.

It was a quiet evening on Pentoga Road spent watching Dancing With the Stars while enjoying a hot, steaming, bowl of soup. 

OMG! (as the kids say.) The automated substitute teaching system is finally working. I signed up to teach half a day of elementary PE on Thursday. More about that in tomorrow's entry.

Sargie closes the Vision Center today. I'll be riding back with her to retrieve the Blazer and run an errand or two while in town. Once home, I'm planning on walking to Pentoga Village then spend what's left of the day in the shop. 

It's a busy and complicated life we weave here in the Upper Peninsula.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...