September 29, 2018 - Saturday morning
29 degrees/high overcast/calm winds
Pentoga Road

I just walked back in the house after getting a piece of wood to feed the stove. The wood smoke outside is hanging in the air and that, combined with the aroma of the season, falling leaves and so on, brought back some wonderful memories. 

The sons were young and during the fall months, we called the old hunting camp in northern Maine our weekend home, especially during partridge season. All that's needed this morning is the aroma of bacon, eggs, and sliced potatoes, to make the memory complete. 

Fall has arrived with a vengeance. All the wildlife is on the move and the trees are trading their green for red, orange, and yellow hues.

Friday began as most days do, with the usual stroll. The wind was stiff and the temperatures chilly. The heavy rain that accompanied the occasional squall didn't make walking any more pleasant.

Once home, I enjoyed wrapping my fingers around a large mug of hot coffee. The news was read and after warming from the inside out, I headed towards the garden. With freezing temperatures forecast, it was time for the annual fall harvest.

Winter Banana Squash
The largest weighs well over fifty pounds

It was a good pumpkin/squash year. Taking a hiatus from growing a giant pumpkin, I concentrated raising those that might make good Jack-o-lanterns. It appears my efforts paid off.

The rest of the day was spent picking and sorting, putting each pumpkin or squash in a particular pile.

Sargie was especially taken with the few white pumpkins that were grown last year. This season, I planted an entire bed of Luma's just for her.

All the good little Milligan girls and boys will have their choice this year of either a white or orange pumpkin.

The winter squash, both round and oblong, will either be given away, stored in the basement, or dumped into Neighbor Mike's field for the deer to browse on.



Trip after trip was made either to the house or the barn for temporary storage.

It was late in the afternoon before a squall with heavy rain and wind ran me inside. Cold, tired, and pumpkin'd out, I decided to call it day.

Yooper Brother Mark stopped by for a visit. We had a good time catching up on the news in each other's lives and I later sent a bag of spaghetti squash home with the boy.



Sargie was home early last night and has the next couple of days off. Since today's forecast is the only decent one of the two, ( the possibility of wet snow was mentioned during last night's weather) we're going to try to get the front porch and patio furniture stowed away for the winter. That chore ranks right up there with taking down Christmas decorations and root canals for fun and games.

I signed up for a two more days of substitute teaching next week, both in the elementary school. I'm committed for three, total. That's enough. The extended forecast is for lousy weather and all are on the same days as Sargie works, so why not?

It's time to close and strap on my hiking boots. I hear the apples are particularly tasty in Pentoga Village this time of the year.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...