Thursday evening arrived and so did the big crappies

September 14, 2018 - Friday morning

59 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Talk about sleep. I think Sargie and I, both, could have slumbered for another hour or two this morning, but could we? Noooo. My favorite optician in the world opens the Vision Center this morning. 

The fresh air was coming in through our bedroom window and it was dark, very dark, making for perfect sleeping conditions. Her next day off is Sunday and there's little doubt that we'll both be awake early. It just seems to be the way it works.

My Thursday morning began on the rowing machine. I was having a difficult time getting the heart rate up, so I put a piece of treated landscape timber under the front.

Amazing what a bit of incline can do. I don't know how many calories I'm actually burning, but getting some physical exercise is doing wonders for my mental well being. 

Andy and Ivy called to video conference and we spent almost an hour singing, playing tickle, hide and go seek, and just talking. 

Ivy and I also had a good conversation.

Sargie and I went for a drive later in the morning. 

The fall colors are just beginning and it looks promising for a good leaf season. Even looking through the windshield, the reds and oranges are brilliant. I'm guessing it'll be another two to three weeks before they are at their peak.

There are some really neat, old, homes in Crystal Falls. Some have been let go to ruin while others have been restored to their former grandeur. This one is beautiful, especially with the snowball tree in front.

Sargie and I, both, agree that if we were were thirty years younger and had LOTS of money, what fun it would be to purchase and restore one of the older homes. 

Yeah, well, we aren't and that's not going to happen, at least in this lifetime. Sometimes it's all we can do to keep up with the maintenance on our little house on Pentoga Road.

We exited town and began exploring a very rural gravel road.

It became more remote and we noticed the electric service had stopped, a sure sign that few lived along or traveled our route.

The road turned into a sand path and soon, we came across a fairly large puddle stretching across. 

Since we were in the Kia with no four wheel drive, it was decided we'd turn around and retrace our way back to civilization. I didn't feel like hiking several miles looking for help, especially with a boot on one foot. 

Sargie and I took a short four wheeler ride later in the afternoon to the lake. Conditions appeared almost perfect for an evening of fishing. Why not?

Initially, fishing was slow. What had worked so well for us this summer produced no results. It was time to switch tactics.

I haven't enjoyed so much success catching crappies since I was in junior high school while fishing with Dad. Sitting in our little twelve foot row boat, we brought in one large crappie after another. Last night replayed that same memory.

Darkness forced us off the lake. Sargie stood by the cleaning table holding a light while I filetted our catch. It had been a good day.

I'm thinking of heading back over to the lake this morning for a couple of hours. Since the Crappie Queen, aka Mama Bass Milligan, won't be with me, I don't expect much success, but a guy has to try. No doubt, once home, I'll row my dry-land boat for exercise, then after, who knows? 

We're having supper tonight with Hambone and his mommy and daddy in Iron Mountain. Since The Flash started preschool, we don't see much of him and Sargie and I are in agreement that we need a Hambone fix. 

Meanwhile, the coffee's done and there are some deep thoughts to think.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...