Sargie's buddy, Chief, is back in the house

February 28, 2019 - Thursday morning

-9 degrees/clear skies/breezy

Pentoga Road

All that was needed was the soundtrack to Love is a Many Splendored Thing playing in the background last night and the reunion of Chief and Sargie would have been complete. 

I knew it would be a joyous affair when Sargie called on her way home and I switched the phone to speaker. Chief tried licking the receiver, taking the phone in his mouth, ran to the kitchen door to see if Sargie had walked in, cried, whined, and barked. 

When she finally entered, the overgrown puppy was beside himself. His buddy had finally arrived. Let the good times begin!

I subbed yesterday at Florence High School. Honestly, the kidlings were so good that I was about half bored. The regular teacher had great lesson plans and each class settled in to do their assigned work. 

At one point, I was going to interrupt them just to have someone to talk to, but it was so quiet and everyone was on task. As Grandma Pennington used to say, "Never poke a hornet's nest."

I didn't, but rather, was content to read over half a book yesterday while the students wrestled with their assigned work.

I came home to the two to three inches of snow that had fallen earlier in the day. After changing out of my city boy clothes, I fired up the snowblower and cleared the drive, deck, and paths.

I'm grateful I quit plowing a couple of weeks ago. Fearful that there'd be no place to push future snow, I switched to the snowblower that throws the snow out into the yard.

Only one problem. Some banks are taller than the chute on the machine so the snow falls back into the drive.

Melinda and Tom dropped Chief off early in the evening. He settled in with no problem and we had a good evening filled with a mixture of play and watching television. 

I've really missed my buddy, Brutus, these past couple of years, especially in the evenings. I used to get down on the floor with him, play, then often snuggle up, using his fat neck or belly as a pillow while watching television. 

Chief and I had some snuggle time last night and it felt good. There's a reason it's said that a dog is man's best friend.

That's well over a hundred pounds of solid fluff sitting on my lap. 

I'm not at all sure what today will bring. Sargie's home and honestly, I don't feel the need to go out and fire up the wood furnace to warm the shop right now. Chief's been out a couple of times this morning and he seems to have the same attitude about the cold as I do. He does his business and makes a bee-line to the back door. 

This may be one of those days we play by ear... or, who knows, we might just play.

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

So are the tails from Pentoga Road...

A last minute call from Neal the Principal found me at Florence Elementary, Home of the Bob Kitties, Tuesday morning.

February 26, 2019 - Tuesday evening

7 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Happy birthday to my youngest son, Andy. My baby boy and his daughter, Ivy, live in northern Maine and seem to be enjoying the same amounts of snow that we are experiencing.

Happy birthday son. We love you.

Today's plans changed dramatically when the phone rang early. My friend, Neal, asked if I might fill in during the morning hours for the librarian/computer person. 

Sure. Why not?

Things went well at the home of the Bob Kitties and I was back on Pentoga Road by early afternoon.

The rest of today has been spent studying garden sheds, something that is hopefully, unique, yet not impossible to build. I see one thing, then another, and have changed my mind a few hundred times.

The other big project planned for this summer is to significantly increase the size of the garden pond then build a wooden bridge from the garden to the orchard on the other side. As mentioned sometime ago, due to all the landscaping, digging, and construction, I'm not certain there'll be a lot of gardening going on this summer. Several of the raised beds will be ripped up and moved.

I watched a large private plow truck become deeply mired and stuck in Jambo's lane this afternoon. The driver attempted to push a five foot high berm and buried himself. There was nothing I had that was powerful enough to help, but he was able to call someone and be pulled out.

Sargie just called. She's on her way home from Iron Mountain. It's time for me to take a shower and get everything ready for a day of subbing tomorrow at the high school.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The plow driver even spread sand hoping it would help to free the truck.

February 25, 2019 - Monday evening
1 degree/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

Once again, today was totally dedicated to working in, on, or around, snow. 

Just one more good snowstorm and the greenhouse will completely disappear.

It seems no matter what I do, from bringing in wood, to getting the mail, I'm either shoveling, blowing, plowing, or wading through snow. Carl the Weatherman says there's the chance of another four inches falling Tuesday evening. 

I'm afraid it's going to be this way for at least another month, quite possibly longer. Traditionally, March is our snowiest month.

I spent quite a while today uncovering the mailbox. It wasn't the easiest snow to work with as it was packed hard from the plow going through.



Since the berm was much deeper than the blower was tall, I used a shovel to break the hard snow off into large pieces then run over those with the snow blower.




In end, the snow was cleared and the mailman had no problem delivering today's mail.

At ten below zero, this morning's walk was a chilly one. I dug into my Alaska bag and brought out the fur arctic mittens that I wore daily throughout the winter months. 

My hands remained comfy warm surrounded by fur and thick wool liners.

I felt sorry for whoever tried busting through the drifts in yesterday's blizzard and got stuck.



Stranded on the road between two open hay fields, they must have had a horrible walk in the strong winds and heavy snow to the nearest farm house, quite a ways away.

On the same road, it appears the plow had to push the snow across rather than down the road. The drifts were simply too big to push in the conventional manner.

Many of the piles were over my head.

I can relate to the neighbor who owns this mailbox. Been there/had that done!

 I worked on the drive for the majority of the day. There were drifts everywhere, all wind packed and hard as cement making them very difficult to move.

Our sign is almost covered over. It'll be a while before the lettering will be seen again.

Most of the afternoon was spent shoveling snow from one roof or the other.

I was tempted to get up on the steep metal roof over the porch that is covered in several feet of snow, but thankfully, good sense stopped me. 

I'd not have hesitated a few years ago, but I don't bounce nearly as well as I used to.

Sargie had to close tonight and should be home soon. I didn't spend more than an hour inside all day and could easily go to bed right now. I'd rather stay up and visit with my bride for a bit.

Sargie opens the Vision Center Tuesday morning. I have the opportunity to substitute teach, high school math, if I want. Right now, I'd rather spend time in the shop doing my own thing. Since I'm already committed to subbing on Wednesday, I won't feel too guilty if I turn down the job. Still...

Time to warm up some soup for my bride. She'll be tired after a long day of helping people see better.

After all, a man's work, and that of a busy optician, is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

February 25, 2019 - Monday morning

-11 degrees/clear skies/breezy

Pentoga Road

There's really nothing to write about this morning other than we survived the big blow and snow of this past weekend. I guess I shouldn't feel too badly. There were poor folks involved in a hundred car pile up south of Appleton, Wisconsin, yesterday in which at least one person died.

Thankfully, we were snugged in nice and warm on Pentoga Road.

The deck had just been cleared less than 24 hours earlier.

I well remember complaining last summer because the only thing I had to take pictures of was the garden and yard. Dang, how I suffered having to take snapshots of all that green grass and the brilliant colors of the flowers. Poor me.

If you hear me complain this coming summer, just shoot me, would you?

All we're seeing now and for the foreseeable future is white and gray. 

I have no idea how much snow fell this past weekend as the wind blew it sideways for a good majority of the time. 

I'd be safe in saying we got somewhere between one and thirty feet, give or take a foot or ten.

Thankfully, we didn't lose any of the big trees near the house. I'd bet money some fell in the woods, but I won't know until spring or early summer.

The wind surely blew yesterday. By some reports, we had gusts of over 60 miles per hour.

We often couldn't see the other side of the deck or the garden. It reminded me of my arctic days in northern Alaska only this time, I didn't need to dig a snow cave to survive.

Meanwhile, my fishing partner in crime, Sargie the Crappie Queen, and I sat in the relative warmth of the house watching a recorded show, The Crappie Masters, and dreamed of warmer weather to come.

So the day passed. The plow went through a bit ago, so Sargie's good to go to work. I'll go for my usual walk then spend most the day plowing, shoveling, and blowing snow. People and businesses all around the UP are suffering from collapsed roofs  and I don't want to be one of them. Sargie said one of her coworkers lost their front porch. The snow grew too heavy and the porch simply pulled away from the house.

Time to put on my big boy clothes and get busy.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

February 24, 2019 - Sunday morning
28 degrees/snow/very windy
Pentoga Road

I just came in from clearing the first of the snow from the drive, deck, greenhouse, and satellite dishes. Until then, internet was nil. Just thought I'd give an update on the current conditions.

Ah, now we have a blizzard warning. Dang.

I don't know how much snow fell overnight, mainly because it's blowing so hard that there's a hundred, million, billion, inches in one place, just a few in another. What I do know is that I had to dig down in a couple of places to clean the roof of the green house this morning.

The snow is well past my waist in the yard and I found myself crawling to the greenhouse more than actually walking.

The deck was cleaned as was the drive, but looking out at this minute, it appears it's filling in again. It doesn't take long for those forty, fifty, and even sixty mile an hour winds to do their magic, especially when we can measure our snow totals in feet rather than inches.

 No doubt we'll be losing some trees in this wind. I just hope they are those in the woods and not around the house. It wouldn't surprise me if we lose our electricity today. All it takes is one tree to fall across these old brittle lines that bring us our power.

That's enough for now. Just thought I'd write while I had the opportunity.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Reminds me of when the boys were small and dragged snow in the house during the winter months. Only this time, the boy is me.

Snow

February 23, 2019 - Saturday evening

30 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Snow...

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow ....

I went for my usual walk of four-and-a-half miles Saturday morning. Even trudging through the four inches of snow that had already fallen, it was beautiful, almost surreal.

After arriving home, I changed into dry clothes and went outside to clear the drive.

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow.

Finally in the shop, I made the mistake of laying back in the recliner while looking out the window and watching the flakes come down. I awakened feeling refreshed.

The rest of the day was spent sawing Betty Lou the Bulldog. The next step will be shaping the pieces to hopefully make her come to life.



Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow 

Sargie arrived home this evening ahead of the main storm. Currently in north central Wisconsin, it's due to arrive before midnight.

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Sargie's off tomorrow. I doubt we'll be going anywhere as Pentoga Road is usually one of the last to be plowed. Add in an additional foot or more of snow, throw in some winds of thirty mph, and it looks like Sargie and Tom will be sitting by the wood stove and watching movies.

snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow 

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



snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Does this mean we can ignore the latest winter storm warning?

February 22, 2019 - Friday evening

22 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Enough said.

Friday started off with the usual walk to Pentoga Village. The sun was bright, the temperatures mild. It was, by far, the nicest day we've had in a long time.

Jambo sent this photo. Seems he's teaching his granddaughter, Elise, how to play cards. 

It won't be too many years before Elise will be at Grandpa's camp, no doubt playing cribbage with the guys.

Neighbor Mike and Germaine are due back from Washington tomorrow, just in time for another snow storm.

After Friday morning's walk to Pentoga Village, I got busy cleaning the shop. It took the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon, but as of right now, the worst of the dust is gone.

I felt, more than heard, a rumble coming from outside. An earthquake? 

Not a quake, but thousands of pounds of heavy snow falling onto the deck from the metal roof overhead. The warm temperatures were causing several feet of snow to melt and slide.

I'd just cleaned the deck a couple of days ago and now this. I tried the snowblower, but it wouldn't throw the heavy snow. There was only one way to do it, the old fashioned method, shovel it by hand.

It took almost two hours, but the snow was removed, just in time for the next foot or two.

I went back to the shop to work on my newest project, Betty Lou the Bulldog.

The patterns were numbered and mounted and a few cuts made. I'll continue with Betty on Saturday.

Another quake?

This time I ran outside and didn't like what I saw. Tons of snow had slid off the roof of the barn on the north side and filled the path to the wood furnace.

I grabbed the scoop and began shoveling. The heavy, wet, snow was deep, up to my waist, and once again, two hours were spent digging.

It was late afternoon. I was wet and tired, but after hearing the weather warnings for the umpteenth time, I decided the snow should be removed from the wood sheds. Better safe than sorry.

The sun was setting before I finished. 

Let 'er snow.

Tom and Melinda came this evening with Chief in tow. There was no doubt the little guy remembered me. Sargie called and hearing her voice on the speaker, he tried getting to her through the phone. They're buddies.

Melinda will bring Chief over next Wednesday evening to stay with us for a week. It'll be good to have some canine company around the house.

Sargie arrived home late this evening and opens early Saturday morning. I'm going for my usual walk then return to the shop to work on Betty Lou the Bulldog. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...