February 3, 2019 - Sunday evening

30 degrees/cloudy/mist - drizzle

Pentoga Road

Ah, winter in the Upper Peninsula. I figured I'd better go ahead and write tonight as it appears there's a chance we could lose our power during the night or sometime Monday.

Sunday was a warm, but dreary day. The temperature peaked a bit over freezing, but the air was so damp that it felt colder than it really was. 

Most the day was spent in the shop. Wanting to get a few things out of the way, I finished two bowls that Sargie requested as gifts.

The hickory piece was hollowed. 

Talk about hard wood. I must have sharpened my chisels four or five times.

Another challenge was keeping the knots in the side and bottom of the hickory bowl without turning into either and making a hole. I think the knots gives it character, but presented definite challenges.

I turned the bottoms off both the hickory bowl and the one made from birch that I worked on several days ago. All that needs to be done is to put a final buffing on both. That's three bowls down, two to still be made for shower gifts.

Tiring of sanding and finishing bowls, I turned my attention to making flowers, lots and lots of flowers. I've been wondering what to do with the ugly birch log that I hollowed the other day. Then there's that Easter bunny I made last year that looks like he's half pig.

When in doubt, bury the piggy bunny in an ugly birch log and camouflage both with flowers.

A few more flowers still need to be manufactured, then all will be painted. The bunny? Well, he needs whiskers and eyes. Who knows, if I make enough flowers, maybe no one will notice that the bunny is a porker.

Last but not least, I glued the pattern of our friend's dog, Chief, onto a board and began cutting the forty-plus pieces.

I began sawing and was a third finished when I started getting sloppy. I knew it was time to call it a day.

Sargie made it home from work in good shape, but with the forecast, her chances of making it to Iron Mountain in the morning are iffy. She'll have to play it by ear.

I'm planning on heading back to the shop tomorrow, assuming we keep our electricity. If not, it'll be a good day to pile up on the couch and read. I have several books going and it's time I finish a few.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...