A lynx, captured on film, close to the old family home in northern Maine

May 10, 2019 - Friday morning

39 degrees/partly cloudy/breezy

Pentoga Road

Seeing a large lynx in the side yard would make a person think twice about calling his kitty cat, eh? There weren't any of the big cats during my northern Maine years, but I'm told they are a common sight now. 

I saw quite a few lynx around the cabin during my arctic years in Alaska and though we have no lynx in the UP, I did capture a mountain lion on my trail camera several years ago towards the rear of the property. 

The monsoon we've been experiencing the past few days has finally moved on. It appears there about two and a half inches of water in the gauge from this last deluge.

Thankfully, we were on the warm side of the front as it came lumbering through. The poor folks in Duluth, right next door, woke up to ten inches of snow Thursday morning. 

Been there/done that.

I'm relishing my role of being retired once again and feel like a kid on his first day of summer vacation. Hopefully, I'll be able to call the time my own between now and when school begins next September.

The last two days with the second graders have been busy. The class is known as being quite... hmm... well, let's put it this way, they are an active bunch.

There're some unique personalities in the class and there are so many of them. More than once I could have sworn that they were multiplying. At least it sounded that way.

 I hated being the tough guy from the beginning bell to the end, but evidently the students didn't mind. When they walked in the room and saw I was going to be their teacher again on Thursday, they clapped and several came forward and hugged me around my waist. 

God love 'em. Active or not, I sure do.

With school done for the day, I picked up Sargie and we made our way to town for her Coke. Back home, we enjoyed huge bowls of Sargie's chicken and corn chowder, the perfect meal on a cold and rainy evening.

By 6 PM, my belly was full and my eyelids heavy. It was much too early to go to bed and I didn't want to spend an entire evening watching tv. 

What to do? Why not strap on the hikers and take a stroll to Pentoga Village and back! I felt the stress of the day begin to leave with each step and by the time I arrived back home, I was happy to enjoy a wonderful evening with Sargie.

We made some non cooking culinary magic in the kitchen last night by making up a big batch of trail mix.

Our's has very little candy, but rather is loaded with dehydrated fruit, yogurt in some form, nuts, berries, sunflower seeds, and judging by the after affects, lots of fiber, lots and lots of fiber.



Mechanic Dave called and said the bucket for the tractor is finished. I'm going to drive to town shortly to get that, return home and go for my morning walk, then head to the barn and shop with the intention of cleaning both. I've just thrown tools on one bench or the other for the past three weeks while trying to complete the insulation and deck projects. Now that those are finished, I think I'll put everything away so I can start again with the garden makeover. 

Sargie isn't working today, so no doubt, she'll have a thought or two about what we should do this afternoon. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Some of the kids and I were standing on our heads (literally) when one of my students said, "Oh yeah, well, can you do this?"
I told her I could if I wanted to, but after standing on my head and viewing the world upside down for a few seconds, I didn't feel like it.