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| Happy Mother's Day, Mom! |
46 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road
I've said it before, I'll say it again. I feel sorry for anyone who can't claim Mom as their own. You see, my sister and I have the best mom in the whole, wide, world.
On the other hand, our mother's heart is big enough to love everyone, so I won't be selfish. I'll share this beautiful, loving and kind woman with whomever wants to call her Mom.
She'd like that. She'd like that a lot.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's everywhere... and a special Happy Mother's Day to you, Mom. We love you.
It's another picture perfect day on Pentoga Road. In fact, the next several are supposed to be sunny, warm, and dry. Lord almighty, after this past winter, we'll take 'em.
Saturday began with my usual walk. I was happy to see Wisconsin Mike back for the summer months. We met and had a good, old fashioned, catch up session on the shoulder of Pentoga Road. Mike loves exploring in his bright yellow side-by-side SUV and knows this area's back country better than many of the locals.
Once home, I rearranged all the equipment and made ready to bring the tractor and backhoe down to the garden. It took a bit, but the four strand electric fence was made so that just one section can be removed during the day to make work easier, then replaced later for the nighttime hours.
The first chore was to gently scoop up the Sweet Williams. The bed originally started with a dozen plants grown from seed.
Prolific, they've multiplied into a full bed of color each summer. I gently dropped them into the wheel barrow to be transplanted elsewhere.
The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon was spent tearing into four of the five raised beds that have to be removed to make way for the new pond and garden house.
It was bitter sweet as all I could think of was how many hours went into building those beds. On the other hand, I grew bored looking at the same thing each summer. Just as furniture is rearranged or a woman gets a new hairdo, it's time for a change.
Sargie was anything but idle during this time. She worked hard raking and expanding the perennial flower bed in the front of the house.
It was past noon and time for a quick jaunt to town for Sargie's Coke. We also stopped by the deli for a few chicken strips, just enough to "take the edge off," as we jokingly say as we're stuffing our faces.
Once home, we returned to our labors.
Hmm, I was in a dilemma. The last raised bed needed to be removed, but I couldn't get to it without first moving the greenhouse. The greenhouse couldn't be removed because it's partially supported the water fall and the waterfall couldn't disappear without dirt and rocks falling into the garden pond.
Well, duh, the garden pond couldn't be moved until the fish were netted and put elsewhere and the river rocks shoveled out.
AND... sigh... the temporary home of the goldfish, the tote they lived in all winter, still had water in it down the basement.
There was nothing to do but begin carting buckets of water from the tote. It was finally brought up the steps, scrubbed and filled with clean water.
I started the pump and began removing water from the pond.
It was time. Cowgirl Sargie grabbed the long handle butterfly net and let the rodeo begin.
It wasn't long before both the goldfish and water had been removed leaving a winter's worth of dead leaves, algae, and stuff too ugly to mention, along with the river rocks in the bottom of the pond.
I donned my Sitka sneakers and with shovel in hand, began scooping hundreds of pounds of rocks into the wheel barrow to be transported to a waiting tarp. They'll be power washed at some point in the future and returned to be part of the new pond.
I finally finished and called Sargie back from her flower bed, asking for help to remove the shell. Thankfully, it is lightweight and wasn't that difficult.
The pressure washer was used and a pin prick hole patched in preparation for the shell to be refilled above ground elsewhere in the garden. It will serve as the goldfishes' temporary home until the next pond is dug and ready for permanent occupancy.
To say Sargie and I slept well last night would be an understatement. In fact, I didn't wake up until almost eight this morning. That's the equivalent of sleeping until noon for most people.
Sargie works from noon until five today. I need to make a quick trip to town for a couple of things before dismantling the waterfalls. Next will come emptying the greenhouse and finally, I hope once she's home this evening, that Sargie and I can move the greenhouse to the orchard before day's end.
Prolific, they've multiplied into a full bed of color each summer. I gently dropped them into the wheel barrow to be transplanted elsewhere.
The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon was spent tearing into four of the five raised beds that have to be removed to make way for the new pond and garden house.
It was bitter sweet as all I could think of was how many hours went into building those beds. On the other hand, I grew bored looking at the same thing each summer. Just as furniture is rearranged or a woman gets a new hairdo, it's time for a change.
Sargie was anything but idle during this time. She worked hard raking and expanding the perennial flower bed in the front of the house.
It was past noon and time for a quick jaunt to town for Sargie's Coke. We also stopped by the deli for a few chicken strips, just enough to "take the edge off," as we jokingly say as we're stuffing our faces.
Once home, we returned to our labors.
Hmm, I was in a dilemma. The last raised bed needed to be removed, but I couldn't get to it without first moving the greenhouse. The greenhouse couldn't be removed because it's partially supported the water fall and the waterfall couldn't disappear without dirt and rocks falling into the garden pond.
Well, duh, the garden pond couldn't be moved until the fish were netted and put elsewhere and the river rocks shoveled out.
AND... sigh... the temporary home of the goldfish, the tote they lived in all winter, still had water in it down the basement.
There was nothing to do but begin carting buckets of water from the tote. It was finally brought up the steps, scrubbed and filled with clean water.
I started the pump and began removing water from the pond.
It was time. Cowgirl Sargie grabbed the long handle butterfly net and let the rodeo begin.
It wasn't long before both the goldfish and water had been removed leaving a winter's worth of dead leaves, algae, and stuff too ugly to mention, along with the river rocks in the bottom of the pond.
I donned my Sitka sneakers and with shovel in hand, began scooping hundreds of pounds of rocks into the wheel barrow to be transported to a waiting tarp. They'll be power washed at some point in the future and returned to be part of the new pond.
I finally finished and called Sargie back from her flower bed, asking for help to remove the shell. Thankfully, it is lightweight and wasn't that difficult.
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| The old kitchen rug, used as a cushion to prevent rocks from poking holes in the pond, was in surprisingly good shape. I suggested we clean it and bring it back in the house, but Sargie nixed that idea. |
To say Sargie and I slept well last night would be an understatement. In fact, I didn't wake up until almost eight this morning. That's the equivalent of sleeping until noon for most people.
Sargie works from noon until five today. I need to make a quick trip to town for a couple of things before dismantling the waterfalls. Next will come emptying the greenhouse and finally, I hope once she's home this evening, that Sargie and I can move the greenhouse to the orchard before day's end.
Well, darn it anyway, nothing's going to happen unless I get in gear and begin the day. I probably should have waited a few years until Hambone's big enough to have helped.
Live and learn.
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| After wintering under several feet of snow and growing through a thick layer of dead leaves, the spring wild flowers are beginning their annual display of colors. |
After all, a man's work is never done.
So are the tales from Pentoga Road...
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| The temporary new garden pond |
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