June 19, 2019 - Wednesday morning
52 degrees/clear skies/breezy
Pentoga Road

I looked at my phone a bit ago and noticed that I received the best birthday gift any grandpa could want. Emerson, Bennet, and Westley, all integral parts of the Munchkin Chorale, warbling their little hearts out.

Thanks, babies. I love you too.

So what does one do on his birthday? I lay in bed this morning thinking on those of the far past, back when Mom and Dad used to parade into my bedroom while I feigned sleep. Dad would sit on the side of my bed and roll me onto his lap while Mom gave me the mandatory birthday spanking. 

I pretended it hurt between giggles while wondering the real question. What did they get me for my birthday?

Dad's long departed, Mom's five hundred miles away, and Sargie's still asleep in these early morning hours. Times, they have changed.

Tuesday was a busy one in Title Town. We drove from one store to the other purchasing household goods and needed groceries.

You KNOW you're in the Dairy State of Wisconsin when you park across from a cow disguised as a pickup truck

We hoped to find a close out/discount on bedding plants, flowers mostly, but soon discovered that even at clearance prices, flowers are still ridiculously high priced. This is the first year in many that I didn't start our's from seed. I plan for it to be the last. This business of purchasing flowers is a pricey proposition.



I was shocked at the lack of activity in the Green Bay mall. It wasn't that many years ago that even during midweek, it was filled with shoppers.



I told Sargie that I wouldn't be surprised if it's completely closed down in a few short years. 

Leaving the mall and driving onto a local farm store, Sargie asked me to step into a screen house display. I thought she was going to join me, you know, maybe do a bit of screen house cuddling, some pre-birthday hoopla. 

Yeah, that didn't happen. 

Sargie reached up and locked the door, then walked away. 

So the day went. We dashed from one store to the other between driving downpours. Thankfully, the rain skipped the UP and remained to the south.

The last stop of the day was at Harbor Freight where we purchased a "garage in a box." Sargie and I will be erecting that later today or tomorrow. 



If you see blue smoke coming out of the northern skies, don't be concerned. It'll be me, muttering under my breath as we try to connect Part A with Part B.

After I snapped this photo, both clerks, a couple of sour pusses, turned around and gave me a dirty look. I smiled and winked, saying I was trying to capture their better sides.

It was well into the evening before we arrived home and got the car unloaded. We watched a bit of tv and enjoyed a snack or two before making that long, steep, arduous, climb up the steps to bed.

Today. Well, today will be like most other's. I'm going to go make a carved name in the shop before heading to the pond. (Note how it's suddenly called a "pond," rather than a hole in the ground?) There's an hour, possibly two, of backhoe digging to do and the heavy work will be finished. 

After, I want to bring the backhoe up to the north side of the barn and carve out a level place for the portable garage. Sargie's off for the next few days and I'd like to get that garage erected while she's here to help. 

So with all that, it's time to get this show on the 

road.

With the rooster standing guard, Sargie's irises are in full bloom

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road... 

Let me out, Sargie! I promise I'll behave.