Andy's back in the oil business. He's currently in Louisiana getting ready to work off the coasts of either Africa or Australia.

July 11, 2019 - Thursday evening

67 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I don't mind saying, I'm more than a bit envious of Andy. He's currently making his manifest in preparation for leaving in the near future. Right now, it appears there's a bigger chance he'll be heading down under. 

I spent some quality time in Australia many years ago working with some of the Aboriginal Peoples. We found that they encounter the same social/economic problems as many of our Alaska natives. 

Also in family news, a HUGE congratulations goes out to Captain Luke Pennington. The former Lieutenant is South Portland (Maine) Fire Department's newest Captain. He scored the highest on his written Captain's test and did well on his oral interviews. Congratulations, son. Sargie and I are proud of you.

While I'm talking of family accomplishments, my oldest son, Josh, a full Commander, will be retiring on August 2, from the US Coast Guard after twenty two years of service. A graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, Josh has served aboard boats, and at various billets, mostly on the East Coast. For the past several years, Josh has been a professor in the Engineering Department at the Academy. Sargie and I will be flying to New London, Connecticut, at the end of this month to watch Josh's retirement ceremony. 

Josh and Luke

As with Luke and Andy, we're just as proud of Josh. We feel the same about Matt and all his business ventures. Life is good for all four Pennington boys.

Thursday was a busy day on Pentoga Road. I had an early morning dentist's appointment and came out with all my choppers intact.

Time was spent on the pond, raking rocks and rounding off more edges on each terrace. Basically, I'm playing a waiting game now until the liner and filter supplies arrive and will continue to prepare the sides and bottoms for the underlayment and liner installation.

As soon as the sand bags arrive, I'll have a load of sand delivered so I can begin filling those. The bags will serve as an outside wall on one of the terraces for the underwater gravel filter.

The privacy fence that hides the firewood had been pushed outward this past year. I used the tractor with a tow strap to pull the panels back into place. 

They were then secured with cables fastened to a maple tree. 

Sargie and I took our drive to town this afternoon where we ran a few errands and picked up the trailer filled with wood.

You know what I'll be doing for the next day or two.

The chipper was brought out of storage and made ready to sell. It has been a wonderful machine, still like new, but I hardly use it anymore. 

I will call into Telephone Time, our local buy/swap/sell radio show, tomorrow morning and will also put an ad on Craigslist. 

Though used, whoever buys it should get many years of good use out of it.

Sargie opens the Vision Center bright and early Friday morning. After doing some banking today, I'll definitely be ordering the underlayment and liner on Friday and place an ad or two to sell the chipper. There's more landscaping to do on the pond and of course, a trailer filled with wood to begin working up. 

In my spare time, maybe I'll bake a cake or go water skiing.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I received a picture from Mississippi Brother Garry and Miss Jody. Poor kids are having to enjoy the islands of Hawaii while waiting for Eric's US Marine Corps promotion ceremony to full Colonel on Saturday.