T-minus seventeen hours and counting until the installation
of the liner begins. It's what I've worked for all summer.

July 25, 2019 - Thursday afternoon

81 degrees/partly cloudy/breezy

Pentoga Road

It's been a crazy day that began at 2 AM this morning when Sargie complained she had severe chest pains. While talking, the pain went up her throat and into her head and she began to lose vision.

I slipped into a pair of shorts, wrapped Sargie's robe around her, and escorted my girl to the car and away we went to the hospital. I called 911 along the way asking the dispatcher to let the emergency room staff know we were coming.

Tests were done and her heart is strong and normal. What isn't are her thyroid numbers. Having her thyroid removed years ago, she's been on medication since and evidently, her body's changed since her check up and blood tests last year. Sargie will be seeing an endocrinologist in the near future.

We arrived back home around 5 AM and both of us went back to bed. I slept a while before getting up and heading to the pond. Sargie was just exhausted and slept soundly for much of the morning. She'd been through the ringer, both mentally and physically.

I'm happy to say that she feels great this afternoon and has already made a doctor's appointment to begin the process of getting her meds regulated. In fact, the girl's outside right now riding the mower, iced tea in hand, looking like Queen of Pentoga Road.

Seems kind of quiet around here today. Both Hambone and Chief departed last night, but not before they had all day to entertain each other.

Hambone made me promise that I'd never ever never ever never get rid of those "cool mountains," (as he called them) the fill from digging the pond. Who knew mounds of dirt and rocks could be so much fun?

I traveled to town bright and early Wednesday morning to get the four inch flex pipe that had been delivered via freight at the plant. It will be used to pull the water through the gravel filter and be recirculated by the pump.

Seems everyone was busy most the morning, so we had a summertime brunch. How much better can it get than enjoying fresh melon, bing cherries, Wisconsin cheese, and Sargie's, to-die-for egg salad over twelve whole grain bread?

I was busy elsewhere and Grandma Sargie and Grady were doing something. What, I wasn't sure.

Come to find out, Hambone wanted to surprise Pawpaw and spent much of the afternoon picking up rocks around the pond to surprise me.



He informed Grandma Sargie that no help was needed and he could do it all on his own. It's a good thing, because Grandma was in another part of the yard tending to her flowers.

I'd be lying if I didn't say that Pawpaw was a pretty proud man yesterday afternoon when I found out what Hambone had been doing. We might just have to keep that boy around and besides, he's too big to throw back anyway.

By the way, Hambone earned eighty cents for all his hard work yesterday. It's the best eighty cents I've spent in a long long time.

We met Mel halfway to Iron Mountain late yesterday afternoon for the Bone exchange. He was one tired boy.

We said goodbye to our buddy, Chief, last evening when Tom and Melinda pulled in to pick him up. I wonder who missed who the most last night, Chief or Grady?

After this early morning's emergency room run, I was out of bed after a nap to finish laying carpet in the pond.



The colorful hole drew some interest from overhead as a small private plane circled at a low altitude for several minutes. I waved and the pilot wiggled his wings back. No doubt, he was wondering what was going on down below.

Sargie and I began installing the final commercial underlayment this afternoon. It's lightweight and not overly heavy. I don't know how I'd have done it without her.

It was hot down in the hole and we traded places often in an effort to get the 50x10 foot pieces to conform to the terraces in the pond.

After a trip to town to cool off and an hour of rest, we finished. 

The wrinkles will be smoothed as we lay the heavy rubber liner on top.

The pond is finally ready for tomorrow's installation of the rubber liner.

Cosmo and Mike volunteered to come over and supervise tomorrow morning. Jambo will be here and Alaska Kurt, my Alaskan neighbor and friend, who has a summer place around the corner, has also said he'd be here. It appears we have the manpower and the knowledge. Now, if the forecast of spotty thunderstorms will stay away until the liner is installed. After that, it can rain all it wants to help fill that pond up.

Sargie's back to work tomorrow morning. The boys are all to arrive around ten or before. No doubt, I'll be up at sunrise, if not before, to make certain everything is ready to go. Hopefully, tomorrow at this time, the liner will be installed and there'll be at least a bit of water in the bottom. Filling it from our well will take days, possibly a week or two, but that's okay. That pond ain't goin' nowhere!

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Another of Mississippi Garry's son, Kevin's, photos.
Art and musical talent run deep in that family.