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| When I say that Sargie has taken over many of the lawn duties, I'm not kidding. From eyes to tractors, the girl does it all. |
36 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road
It's a bit on the nippy side this morning. It's still August and these past few days have felt more like it's almost Thanksgiving time. I hope we don't have a repeat of a couple of years ago when I was ice fishing the week before Thanksgiving and the ice and snow didn't leave until May.
There's a significant group of scientists who firmly believe the shift in climate is leading to another ice age. Other than poke fun at both sides, I pay little attention to either, but here on Pentoga Road, the thermometer is telling me they may be onto something.
Last year at this time, the blueberry season was over, the melons had been harvested, and the sunflowers were almost finished blooming. Currently, due to a cold and wet spring that lasted well into June, we're in the middle of blueberry season with some probably not ripening before the first real cold snap hits. The melons are a couple of weeks away from being ripe and the sunflowers are just beginning to make heads.
Hmm, I should probably call Al Gore and get his take on all this.
We were in Iron Mountain bright and early Friday morning to purchase last minute items for tomorrow's family gathering. The animated Halloween characters are just amazing... and expensive!
Back home, Sargie took command of the rider and spent the next several hours mowing the lawn and meadows, plus helping me whenever I needed another body.
As much as it hurts my delicate ego, Sargie does a much better job as the lawn caretaker than I ever did.
Sargie pays attention to the little things. Me? When it comes to mowing, I'm more of a big picture guy. In the end, she has the lawn looking as though we live in the middle of a championship golf course.
I was busy throughout the day working on one thing or the other. It took some time to change buckets on the backhoe. The smaller one was mounted and used when I was digging the pond and reaching deep, trying to break up rock, gravel, and hard clay.
The bigger landscape bucket is used for general digging and moving much larger amounts of dirt.
As small as they may look, the larger bucket weighs in excess of two hundred pounds and involves using the tractor, some expertise raising and lowering the arm of the backhoe, but mostly, some good old-fashioned muscle.
A large hole was dug out in the boonies to bury a year's worth of ashes from the burn barrel. The metals, plastics, and other goodies are placed into the garbage cans to be taken to the dump and dealt with there.
I picked blueberries all afternoon. There are a lot left for any family members while they are here tomorrow. It's become a Labor Day tradition to browse the blueberry patch, plucking off a few berries here and there to eat fresh while laughing and talking.
I like that. I like that a lot.
Sargie finished mowing and headed to the garage to finish cleaning what she didn't get done the other day. I filled the mower with gas and took off for the back meadows and trails, those areas where Sargie's convinced the Boogie Man lives.
I've cut back mowing quite so much in the past year or two. Due to heavy snowfall, the back meadow seems to be under water longer and longer every spring and weeds that can tolerate wet ground have replaced the grass. Still, I try to keep them knocked down and under control.
Though we didn't have school yesterday, the superintendent called and we're still looking for a third grade teacher. Thankfully, we may have found a qualified replacement.
I recently learned that in Wisconsin alone, there are over 5,000 teacher vacancies yet to be filled. Knowing that, I'd venture to guess that Florence is better off than many other districts.
I remember back when there were hundreds of applicants for any one opening and to get a job was reason to celebrate. Today, we go out looking for qualified educators. They found me and believe me, I certainly wasn't looking.
In talking to educators in Maine and Alaska alike, all are in the same predicament. Alaska has done away with any defined benefits in their retirement plan and their pay, as in Maine, is average at best. Both states have a higher cost of living than those further to the south.
In most areas of the country, entering private industry is much more lucrative, not nearly as stressful, and allows a person to spend more time at home than in the field of education.
End of pro education lecture.
It's time to head out to the barn and shop. Both are a mess and while it's still so cool outside, I can get started cleaning both. In fact, I may turn on the heat in the shop. I have all winter to blow on my hands while working on one project or the other. No sense starting early.
After all, a man's work is never done.
So are the tales from Pentoga Road...
Back home, Sargie took command of the rider and spent the next several hours mowing the lawn and meadows, plus helping me whenever I needed another body.
As much as it hurts my delicate ego, Sargie does a much better job as the lawn caretaker than I ever did.
Sargie pays attention to the little things. Me? When it comes to mowing, I'm more of a big picture guy. In the end, she has the lawn looking as though we live in the middle of a championship golf course.
I was busy throughout the day working on one thing or the other. It took some time to change buckets on the backhoe. The smaller one was mounted and used when I was digging the pond and reaching deep, trying to break up rock, gravel, and hard clay.
The bigger landscape bucket is used for general digging and moving much larger amounts of dirt.
As small as they may look, the larger bucket weighs in excess of two hundred pounds and involves using the tractor, some expertise raising and lowering the arm of the backhoe, but mostly, some good old-fashioned muscle.
A large hole was dug out in the boonies to bury a year's worth of ashes from the burn barrel. The metals, plastics, and other goodies are placed into the garbage cans to be taken to the dump and dealt with there.
I picked blueberries all afternoon. There are a lot left for any family members while they are here tomorrow. It's become a Labor Day tradition to browse the blueberry patch, plucking off a few berries here and there to eat fresh while laughing and talking.
I like that. I like that a lot.
Sargie finished mowing and headed to the garage to finish cleaning what she didn't get done the other day. I filled the mower with gas and took off for the back meadows and trails, those areas where Sargie's convinced the Boogie Man lives.
I've cut back mowing quite so much in the past year or two. Due to heavy snowfall, the back meadow seems to be under water longer and longer every spring and weeds that can tolerate wet ground have replaced the grass. Still, I try to keep them knocked down and under control.
Though we didn't have school yesterday, the superintendent called and we're still looking for a third grade teacher. Thankfully, we may have found a qualified replacement.
I recently learned that in Wisconsin alone, there are over 5,000 teacher vacancies yet to be filled. Knowing that, I'd venture to guess that Florence is better off than many other districts.
I remember back when there were hundreds of applicants for any one opening and to get a job was reason to celebrate. Today, we go out looking for qualified educators. They found me and believe me, I certainly wasn't looking.
In talking to educators in Maine and Alaska alike, all are in the same predicament. Alaska has done away with any defined benefits in their retirement plan and their pay, as in Maine, is average at best. Both states have a higher cost of living than those further to the south.
In most areas of the country, entering private industry is much more lucrative, not nearly as stressful, and allows a person to spend more time at home than in the field of education.
End of pro education lecture.
It's time to head out to the barn and shop. Both are a mess and while it's still so cool outside, I can get started cleaning both. In fact, I may turn on the heat in the shop. I have all winter to blow on my hands while working on one project or the other. No sense starting early.
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| Andy sent this from Africa. Growing up, he always wanted a pet chimpanzee, but seems he found a pet in the form of a lizard. |
So are the tales from Pentoga Road...
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