Tom went to school on Monday
The professor? Mississippi Brother Garry

March 9, 2020 - Monday evening

65 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Laurel, Mississippi

I thought I'd better write tonight as we have to get the Sonata to the mechanic's by 8 tomorrow morning. Sargie and Jody were coming home from shopping this afternoon when the car began losing power. Thankfully, it ran good enough for them to get home. We'll leave it at his shop early Tuesday morning.

I did, indeed, go to school today. Garry taught me all about angles, segmented turning, various types of chisels, vacuum chucks, and other wood working skills too numerous to mention.

I probably learned as much today about turning and equipment having to do with wood lathes as everything I've learned up to now.

This is a real working man's shop

I practiced on a bowl this afternoon using a couple of different types of chisels that up until today, I didn't know existed. Between using Garry's much bigger lathe and the new chisels, I was able to use some new turning techniques.

Using Garry's lathe as compared to mine is like graduating from peddling a bicycle with training wheels to driving a BMW. There's no comparison.

We kissed the girls goodbye this morning before they drove into Laurel for a day of shopping. We headed the other way to deliver lunches to elderly shut ins for a Christian ministry.

Garry and Jody, both, volunteer two Mondays a month to pick up the lunches and take them to those less fortunate than many of us.

We went to one house that had a most beautiful yard and drive. The trees were huge and everything seemed so green and alive.

Remaining in the car while Garry took a lunch to the door, I spotted a kitty cat relaxing in the warm Mississippi sunshine. 

We were driving past another house when I spotted someone's pet deer that was wearing a bright red collar.

When one is the delivery person of meals, he very well could be asked to be a handyman for those who might be unable to help themselves. 

The lady of this house thought she might have a dead animal underneath her home and asked Garry if he would check. Thankfully, no animal, alive or deceased, was found.

I wandered into a side yard and noticed some damage done by armadillos. They dig holes looking for grubs, much like the skunks do in the UP.

When we weren't in the shop this afternoon, we were at Kari's, Garry and Jody's daughter, replacing window panes that were broken a few days ago by the severe hail storm.

After replacing two, we wandered down by the barn and visited with Stella the Horse. Hoping for a handout, the girl wasn't mad at anyone.

The four of us spent time wandering around the yard this evening. Garry showed us his irrigation system and even came up with a way that we can irrigate all our flower beds this coming summer.

Speaking of flowers, the folks azaleas are beautiful.

But then, their yard and home are absolutely gorgeous, a real showplace on Meador Road.

The ladies are heading to Hattiesburg tomorrow for a day of shopping. Garry and I will deliver the Sonata to the mechanic's first thing in the morning then we'll do what guys do while the ladies are away.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

When he's not teaching shop skills, irrigation techniques, delivering lunches, or guiding tourists from the UP around the area, Mississippi Brother Garry is known to hang clothes out on the line to dry for Miss Jody.