April 17, 2020 - Friday morning

11 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I finished the latest segmented piece Thursday afternoon and really enjoyed making the boy and his dog come to life. Since it was still cold in the shop, I moved the paints and whatever was needed to the dining room table and finished in style.

Yesterday's walk was perfect. I finished just as the wind came up and though the thermometer was rising, it felt much colder as the day went along.

With this current spell of global warming, I've had to cover the high pressure washer in the shop and place the trouble light beneath to keep it from freezing.

The machine stays in the basement all winter long, but I brought it upstairs a week ago to clean the maple evaporator. Though it's obviously not connected to any water at the present, there's always a small amount that remains in the washer. My fear is that that little bit will freeze and crack the pump. Covering it with a tarp and adding a light underneath is cheap insurance.

Sargie worked all day Thursday spring cleaning. Fearful she'd put me to work, I stayed out of her way, either working at the dining room table or in the shop.

The garden house front window openings were measured for the umpteenth time and I began making the first window Thursday afternoon. It's a new challenge, something I've never done before, so I'm enjoying the thought process of inlaying glass, the angles and curves, etc. 

So far/so good, but ask me tomorrow how it's going. I may not have such a positive attitude.

We made a quick dash to town to take advantage of a one day sale at our local grocery. The parking lot was stuffed with cars so Sargie and I just drove on. We've been good about staying away from people during this whole pandemic thing. There's no sense taking a risk now. 

We'll try again today and see what the crowd situation is.

Aunt Sue and Uncle Terry sent a package with various literature and goodies about the Appalachian Trail. I've enjoyed thumbing through everything and am still on the countdown to February 27, 2022, my planned kickoff date from Springer Mountain to celebrate my 70th birthday. It's only one year, ten months, twenty seven days, fifty nine minutes, and forty two seconds from now, but then, who's really counting anyway?

Last evening brought a two-hour reunion of five old college buddies via Zoom. Most of us hadn't seen each other in almost fifty years and Lord, we laughed. All fraternity brothers, it's a wonder we lived through four years of our antics.

Cats aren't the only creatures to have nine lives.

As young and immature as we were, we all grew up to became responsible citizens, husbands, fathers, and of course now, grandfathers.

I could write a book about just our college years alone, but then I'm afraid Mama would reach down from Heaven and slap me a good one alongside my head if she heard even a bit of some of our shenanigans. Some things are best laughed at and left in the past.

I'm heading out the door in a few minutes for my seven mile walk. I'm hoping to finish one of the two front garden house windows today, at least that's my goal. Sargie and I are going to do a bit of grocery shopping, assuming the rest of the UP isn't doing the same, and who knows what else might happen along the way?

Time to get a move on.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Today's random Alaska picture:
Denali, North America's highest mountain.

I was sitting in the right hand seat of a bush plane headed to a remote community when the pilot asked if I would like to see Denali "up close and personal."

I replied, "You bet!"

The mountain and subsequent peaks are so massive that it took quite a while to circle them just once before flying on.