Landscaping continues on the east side of the pond

May 30, 2020 - Saturday morning

43 degrees/clear skies/breezy

Pentoga Road

Arg, where'd all these mosquitoes come from? After a dry start to the spring and days with few biting critters, they've suddenly appeared in swarms since the last rain. Swatting at them outside is one thing, but they have a knack for following a person into the house.

I don't like that.

No, I don't like that at all.

Friday dawned cloudy, damp, and chilly, a great time to spend in the shop. After my walk, I finished sanding the bowl already mounted on the lathe and began applying the umpteen coats of finish required to make it, as Sargie says,"shiny".

The wood is spalted birch and very porous. The first several coats soak into the wood and it's only after multiple applications that it begins to shine. 

I'd apply a light coat yesterday, go about my business elsewhere, then return an hour or two later to wipe on another. I think the last birch bowl required seventeen coats before it was finished. Appears this one will need the same.



I've grown more accustomed to my new lathe and think I'm ready to expand into larger and harder wood. I keep reminding myself to take baby steps, something at which I've never excelled. I've always been an all in or all out kind of guy and I'm finding this baby step thing difficult.

Still, Rome wasn't conquered in a day. Neither will the learning process be on this new lathe.

Sargie and I got her Coke then made our way to the Ready Mix plant for a load of tailings, finely crushed gravel that when packed, becomes almost like concrete.



The east side of the pond has never been landscaped since it was dug and during the wet season, was avoided at all costs. Sargie has this thing about tracking mud into the house and has no sense of humor whatsoever regarding muddy shoe prints on the floors.



The first chore was to remove any rocks and make the path so it would blend in with the slope of the pond. I've noticed it's not nearly as much fun to crawl on my hands as knees as it was sixty five years ago. 

A layer of landscape cloth was eventually laid over the top.



It was time for the fun work to begin. The total weight of the gravel was over 2,400 pounds at the plant. It took more than a few shovel's full to unload the trailer.

Sargie had been busy doing washing and household chores, but came out to assist with the shoveling and raking.



Trip after trip after trip after trip was made and eventually, the path and areas around the garden house were covered.

 It was a very tired Sargie M and Tommy P who took showers late Friday afternoon and plopped down for the evening. 

Sargie has the yard looking so nice. With her care, coupled with the recent rains, the front and side yards are beginning to look more like a golf course than a lawn surrounding a country home.

 The flower boxes, planted less than a week ago, are beginning to show signs of life. Give them another month and all should be filled with color.

 On today's agenda: there are still two areas in the garden/pond area that require landscaping and gravel. 

Pavers will eventually be nestled into the gravel, but time and budget (and my sore back muscles) dictate those will have to wait for another summer.

Ready Mix is closed today, so I'll complete the shovel work then finish cleaning out the trailer of what little gravel remains. I'll have to wait until Monday for another load to complete this year's gravel phase of the project.

I hope to spread more wood chips this afternoon and install the borders that separate the chips from the gravel. 

Then there's the multiple applications of finish to apply to the bowl. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Today's random Alaska picture: Where the UP meets Alaska. Did I REALLY let him captain my boat? Yooper Brother Mark navigating the waters of SE Alaska.
Mark and his dad, "Grandpa," had a wonderful week together in Sitka.