A family gathering at Grandma and Grandpa's farmhouse, circa 1963

June 28, 2020 - Sunday morning

57 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

My cousin, Penny, has been going through a box of Grandma and Grandpa's things that she inherited long ago. Penny is the glue that holds Mom's side of the family together and has started sending pictures that are stirring some fond memories of my childhood.

Just as the Milligan family does today, we'd gather for almost every major holiday at Grandma and Grandpa's house. As an accountant, one of Grandpa's clients was a large livestock auction business. If there was a runt pig, pony, cow, goat, or any other form of critter, winged or legged, that no one bid on, Grandpa would pay a dollar and bring it back to the farm. Over the years, Grandpa's collection began to resemble those on Old McDonald's Farm.

We cousins loved our weekend stays at Grandma and Grandpa's. We made pets of the animals, played in the treehouse, swung on the tire swing suspended from the branch of a large oak tree, swam at a nearby lake, and ran and laughed as we played Hide and Seek after dark. Grandma and Grandpa made sure it was a grandchildren's paradise. 

Posted by another cousin, Bunny. Penny sent this from Bunny's Facebook page.

In the opening picture, I'm the tallest child sitting at the children's table for one of the holiday gatherings. Evidently my sister, Barb, had graduated to the adult table, the one with the real table cloth complete with Grandma's good china. The big people ate around the same table that now sits in our dining room on Pentoga Road. Grandma's matching hutch is sitting in the corner filled with her good china.

I will, no doubt, be sharing more Grandma/Grandpa photos as they arrive.

Sargie and I decided not to paint until later Saturday afternoon. With the sun strong and temperatures rising, it was a wise move to wait until the back side of the house was in the shadows.

I fiddled around in the garden after arriving home from my walk. Sargie and I later went to town for her Coke. It was a nice, pleasant, lazy, morning.

I'd just begun working on the trim of the garden house when Wisconsin Mike stopped for a visit in his new (to him) side by side. We hadn't seen each other since last summer, so we caught up on all the news in each other's lives.

Mike's daughter, Andrea, a dentist who lives in Wisconsin, owns a beautiful home/camp not far from here that is on my usual watch list during my daily walks, especially during the winter months.

Bidding Mike goodbye, I turned my attention back to the garden house. The blue four wheeler was loaded with tools and I made my way to the garden.

The four wheeler also serves as a bench for the miter saw

Boards for one window were previously ripped in the shop and since the window trim, siding, and underlying particle board weren't cut exactly the same, I'm getting to be a bit creative, something I enjoy. 

Sargie started taping the windows around the deck area while I worked on the garden house. 

The wind was calm later in the afternoon, perfect for using Mississippi Brother Garry's paint sprayer. 

Sargie and I each switched off spraying and/or brushing. With a steadier hand than I possess, she does around the windows and trim. I'm more of the high ladder person, although she wasn't slow to climb up several rungs herself.

One thing we learned, never fill the paint pot full then try to spray with one hand out to the side. That full pot can get mighty heavy after a few minutes.

Switching places every few minutes, we worked for several hours at a steady pace. 

It was nearing dark before we finally quit. The usual good natured talking and laughing between us was beginning to get "edgy," a sure sign that we both were hot and tired. I'm the first to admit that when I get tired, especially if I'm hot, my personality (as Dad used to say) goes to hell in a hand basket.

My hand basket was well on its way.

Only a few feet were left, but Sargie and Tom's fuel tanks were on empty.



Time to quit.

We'll pick up where we left off either later this afternoon or on Monday. 

We've noticed the darker color really emphasizes the red roof, something we both like.

It won't take long to finish the patio area before moving to the back and opposite side of the living room. 

Sargie watered in the garden last night while I took a refreshing dip in the pond.

In the random picture/video category of the day, Andy sent a before and after picture of his "new" ATV, following a nighttime ride. 

First the ride. Andy's never been one to shy away from a challenge.

Despite all the mud, the machine cleaned up and once again looks new.



I'm heading out for my walk pretty soon. Today looks to be a carbon copy of yesterday, going for a walk, working on the garden house, and possibly painting later on.

We'll check the lake traffic this afternoon and if the weekend tourists leave for south of the border, we might substitute fishing for painting.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...