A package came via UPS Tuesday morning addressed to Hambone. What could it be?

June 24, 2020 - Wednesday early morning

47 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Inside the package were five butterfly nets. Grandma Sargie's good like that, knowing what a six year old boy might want to help him chase butterflies and/or net something from the pond.

The UPS man also delivered a late Father's Day gift from my bride, a set of high end drill bits. It was a red letter day for Hambone and Pawpaw, thanks to Grandma Sargie!

Returning home from my morning walk, I had every intention of slapping paint on the house. After using the pressure washer to clean the north and east sides, I was eager to begin.

With the patio furniture out of the way, it was time.

Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. Just minutes away from opening the first can of paint, a light drizzle began falling from the sky. I wanted to ignore it, but Sargie suggested we wait.

As usual, her wisdom paid off as it sprinkled intermittently throughout the day.

There was no reason why we couldn't install the last of the siding on the garden house.

The 4x8 ft pieces are not only somewhat heavy, but they are awkward to handle. 

We began by tacking the first piece in place against the outside wall, removing the window, then tracing around the frame from the inside.



I'm not the greatest sawyer in the world, but with Sargie's help, we managed to stay somewhere within the vicinity of the marked lines, at least enough to make the pieces fit.

With the first piece cut and in place, we measured for the next and continued on.

Meanwhile, Hambone was having a good time with his new nets. There must have a been a recent hatch of very small butterflies as they were everywhere, including one that landed on his finger.

Sargie and I worked throughout the afternoon measuring, cutting, sawing, nailing, and muttering.

There were two happy people that pronounced the siding job complete late Tuesday afternoon. If one doesn't inspect the garden house too closely, it looks pretty good. Some carefully installed trim should hide most the mistakes and make people think we actually knew what we were doing.

I told Sargie last night that I can see the beginning of the end to the garden house construction. There'll always be something or the other to add, but the basic garden house is finally coming together. 

With the recent rains, the flowers in and around the garden are beginning to display their colors. Violets are blooming everywhere. Self seeding, they come in all colors and I let them grow wherever they appear.



I mean, really, what's there about the simple, yet, beautiful, violet not to love?

Last night was a quiet one that saw me kiss Grandma Sargie and Hambone goodnight shortly after 9 PM. For whatever reason, I was exhausted and after dozing in my chair for almost an hour, decided to go to bed. 

The Dianthus, "Sweet William" a self seeding annual is now in full bloom. 

I'm heading out for my walk at first light this morning with the intention of beginning to paint the house upon my return. Sargie and I have discussed that we don't have to complete the entire house in two or three days, but rather paint it in sections, taking our time so we aren't completely exhausted at the end of each day.

Yeah, we'll see how that works. Unfortunately, I seem to have only two speeds, full on or completely off.

Currently, my switch is on, so it's time to get this day started. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...