It doesn't get any better than feeding the goldfish

July 29, 2020 - Wednesday morning

54 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Whew, I'm running a day late and a dollar short this morning. Had Mother Nature not been pushing on my bladder earlier, I'd probably still be lying in bed. 

Sargie and I sleep with the window open in all but the very coldest months with the fan blowing the cooler nighttime air into our bedroom. Lying under a comforter and pretzeled up with Sargie, it took some real effort to get out of the sack this morning.

Tuesday was a busy one on Pentoga Road. After my morning walk, I returned home just in time to enjoy breakfast with Hambone and Grandma Sargie. One of Hambone's favorite food groups is cantaloupe.

I'd like to tell you I grew the ones above, but that would be a lie. We've found the quality of melons to be outstanding this summer. 

I walked up Jambo's lane to look at the latch on his inside porch door. He gave me a duck head he'd carved and the makings of a latch so I could install one just like his on the door of the garden house.

The concept is simple, but as you know, the Dutch doors aren't just doors, they are works of art. Cutting holes in one is like daVinci asking someone off the street to add a brush stroke or two to the Mona Lisa.

I'm not going to do it without some serious supervision and will wait until Jambo's back down to his camp and ask for his assistance. There's no way in God's green earth that I'm going to chance ruining what I consider the centerpiece of the garden house, the Dutch doors he made as a gift for me.

Grandma Sargie and Hambone were busy throughout the day. Grandma finished painting the garage service door while Hambone worked on his newest creation, a squirrel trap.

If the t shirt and ear protectors are good enough for Pawpaw, then they are good enough for Hambone. I dare you to try taking either away from him.

The boy loves to clean and sweep the shop. The shop vac? Who needs a broom? That's like going from a cheap Chevy to driving a Mercedes. 

We took a break later in the day to pick up the trailer from Yooper Brother Mark's plant.

Mark claims he's going to make a sign from that slab of wood. I'm afraid to see what it will say.

The old Blazer creaked and groaned pulling the trailer home, but we made it in good shape. This load, plus another, should see this coming winter's wood supply complete.

Sargie and Hambone migrated to the garden house where they applied a second coat of paint to the front. It's a quick job with the hardest part being that of not painting too close to the trim. It's a quick second coat.

I began taking the larger pieces of wood out of the garden house and stacking them in the red shed. Thank goodness, I had someone to steady the large, heavy, load on the wagon as I pulled it uphill.

That's okay. It won't be too many more years before you'll see Hambone pulling the wagon with Pawpaw as the passenger.

While stacking the wood, I noticed the roof had been leaking on the red shed. Upon closer inspection, I saw where a limb had crashed down from an overhead tree and poked a hole in the shingles.

Probably happening under the weight of last winter's heavy snow, the hole was significant. I patched it last night, but the damage done will require some major repair sometime in the future and eventually, a new partial roof, wood and shingles, both.

One thing I'll say about Hambone, the boy has patience. He stood under the hummingbird feeder last night for over fifteen minutes with a hand outstretched, hoping one of our flying piggies would land and pay him a visit. It didn't happen, but he says he'll keep on trying.



I'm going to head out the door fairly soon for my walk. On today's agenda? I'll give you a hint. Just look above at that trailer filled with wood. I hope to see it empty by day's end.

Calandula flowers framed by two onion blooms
Pumpkins on the left, peas on the right

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...