After three months in the NICU unit of Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, Makenna and Grandma Sargie are finally united

August 31, 2020 - Monday morning

47 degrees/cloudy skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It was one very happy grandma and a very content little girl who found each other Sunday afternoon. After months of looking at pictures and hearing of Makenna's difficult first three months of life outside of Mama, Grandma Sargie finally got to hold her granddaughter. 

Sargie'd made the comment sometime ago, saying that if she could just hold her, she knew she could help Makenna's little body develop faster, to help her get ready for a lifetime in the real world. 

You know, I think Sargie had something there. The baby girl fit right into Sargie's arms yesterday and together, they began bonding and making those special times together, memories that only a grandmother and grandbaby can make.

Earlier, my day began six miles down the former railroad grade towards town with Tim and Rose. We'd driven one car to our starting point, parked it, walked back to Pentoga Road, then taken another car back to retrieve the first.

We had a great walk. The kids are collecting railroad spikes from which to make coat racks and other goodies. We found sixteen in all, all hand pounded and filled with history.

When the discovered hardware became too heavy for plastic grocery sacks, with Rose's help, Tim fashioned his coat into a pack.

We arrived home just in time for Sargie and me to drive to Iron Mountain and meet Makenna.

Sargie and Makenna's first meeting was a beautiful sight. I settled into a corner and watched the love unfold around me.

We had a great afternoon talking and laughing. 

Macrea, Makenna, Sargie, and Shea
That's Braelynn (Mel's niece) in the foreground with her back turned. She and Pawpaw spent some time entertaining each other Sunday afternoon.

Nikki, Kylie, Mel
Hambone and Braelynn in the foreground

It was late afternoon before we left for home. Grandma Sargie had gotten her Makenna fix, but it's only temporary. There's little doubt that the tiny girl will become a regular part of our lives as time goes on.

Something was on our front porch. Why, the Jam Man, ol' Jambo, had left a jar of fresh raspberry jam. Sargie and I are looking forward to spreading our bread thick with his homemade deliciousness.

I was changing clothes upstairs when I looked out our bedroom window. Hmmm, what was this?

There are only three parties who would go to the effort to make a sign for my garden house, to have the nerve to call it a She Shed.

Norriene, who, with Big Jim, lives in Pennsylvania

Tim and Rose. who were on their way back to Illinois 

or

Yooper Brother Mark

Yeah, well, time and distance eliminated two of the three suspects.

In the end, Yooper Brother Mark confessed and we all laughed. I told him to expect severe retaliation. 

He will be mine. 

Oh yes, by all that is holy, the recent birthday boy will be GOING DOWN.

... and to call my garden house Sargie's She Shed.

Geesh.

With rain in today's forecast, I wanted to spread another twenty pounds of Kentucky bluegrass and fescue grass seed in the new area in front of the garden. The annual rye that's growing there now looks beautiful, is lush and thick, but there's a reason it's called annual rye. Along with the twenty pounds of perennial bluegrass spread previously, we ought to have a nice stand of permanent lawn growing next spring.

Sargie Pants and I are heading south to Green Bay today to pick up goodies for next Sunday's Mighty Milligan Labor Day Celebration. I don't know that we need that much, but it's a great excuse for Sargie and I to take a road trip.

Speaking of Sargie, it's time to wake her and get the day started.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Rose and pup, Greta, at the end of Sunday morning's hike

August 29, 2020 - Saturday evening

58 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

We just arrived home from celebrating Yooper Brother Mark's 60th birthday. The youngster has finally crossed over the bridge of six decades and is ready for the next sixty years. 

Mark, Sheri, Jerad, Sargie, and I, met for a great birthday supper tonight at our local Italian restaurant. 

Our meals were out of this world.  Sargie had chicken breasts. I devoured a complete rack of ribs with a side of spaghetti.

We enjoyed birthday cake and ice cream at Mark and Sheri's home after dinner. As with everything Sheri cooks or bakes, the German chocolate cake was outstanding.



I've been working on Yooper Brother Mark's presents for the past few days.




The plate is from hickory wood that he brought back from his plant in Kentucky. 



I spent much of this afternoon in the shop working on the Lord's Prayer. It's coming, but ever so slowly.

I finished the first board and started on the second. 

I've discovered that it's much easier to saw the more intricate letters by frequently changing the blades. I went through three today.

 I'll be going for my walk with Tim and Rose early Sunday morning. After, Sargie and I are driving to Iron Mountain for our first visit with Makenna. Shea and family will be driving up from Wisconsin to Macrea and Mel's.

By the time I finish writing in the evening, it's usually bedtime. Tonight is no exception.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Grandbaby, Makenna, is on her way home

August 28, 2020 - Friday evening

61 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It's taken a couple of months, but Makenna officially made her home debut on Friday. We're hoping we'll get to see her either this weekend or next. Needless to say, Grandma Sargie can hardly wait to get her hands on our newest grandchild.

Another inch or two of rain.
Why not?

I almost didn't write an entry for today. I mean, why? Today can only be summed up in one word... rain.

Tim and I managed to sneak in a quick morning walk before the skies opened. In fact, I'd just walked in the door when the first drops began to fall.

Sargie and I enjoyed a late morning brunch. With the rain pounding down, why be in any hurry to start the day?

Scrambled eggs with sausage and peppers, zucchini squash, grapes, watermelon, and cottage cheese.

Sargie and I took a ride around the area. One stop was at the local lake to see if the dock was underwater.

The lake is as high as I've ever seen it, a far cry from the record lows of ten years ago.

The rest of the day was spent in the shop. I worked on a plate and another name. Sargie was doing her thing in the kitchen.

I'm not sure what Saturday will bring. It all depends on the weather. So far, sunny skies and cool temperatures are forecast.

Yeah, I've heard that story before.

Time for bed.

If that old fence could tell stories...

After all a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Taken eleven years ago when the house on Pentoga Road was purchased.

Look at that cutie pie!
Sargie from a few years ago

August 27, 2020 - Thursday evening

70 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I was going back in time and came across a few pictures. Along with the one above, I also found a couple of the garden and orchard.

Boy, have things changed. There was no greenhouse, no pond, and really, not much of anything. 

Note the deer on the other side of the (then) new electric fence. The weeds in back are growing in what is now the side yard.

I'd just cleared the garden/orchard area the year before of brush, small trees, and a million gajillion rocks and boulders.

No doubt there'll be more pictures of days gone by in the future. 

We went to niece, Lisa's, Thursday after I arrived home from my walk. Lisa, her husband, and three children, live in Madrid, Spain, but are building a new part time home not far from Foster City.

Lisa gave us a tour. Still under construction, their home is already a showplace.

It was mid afternoon before we bade all goodbye. Lisa and all will be flying to Spain this coming Saturday.

Maddie and Lisa
Sargie's sister, Trish, is behind

 The rest of the afternoon was spent in the shop. Sawing and carving a name was my first task.  

As I age, it seems I have difficulty getting enough light with which to cut fine pieces. I hooked up two lights, one on each side of the bandsaw blade so there are no shadows.

The rest of the time was spent at the scroll saw working on the Lord's Prayer. Much of the lettering is very small and demanding. Some days, I only get one or two letters sawed before my patience begins to wane and I'm forced to quit.

Sargie made one of my favorite suppers tonight, stuffed zucchini squash. She filled the halves with tomatoes, seasoned sausage, and cheese. Needless to say, I went back for seconds.

Tim and Rose are up for the weekend and we'll go for our usual walk Friday morning. With more rain and thunderstorms in the forecast, it appears Friday will be an inside day. 

The barn? The shop? We'll see which way the wind blows.

Looking into the pond is like peering into an aquarium

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I'm giving Sargie a 10.0 on her bathroom painting performance.
Here you see her executing a flawless half twist double whammy stroke, featuring a bent/straight knee, one foot on the ladder, the other on the top of the bathroom stool, while ever-so-delicately painting a hard-to-reach corner.
Lord, it's no wonder I love that girl so much.

August 27, 2020 - Thursday morning

66 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Another .8 of an inch of rain fell last evening adding to the feet of rainfall we've received this summer. Who needs Hurricane Laura in the south or Sitka's rain forest in SE Alaska when he can live in the Upper Peninsula? 

Along with giant mosquitoes, we've got it all.

Wednesday was bathroom day. Well, not exactly in the potty term, but rather that of painting the walls and hanging a cabinet. After a quick trip to the hardware store for a quart of paint, Sargie began applying a fresh coat that saw her finish shortly after noon.

I played gofer boy, assisting much like a caddie does in a championship golf match. Thankfully, I mean regretfully, the bathroom is too small for both of us to paint at the same time, so I had to be content by lending a supporting hand and doing other chores around the house that needed my attention.

Finished painting, Sargie and I measured, talked, measured, talked some more, did some final ciphering, and finally, hung the new cabinet.

Doing it in a very calculated way, I found the first stud, then measured sixteen inches to the side. The next stud wasn't there.

Where in the devil did it go? Something had to be holding the wall in place. 

I finally employed Dad's sure fire method of finding a stud by employing the Pennington Family knuckle rap.

I banged on the wall and just as I learned in music school at the university fifty years ago, listened to the timbre and pitch. A picture of a wood pecker intent on drilling for a tasty meal of insects ran through my mind as I found the needed stud each and every time.

In the end, the cabinet was hung.

Holly, Ross, Jeanne, and Aria, stopped by for a quick visit. We enjoyed their company and laughed as Aria entertained us by playing with the rocks around the pond.

I picked a few goodies from the garden to send home along with a few jars of maple syrup.

Spaghetti squash, rutabagas, carrots

Grandma Sargie talked with Grady last night and learned he had a good first day of school. A busy boy, after, he went on to earn his second belt in karate and even broke a board with his foot. 

* A wise grandpa's note here: That's better than breaking your foot with a board.

I can only hope and pray Hambone will be as adept at cutting fire wood for Pawpaw and Grandma Sargie when he comes of age.

It appears there's a chance that Grandbaby Makenna will be coming home sooner rather than later from the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. Born over two months prematurely, it appears her body is catching up with time and she'll be able to join Mommy, Daddy, and her big brother and sister.

Makenna and Daddy, Shea

I'm going for my walk in a few minutes then hope to work on the Lord's Prayer at the scroll saw today as it's too wet to do anything outdoors. At least it's to quit raining for a few days, but I see next week's highs are forecast to be only in the low 60's or upper 50's. 

Time to get this day started.

Our visitors heading back to Iron Mountain

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Ross is dwarfed by one of the giant sunflowers. I was hoping he'd get down on his knees to make it look that much higher.
The plant would be taller if it weren't leaning with the heavy flower pulling the stem down.