End of the summer wildflowers

August 17, 2020 - Monday morning

50 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Serving his local community for many years, Yooper Brother Mark has decided to venture into the big time and run for County Commissioner in Iron County. 

I'm just going to throw it out there.

Yooper Brother Mark for President in 2024!!

Remember, you read it here first.

Meanwhile, back to Pentoga Road:

Indeed, the wild flowers that were so prevalent just a few weeks ago have wilted away only to be replaced by later varieties. 

These golden tansies make quite a splash in the fields and along the road. 

Sunday's walk was beautiful. I met Tim and Rose and together, we hiked for several miles. 

I'm having difficulty elevating my heart rate for any period of time. In a quest to strengthen my cardio endurance, I hiked up the very steep Pentoga Hill then turned around, went back down, and walked up again. 

Back home, I took a quick tour of the garden. The bush and vining varieties of spaghetti squash seem to be very prolific this year.

We've been wanting to clean up under the last of the large spruce trees in the front yard, especially those that are in front of the garden.

When I purchased the house over ten years ago, this area under the trees was filled with dead branches and impassable.

I began cutting the weeds with the two-wheeled string trimmer.  That alone made it look much better.

At some point this week, we'll be trimming the long boughs high enough that we can walk under them and keep the area mowed. 

The boughs are extremely heavy and some are up to twenty feet long. I'll use the tractor to move them to the burn pile.

It's a game we play with the ancient spruce trees. Slowly dying from old age, we realize that at some point in the future, we'll have to have them removed. Along with that comes taking away the visual barrier that also acts as a wind and sun screen separating the house from the road. The giant trees will be replaced with a fast growing variety of some kind when the time comes. Until then, we keep babying them along.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning in the shop. All that remains is to sweep the floor and I'll be done. 

That's the cleanest the work table has been in years.

I realize the moment I use the lathe or any of the saws, the shop will once again be clogged with sawdust and scraps of wood, but for now, even if it's only for one day, the shop is clean.

 We're off to Iron Mountain in a bit for a doctor's appointment as there's a cloudiness in my right eye. The doctor remarked during my last visit that there was the start of a cataract and I'm assuming (hoping that's the problem) it's expanded to impede my vision. 

I still continue with my macular degeneration treatments using near infrared light combined with the miracle supplement, resveretrol. As of my last appointment almost a year ago, other than some scarring, all traces of the advanced macular degeneration had disappeared.

I'm trading this morning's walk for one this afternoon or evening. Meanwhile, it's time to get this show on the road.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

We'll be mowing the newly landscaped area between the road and garden as soon as the puddle disappears.