Tales from Pentoga

What's Sargie doing?

Read on.

January 17, 2021 - Sunday morning

23 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I slept in a bit on Saturday, but was up early enough to clear most of the drive before Yooper Brother Mark arrived for our weekend morning stroll.

Once again, I don't know how much snow fell the previous night as it was so wet and settled quickly. According to Carl the Weatherman, our days of above freezing temperatures are finished for a while. The few inches on the ground are here to stay.

Mark and I had a good walk. Pentoga Road had yet to be plowed so it was somewhat of a slog, kind of like walking through soft sand, but a pretty day and good company made it more than worthwhile.

The only tracks visible in the snow are those of rebel northern Wisconsin deer that are covertly sneaking into the UP in the dark of night. Guess we'll need to call out a few thousand National Guard troops to secure Pentoga Village.

As mentioned previously, I've wanted to make a life sized segmented dog. Why? Because I can.

Problem was, how to print such a large sized pattern. An English bulldog is anything but a tiny delicate flower. I tried copying sections of the pattern, freehand, to print on multiple sheets of paper, but they weren't in scale with each other. One was one size, the next sheet another.

Finding software on the internet was a relatively easy chore and I was soon copying off anatomically correct parts of a big, fat, ugly, bulldog.

It took, get this, twenty sheets of eleven and a half by eight inch letter sized paper. I tried putting them together in the shop and didn't have enough room on my work table so, much to Sargie's delight, a space was cleared in the dining room.

Mere Scotch tape wasn't going to work. I needed man tape, something worthy of connecting a bulldog pattern. We later stopped at the hardware store in town while on Sargie's Coke run and purchased much wider and stronger packing tape.

Back home, I snagged Sargie on her way out the door as it took two of us to assemble the pup, one to hold the adjoining sheets, the other to do the taping, front and back.

In the end, the bulldog pattern was made into one giant poster. It seems a shame that I'll soon begin cutting the individual numbered pieces to use as patterns.

Note the smaller bulldog on the pattern. It is identically numbered and will be used as a reference to reassemble the much larger pieces.

I talked at length Saturday afternoon with Mississippi Brother Garry about this whole pi r 2 thing and the segmented bowl. As always, he was patient and walked me through the various mathematical steps needed to make twelve individual pieces for a six inch bowl. At his suggestion, I'm going to make a pattern from poster paper to save cutting so much wood or slicing my thumb off in the effort.

Speaking of Mississippi Brother Garry, he sent a picture of his latest work of art. This beautiful pen was made using a piece of three hundred year old pine in combination with a pine cone.

Should anyone want to purchase one of Garry's pens, let me know and I'll put you in touch with him. I'm a hobbyist, a Jack of all trades and absolutely, master of none. Garry's the real thing, an artist.

Sargie and I saw some beautiful sights on our way into and out of town yesterday. The heavy snow made for somewhat difficult driving but painted an impressive picture.

Returning to the shop, I grew tired of segments and bulldogs and worked on a crappie piece at the scroll saw. It's the same pattern I made for my oldest grandson several years ago.

Sargie asked a question yesterday that I couldn't answer. In fact, Garry and I had the same conversation during our earlier phone call.

WHAT do we do with all these treasures we seem to be constantly creating? As Garry said, everyone he knows starts running the other way when they see him for fear he'll give them a bowl or some other creation he's fashioned in his shop.

On Pentoga Road, we have bowls, segmented dogs, plaques, prayers, cups, saucers, candle stick holders, and other goodies adoring every surface and shelf. Many are hanging on the wall. Poor Sargie knows them better than I do as she dusts each regularly.

Oh well, as I've often said, they make great kindling if nothing else. With me, it's the process more than the finished product. I love learning and each piece presents a lesson.

Andy and Ivy were all decked out for Saturday's Green Bay game. I hear the Packers were victorious and are a top contender to win the Super Bowl.

I haven't watched an NFL game all year and probably won't until they exit the political arena. I don't tune in to be lectured by a bunch of millionaires about my patriotism and beliefs, only to enjoy a good, old fashioned, Sunday afternoon game of rock 'em, sock 'em, hard hitting football.

It's getting to be daylight and time to go for my walk. This morning will be spent sitting on the floor of the living room cutting out the pieces of the giant bulldog. After, I'll try making a pattern for a six inch, twelve piece, segmented ring, from poster board.