Here's to a great weekend

February 28, 2021 - Sunday morning

35 degrees/fog/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Well, of course, you might know. On the exact day we're to travel, a winter storm is dumping snow up home. 

The rest of the family, everyone in all wheel drive SUV's, are going ahead. We're planning to do some shopping here in Green Bay and hopefully, by the time we're ready to head north, the storm will have passed and the roads plowed. Our low slung two wheel drive Hyundai rides about two inches off the ground. Comfortable it is, a snow car, it's not. 

If it's too bad later today, we'll simply get a room for another night here in Green Bay and drive home Monday morning.

Later in the morning. Guess we're going to do our shopping and see what the weather is doing. Anyway...

Breakfast at the hotel is great. A lady made ours to order. 

Well, heck, I can see now that I'm not going to get any writing done. Too much last minute goodbyes and hugging. 

Here are some pictures. You can figure it out.

I purchased a new pair of Keen hiking shoes from Cabelas with gift coupons that my sons had given me for my birthday and Christmas. Thanks boys!

Just remember, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

February 27, 2021 - Saturday morning
33 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Green Bay, Wisconsin

Isn't that fun? Sargie and brother-in-law, Boyd, were having fun dancing to the juke box last night after supper.

Put on a good Elvis song and it'll get 'em out of their chairs every time.

I'm running late this morning so all I'll say is we're having fun, fun, fun. We've done more laughing, talking, and EATING. In fact, this morning, we're sitting around the pool sipping coffee and doing some more gabbing.

We're just down the road, a block away, from Lambeau Field, right in the middle Packer History.

Ah, it's too difficult to write while gabbing and laughing. Anyway, here are a few pictures and know that we're having a great time here in Title Town.

Gotta run. We're heading to Cabela's to find stuff that I don't even know I need.

After all, a man's work is never done

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

February 26, 2021 - Friday morning
16 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds
Pentoga Road

Happy Birthday to my youngest son, Andy. Working at the home office in Louisiana, he's dispatching equipment and oil rigs around the world on his special day.

The last I talked with him, he's readying for a rig move in the Gulf of Mexico, acting as an advisor from the wheel house of a large ship.  As soon as Norway lifts its Covid travel ban, Andy will be off to northern Europe for a few months, if not Australia, or Africa, or... who knows where. I can't keep up with the boy.

He's certainly a world traveler. At any rate, Happy birthday son. We love you.

What? No blog pictures today?

Nope, didn't even take the camera out of my pocket yesterday. For whatever reason, it didn't occur to me.

Yesterday's walk was a good one, but then, aren't they all? Same with our ride. After a quick stop at the grocery store, we were home in plenty of time to greet Sargie's buddy/beautician, Mel.

We had a quick lunch and gab session before I sprinted to the shop so the ladies could have their girl time.

What a difference a few degrees makes. At zero or below, even with the wood furnace bellowing hot air, the shop is, at best, chilly. At twenty degrees or above, I have to work with the window cracked just a bit to keep the temperature cool enough. 

Yesterday was perfect.

I cut and carved a name, worked on something else, (can't talk about either as they are presents for people who read the blog) and continued shaping the bluegill, also a present, but I don't think he reads my online blathering. It was a good guy-day.

With Sargie beautious and Mel gone, we had an evening filled with preparation for this weekend's Milligan Sister gathering in Green Bay. I made enough popcorn to fill a large garbage bag while Sargie did her thing to get ready. We packed the suitcase last night and I see she filled a carry bag with last minute goodies after I went to bed. Long and short of it, I think we're ready.

Yooper Brother Mark will be out this morning at 7 to take our walk after which Sargie and I will be heading to meet Ross, Holly, Jeanne and Boyd, in Iron Mountain. We'll follow them to Crivitz to meet Nancy and Ron for lunch before continuing onto Green Bay. 

It looks to be an action packed weekend.

Looking ahead, it appears as though our mundane lifestyle is about to become much more active. There's an appointment on Tuesday to have work done on the Hyundai, a ceremony to attend on Saturday to see Hambone receive his next belt in karate, we'll leave for UW Med in Madison on Sunday, my appointment is Monday morning, then it appears we may be heading on south to finally see the Ark in northern Kentucky, throw a visit to Mississippi Brother Garry and Jody, and at some point, get back home to begin maple syrup season. After that, it'll be time to think about the garden.

If only you had my life, you'd understand.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

February 25, 2020 - Thursday morning

16 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

For a winter where we had mild temperatures with little precipitation, it's certainly making up for it now. We awakened Wednesday morning to a few new inches of heavy, wet, gloppy, snow.

I really wouldn't have cared all that much except Sargie and I had worked so hard the day before cleaning the drive down to the pavement. There was nothing to do but begin all over again.

I am so grateful we bought the new Ariens snowblower last year. Purchasing the most powerful model in that line, complete with electronic fuel ignition, positraction, automatic this and that, and hot and cold running maids, it throws even wet, heavy, snow forty or more feet into the yard.

Brunch finished and home from our ride, I spent the rest of the day in the shop working on the bluegill, the largest one I've laid my hands on this winter.

Having sawed the individual pieces, most of the time was spent shaping/sanding them, one at a time, so in the end, the fish will look as three dimensional as possible.

When I grew tired of sanding, I used the wood burner to emphasize the individual fin markings.

I'm chuckling to myself. Wood burner? Mine is actually a six dollar Harbor Freight soldering iron. Someday when I grow up, I need to invest in a tool that is actually made for burning wood. 

Still, in the end, some semblance of fins began to emerge. 

I grew tired playing with the fish and went in search of a maple branch from which to practice making a candle stick holder.

One was found in the wood shed, a piece that had been destined for the wood stove.

It's been suggested that I ought to turn candlestick holders, that there's a demand for them. After looking online at what various venues charge, sometimes into the hundreds of dollars for just one, I can see myself making the occasional holder. Turning one is much easier than making a bowl.

My work on Wednesday wasn't destined to hold a candle, but merely allow me to play with various curves and get a "feel" for what I was doing. I'll get serious about making a real one in the near future.

I was happy to learn yesterday that I'll be able to get my monthly eye injection at a clinic in Rhinelander, a bit over an hour away, beginning in April. It will save us money and time by not having to drive over five hours to UW Med in Madison, Wisconsin. My ophthalmologist at the School of Medicine wants to remain as my main physician so we'll still venture that way a couple of times a year. 

Next appointment is March 8th in Madison.

Gulp.

 Sargie and I are getting excited about this coming weekend's "Milligan Sister Gathering" in Green Bay. We'll be departing for Title Town Friday morning.

Ron, Ross, Boyd, and I, will pretend to do a bit of shopping (not really) then sit around the pool at the hotel and catch up on life while the sisters shop and do their thing.

Most of all, we'll all gather to talk, laugh, and eat. Lord, do we ever eat.

Time to get this uploaded and go for my walk. Melinda, Sargie's beautician and friend, will be coming over today to make my Sargie even more beautious. <- A self fashioned word that I cannot take credit for.

Dad used beautious in THE most dramatic fashion when Mom arrived home from the beautician's.

Seeing the love of his life enter the front door, Dad, feigning shortness of breath, would place his hand over his chest and in his most Shakespearian manner, cry out, "Oh! Mine heart! You are so beautious! You have such beautiousness!"

    

Mom would subtly shake her head and giggle a bit before continuing onto the kitchen to prepare supper.

    

Since there'll be no small amount of girl talk going on, I'm planning to hide deep within the recesses of the shop. There's that bluegill to work on and a carved name to be made. If I grow tired of those, I'll comb the woodpile for another piece of maple from which to practice making candlestick holders.

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

The wet snow makes a ribbon as it falls from the metal roof of the barn.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

February 24, 2021 - Wednesday morning

30 degrees/snow/calm winds

Pentoga Road

After sporadically working on the Lord's Prayer for the past several months, the last plaque was mounted on Tuesday afternoon. Feels good to have that finished.

Tuesday was a beautiful day. The bright sunshine and warm temperature made for a near perfect walk.

Some time was spent cleaning the drive and back patio. It's an ongoing chore this time of the year, but will pay dividends to be able to drive and walk on dry pavement during the upcoming mud season.

I well remember the days before we had the drive paved. Once mud season began, there'd be huge ruts in the gravel drive and even with taking our shoes off at the door, it was nearly impossible to not track mud through the house. Some years it was so bad that we'd have to park the car by the road and walk to the house. 

Let's put it this way. That didn't make Sargie a happy girl. No sir, not happy at all.

With the drive finished, I brought in the plaques of the Lord's Prayer and with Sargie's help, measured and mounted each to the back board that I'd cut and stained the previous day.

Initially, we were going to hang this in our home, but after talking with Sargie, I believe we'll donate it to a church. I told her I'd make another for our home at some point in the future.

While I was working in the shop, Sargie was taking advantage of the warm temperatures and vacuuming the interior of the Hyundai.

 Shined, polished, washed, and vacuumed, the girl has the interior looking like new. At one point, Sargie even talked me into crawling inside the trunk with vacuum hose in hand.

Crocs, cuffs on the saggy jeans, underwear showing, bare skin... no wonder women want me and men want to be me.  

Last night was a quiet one on Pentoga Road. I put a couple of chicken quarters on the grill and along with those, we enjoyed a large salad.

Today looks to be a repeat of yesterday. I'll go for my walk, clean what snow fell last night from the drive, go for our ride, and no doubt, I'll end up in the shop.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

February 23, 2021 - Tuesday morning
33 degrees/partly cloudy/breezy
Pentoga Road

I just stepped off the bathroom scales and see that I've regained my "winter ten." Since my college days, almost half a century ago, I can count on adding ten pounds to this quickly aging body of mine every winter. Traditionally, like the snow of the north country, the extra weight tends to melt away with the longer days of spring and I regain my summer physique.

At least it used to melt away.

I do well over the holidays, but the cold temperatures and short days of mid to late winter attracts the pounds to my mid section like flies to road kill. Worse yet, as I age, the pounds are becoming more reluctant to leave at winter's end.

Not to worry though, at least for the next couple of years.

It's certain I'll see a huge weight loss while hiking the trail next year. I know one man who lost almost eighty pounds. Shedding fifty or more isn't unheard of and I read the average loss for a male is in the forty pound range.

Still, that's a tough way to lose weight and of course, once the hike is finished, the starved body stores every ounce of fat consumed so a post-hike massive weight gain is inevitable. 

Hmm, a weight loss of sixty pounds. That would put me down to what I weighed in seventh grade. Growing six inches in the summer between my sixth and seventh grade years, I stretched to a full six feet tall, my current height, but looked more like a string bean with a bad case of acne. Also, I couldn't walk two steps without tripping.

My muscles soon caught up to my bones and track was my sport, a sprinter. I went to state in the hundred yard dash and broke the school record my eighth grade year. Kindergarteners looked up to me in envy and I was a legend in my own mind.

I even lettered at Edison Junior High School. Oh yeah, Mom sewed the big E on a used, oversized, white sweater and I wore it proudly each and every day at school until junior high graduation. After all, I had a reputation to withhold and kindergarteners don't impress easily.

So, all that being said, why fret about this winter's annual weight gain? I'll arrive home a year from next August after hiking the AT in great shape. Sargie will delight that she's married to a man with the body (well, at least the weight) of an eighth grade track star.

Weight gain problem solved. 

There's still one little matter. I can't find that darn junior high letter sweater.

Monday morning's walk on Pentoga Road was absolutely beautiful. The sun began peaking through the clouds and the thermometer was quickly rising.

Much of the morning was spent clearing the back deck of snow that had fallen from the steep roof overhead.

Generally I use the power shovel, but with the wet, heavy, snow that covered the deck, I opted to break out the big gun, the 16 hp snowblower.

The power shovel runs on electricity. I use an old extension cord, a white one that blends in with the snow. After each use, I neatly roll it into a coil and place it out of the way.

Let's see how bright Mama's boy is.

A white cord +  white heavy snow + lousy eyesight + a large snowblower =

Yeah, I didn't see the extension cord, but the snowblower found it. It wound twenty five feet into the auger in under two seconds.

How could something that happened so fast take so long to untangle? Thankfully, Mama wasn't around to wash her little guy's mouth out with soap.

The rest of the day was spent in the shop. I cut and stained a backer board to fit inside the frame that Sargie had purchased. I'll be mounting the Lord's Prayer later today.

Several piddly projects were worked on before I turned my attention to the bluegill intarsia piece at the scroll saw.

I chuckled while sawing the fish. Looking from above through the heavy magnifying glass, it was reminiscent of fishing through a small hole drilled in the ice. 

Last evening was a quiet one. I need a larger disk sander and am not sure whether to make a backing disk that will fit on the lathe or save time and purchase one from Harbor Freight. I don't need a top of the line model, just something that will work. Mississippi Brother Garry and I texted back and forth and no doubt, there'll be further conversations before I make up my mind.

With the warmer temperatures, the pond is beginning to break up over the circulating pump. The four inch hole I had to chop in the frigid temperatures last week has turned into one that stretches over three feet in length.

Today looks to be much the same as yesterday. I'll go for my walk then plan to spend much of the day in the shop. I hope to finish the Lord's Prayer and saw the bluegill.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

 

February 22, 2021 - Monday morning

25 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

You know the best thing about being retired?  Everyday is a weekend.

Love it.

We sure enjoyed Hambone this weekend. Whether it was sledding and snowmobiling, playing games or solving problems in a workbook with Grandma Sargie, or just hanging out with Pawpaw, we had a lot of fun.

Sunday saw Grady and I on the Tundra, exploring our front meadow and graduating later to Jambo's hayfield.

Hambone was initially a bit hesitant to sit at the helm of the mighty Tundra. After reminding him he drove it last year, the boy summoned up his courage, climbed aboard in front of me, and gently pushed the throttle.

Following a loop or two around a large oval, I stepped off and sent him on his way. After that, there was no stopping the boy.

We took a break and ambled over to Jambo's back porch where Hambone and Jimmy caught up on the happenings in each other's lives. 

It was time to put the snowmobile away and spend a bit of time inside before delivering Hambone back to Iron Mountain. 

While Grandma Sargie and Hambone were gabbing, I practiced editing a very short video using the GoPro camera. 

Between iMovie, GoPro, and youtube, I don't know if I'll ever get this video stuff sorted out between now and next February's kick off on the AT.

Despite his pleas to stay, Grady had to be reminded that education waits for no one. 

It was time to take Hambone home.

We had a good visit with Cheeks and her mommy and daddy in Iron Mountain. 

Despite being handed from one cuddler to another, the baby girl never awakened once during our visit. 

Like her older brother before her, it won't be long before Cheeks will be riding high atop a pile of firewood in the wheel barrow between the wood shed and house. 

We eventually bade all goodbye and Sargie and I departed for home. Last night was spent devouring a family sized pizza and watching tv.

Life's stressful when you're retired, you know.

It's daylight, time for my morning walk. First things first.  Today, I'll be cleaning snow from the deck and the drive while the shop warms.

Then there's a just a few unfinished projects needing my attention:

a bulldog that's half finished

a segmented bowl to sand and glue

a bluegill intarsia piece

the Lord's Prayer to mount on the backer board and frame

a couple of candle stick holders to turn

three names to cut out and carve

Otherwise, there's not a thing to do in the shop.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...