February 17, 2021 - Wednesday morning

-30 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm told Squirt, the little lady who used to be known as Makenna, celebrated Valentine's Day in fine fashion. I've also learned that at 8 months of age, she's finally moved on from wearing size newborn clothes. 

Supposedly, we're in a warm up now, temperatures are to rise to near freezing and we'll be be outside frolicking and celebrating the approach of spring.

Yeah, well, someone forgot to tell the thermometer.  We live in a valley and cold air sinks. It certainly is this morning.

Arriving home from yesterday's trek, I walked to the garden and found the pond pump inactive. After working nonstop for over a year and a half, it was the second time in a week that the pump had failed.

I tried the ground fault outlet into which it was plugged. The outlet was dead. Resetting the circuit breaker produced no results.

I began a process of elimination, including digging down to the heavy extension cord that connects the pump to a local power source.

Something that may take a matter of seconds during the summer can quickly turn into minutes or even hours during the winter months. Digging through several feet of snow and ice was no exception.

I found the connection and hoping against hope that might be problem, I found everything intact.

Eliminating all outside possibilities, I told Sargie that evidently, the pump had gone bad. In the deep throes of winter, there was nothing we could do about it other than try to keep a hole open in the ice to release any gasses and hopefully allow oxygen in. 

I was optimistic that the pond is deep enough, eleven and a half feet in the middle, to sustain the goldfish without mechanical help.

I was working on a solution when Jambo and his son, Dr. Paul, pulled into the drive. It's been weeks since I've seen either and it felt good to catch up on the news and talk quickly turned to making maple syrup and this upcoming summer.

A chiropractor's appointment later in the morning went well. It seems I have a deep tissue problem with something or the other that connects Part A to Part B in my hip. Because A and B aren't "firing" (as the doc said) Part C and D are trying to compensate,  thus irritating Part E, my sciatic nerve, which affects Parts F, G, and H, all the way down my right leg to the top of my foot.

I was given a small booklet of exercises and told that relief should arrive in the next two to four weeks. I can live with that.

The chiropractor was running an hour behind. Never passing up a good opportunity, Sargie and I rode around the Crystal Falls area, visiting a local lake and park.

Home again, I changed clothes and headed to the garden house. Some real progress was made and after installing another four or five outlets today, all wiring should be finished.

Gurgle. Gurgle. Splash. Gurgle.

I was on my way to the house when I heard the tell tale sound of the circulating pump. I lifted the foam rubber piece that covers a hole in the ice and found the water was moving as usual. 

I cheered, pumped the air, and uttered a silent thank you. 

Whether or not the pump is working this morning, only time and walk to the garden will tell.

Last night was a quiet one. Like everyone else in North America (California excluded, but they tend to march to the beat of their own drummer anyway. Sorry Susan.) at this point, we're waiting for warmer weather and the promise of spring. 

I'm heading out the door at first light to take my walk. Hopefully, all electrical work will be finished today and the mess cleaned up. It'll be time to plant seeds inside once we arrive home from our trip south in March and I plan to have everything ready in the garden house before we leave. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Jambo and Dr. Paul