Sister-in-law, Debbie, went to Colorado to visit a friend and do some skiing and look what happened. More about that below.

February 11, 2021 - Thursday morning

-35 degrees/calm winds/clear skies

Pentoga Road

Debbie is scheduled for surgery later this morning to have a plate installed in her ankle. Talking with her yesterday, the girl said she's eager to have it over so she can begin healing and get on with her active life. 

I also promised my sister-in-law to back up her story that she suffered the break while swooshing down the slopes of Aspen. Even better, after the incident, the girl had to endure countless questions from twenty something year old men, all who looked like Fabio, while sitting in front of a roaring fire in the ski lodge and sipping hot chocolate. 

In actuality, I believe the real story is that she had an incident with some stairs in her friend's house and came out on the short end. In fact, I'm not sure Debbie ever saw a ski hill.

Good luck Debbie. We're thinking of you today.

Cold? Now c'mon, this is getting old. I just talked with Yooper Brother Mark who had -34 at 4 AM. We're showing -35 here in the valley and the mercury is still heading south. As long as it's this cold, I'm hoping we hit -40 just for the fun of it.

Ever think about how cold thirty five below is? Look at it this way. 

The temperature would have to rise 67 degrees just to begin melting snow, 105 degrees to reach the 70 degree mark. 

I feel sorry for those in the northern states that don't burn wood or some kind of less expensive fuel during these times of global warming. I know our furnace runs almost nonstop during the nighttime hours, but thankfully, it's replaced by the heat from the wood stove during the day.

For the small amount of wood that was used through the first half of the winter, we're certainly shoveling it into the stove now.

Onto Wednesday's news:

I'm happy to tell you that other than carrying in wood and chopping a hole over the circulation pump in the pond, I accomplished little yesterday.

Well, not really, That's a lie. I did beat Sargie for the second time this winter season in a game of Rummy. That makes my winter record at something like 2 for 50, give or take a game.

My early morning walk was a good one, although the clouds rolled in and with them, a few snow flakes. People question if I get cold on my early morning walks. 

Nope.

As long as I keep moving, I'm fine. There's ample insulation in the form of fat to keep my insides fairly toasty. Having been frost bitten so many times in my former life, my face is almost impervious to frigid conditions. The skin sometimes grow hard accompanied by an occasional white spot, but in the end, it thaws and stings a bit before adding another wrinkle. 

My fingers/hands are protected with down mittens, one of two pair that I wore in the arctic. In fact, our ride yesterday was spent driving around the area looking for thin leather to be used to repair the palms of my beloved mitts.

We didn't find any.

In talking with Tim and Rose last week, Tim offered to take the mittens home to the Chicagoland area where he knows of a cobbler. I think I'll take him up on his offer and see if the palms can be replaced. Like most everything else that is growing old and worn out with me, it's more about the sentimental value than the actual mittens. 

I spent much of yesterday afternoon learning how to navigate and edit videos using iMovie on my iPhone. I'd really like to post a weekly, if not daily, video blog while on the trail, but there's a learning curve. I can use my iPhone to record videos as well as the GoPro 8. What video is taken on the GoPro will be transferred, via bluetooth, to the iPhone where it will be edited and uploaded.

Confused? Don't feel lonely. So am I.

I pried myself away from the wood stove late yesterday afternoon and carried the propane heater, electrical wire, and other tools out to the garden house in anticipation of accomplishing something  today.

I dropped a pair of pliers between the shop and garden house. Bending over, I couldn't find feel them in the deep snow while wearing mittens. Frustrated, I removed the one on my right hand, stuck it shoulder deep into the snow, and boom, I swear the pliers found my warm hand. 

Just like a child who learns NEVER to stick his tongue to a school yard flag pole, the same can be said about touching pliers with a warm and sweaty hand.

Thankfully, having done multiple bare handed repairs on my snowmobile in the arctic, old instincts took over. I quickly shoved my hand, along with the attached pliers, inside my coat and under my arm pit where the two were soon separated. 

Sargie pulled out all the stops last night and made a meal worthy of Thanksgiving or other major holiday. The girl made stuffed pork chops covered with her own special coating along with baked Brussels sprouts glazed with maple syrup, bacon, and other special secret herbs and spices (remember, we pronounce the H, drives all your friends and neighbors crazy) and other ingredients that would transcend Joe Biden's ability to comprehend.

 

The glaze Sargie made was out of this world. The bacon and maple syrup produced an irresistible  sweet/salty flavor.

With the pork chops and Brussels sprouts baking in the oven, our home smelled like a five star restaurant. I felt like one of Pavlov's dogs, sans the drool, as I anticipated a great meal ahead.

I wasn't disappointed. Sargie's creations were out of this world. The pork chops were tender and juicy, the stuffing fantastic, and the Brussels sprouts a real treat. 

Couple all the above with Moose Tracks ice cream for dessert and you can understand why Sargie Pants and Tommy P went to bed last night feeling very full.

Let's see, in the munchkin news, celebrating "Dress like you're a hundred years old for the hundredth day of school," nieces Piper and Brielle, definitely dressed for the occasion. 

I wish Mom were still alive. She'd have gotten a real laugh out of seeing the girls dress like many in her senior community.

As a postscript to the above, those who knew Mom know she never looked or acted her age. Even in her 90's, she refused to use a walker until the very end.

I'm going for my walk at first light. With the heater, wire, and tools, already in the garden house, I have no excuse for not working out there today. 

We'll take our ride, I'll probably sneak in a nap, and no doubt, Sargie will tackle and pummel me without mercy, insisting we play a game of Rummy.

Other than that, I may go pull a few weeds from the carrot patch and smell a rose or two along the way.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

 Joe Biden can issue all the executive orders he wants, but in the UP, we discovered the solution to social distancing long before he forgot what he was signing.