Sargie's putting the finishing touches on Cheeks' sign

April 16, 2021 - Friday morning

30 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Sargie and I occasionally enjoy watching videos on youtube and have noticed a definite change in how younger people pronounce a few words. We've also heard the differences on television and it seems some of our younger friends, locally, are beginning this about-face in diction.

First, when did the letter G always become hard? Singer, with a soft G has suddenly become sinGer with a prominent G. Even when G is at the end of a word we hear it.

Going... silent G at the end has now become becominG. 

The second change in diction concerns the letters T and sometimes D. Younger people seem to be forgetting how to place the tips of their tongues to the front roof of their mouths to make a hard T sound. 

Mountain, formerly pronounced mounTain, is suddenly moun'an. Seems any word with a t stuck in the middle has become fair game.

FrienDly is suddenly frenly. 

Having taught mass communications for years with an emphasis in television/radio broadcasting, I tend to be picky about pronunciations. Just like a New Year's Eve celebration after sipping too much champaign, the trend seems to be bringing in the G, out with the T and D's. 

Oh well, who am I to gripe? I lived many years in Maine where, the Down Easter's replace the letter A with R and R with A. I used to swear those people had a real speech impediment.

Augusta becomes Auguster, but Bangor is Banga. (Hard G.)

I'm not going to worry about it and as Mississippi Brother Garry, the walking/talking dictionary of the southern Mississippian dialect says , "Good 'nuff."

Amen brother.

Yesterday's walk featured my GoPro 8 camera clipped onto a front strap of my pack. I want to bring you along on next year's hike and publish a ten to fifteen minute video several times a week. Three cameras will be used, the GoPro, the iPhone mini 12, and my old reliable pocket camera. 

The GoPro 8 is on my right pack strap

Yesterday was a test shoot while walking down Pentoga Road and onto the Brule River. When looking at the video later, I found the GoPro was shooting at an angle making everything look as though it was running downhill. My attempt at editing was even more dismal. 

Rest assured, you'll be exposed to many test videos before next February's kick off from Springer Mountain.

After a quick drive to town and around the countryside, Sargie and I returned home to begin the final phases of completing Cheeks' sign.

I touched up a bit of paint here and there before turning the process over the Head of Design and Making Everything Pretty Department, Sargie. 

Suffering from tremors, I relegated myself to applying glue while Sargie planned and permanently placed the flowers onto the sign.

It felt good when both Sargie and I agreed the sign was finished. Other than attaching a hanger (silent G, please) on the back, along with an inscription from Grandma Sargie and Pawpaw, our latest project is finished. 

Sargie's off to Iron Mountain today in search of goodies and ingredients for this weekend's activities. Mel's wedding shower is tomorrow, Cheeks' baptism on Sunday.

Yooper Brother Mark will arrive after while for our weekly Friday morning walk. Mechanic Dave is to come out at some point today to work on the backhoe. Otherwise, I've got a shop to spiffy up and a bowl mounted in the lathe. Oh, yeah, the bulldog project still needs to be finished.

So much to do, so little of me. 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...