Josh and the munchkins visiting Uncle Luke's fire house where he is the Captain.

Cody, Luke, Ellie, Josh, Wyatt

May 28, 2021 - Friday morning

34 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Though I don't get to see my sons and grandbabies often, it makes me feel good that they are close and that the grandbabies know their aunts and uncles. What child, young or old, isn't thrilled to hang out at a fire station? 

Josh is traveling from Connecticut this weekend to Andy's in northern Maine to spend time with his youngest brother and Ivy. Andy will soon be leaving for Norway to continue his work in the oil industry.

Speaking of Andy, Ivy's somewhere under this large bucket in a nearby park. There are times I wish I was still a kid. It sure looks like fun.

Thursday was a somewhat boring, but busy day on Pentoga Road. Dawning windy and cold, my morning walk was a quick one. Even with making a  practice video, I hiked the 4.2 miles in just a bit over an hour.

Sargie and I spent the rest of the day either hauling wood chips or spreading them over landscape cloth in the garden aisles.

Down from Marquette, Jambo stopped by. We had a good visit, talking about everything from gardening to fishing to grandbabies, and how fast the grass is growing.

The cold and wind didn't stop Sargie and me from shoveling and spreading eighteen more barrels of chips yesterday.

Our trips to Yooper Brother Mark's plant were frequent. At one point, we stopped and watched a trucker unload peeled aspen logs.

Sargie and I have developed a well oiled method of moving and hauling chips these past few days. 

We both shovel until the barrels are full.

I climb down and load them into the Blazer as Sargie slides each towards the edge.

Climbing in and out of the large trailer provides plenty of laughs. We're both finding our legs don't stretch quite as far as they used to and we grunt and groan like a couple of old people. Thankfully, we can use the tailgate of the Blazer as a step up.

The entire process is done in reverse when we arrive back home. With Sargie's help, I lay the landscape cloth and haul the chips while she rakes them out, although much to my displeasure, my bride was caught lifting and hauling the heavy barrels more than once.

We've been happy to find immature berries growing on the honey berry bushes. If the weather ever turns sunny and warm again, we should be eating fresh fruit within the next two to three weeks.

Today is shaping up to be much like yesterday. Mark and I are going for an early morning walk with the rest of the day being spent in the garden. Hopefully, by afternoon's end, we'll be finished with the wood chips for a couple of years.

Time to get moving. After all, a man's work is never done.

Ivy during one of her riding lessons

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...