May 7, 2021 - Friday morning

35 degrees/light rain/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Why is it that on days when I have to have to fast to have blood drawn, I'm starving? I was given orders for my annual blood work two weeks ago and I figured I might as well get it over with today. It's not a big deal except I can't eat anything and I'm starving.

I mean, it's not like I eat a platter filled with pancakes, bacon, and eggs, every morning. Usually, my first meal of the day consists of eggs, green peppers, bacon, cheese, fresh mushrooms, cottage cheese, and copious amounts of fruit. 

By the way, a late brunch is often our big meal of the day with much lighter fare consumed for supper. It's just a culinary habit we've fallen into that works for both Sargie and me.

Still, I'm starving. 

Trail Boss Scotty sent a couple of pictures from the mountains of northern Georgia yesterday. Out bebopping around the countryside on his motorcycle, the boy was somewhere near the beginning of the Appalachian Trail.

In another nine months, give or take a week or two, I ought to be standing beside that sign as I trek my way towards Maine.

Trail Boss Scotty and his bride live in the outlying Atlanta area. He'll be coordinating much of my hike from there, offering advice, support, and an attentive ear when I've had a rough day and begin to wonder why in the world a seventy year old man would want to walk over two thousand miles in the snow, rain, and wind.

Scotty's not only a good friend, he's my cheerleader who has promised to kick me in the backside should I even ponder (baring injury or family emergency) quitting along the way.

Pokealong sent me his first test hiking video Wednesday evening. He's doing a really nice job and watching it made me want to continue to practice shooting footage and editing.

Pokealong's video is cinematic, great quality, and looks professional. 

Mine? 

Mine tends to be a bit more light hearted in nature. Try as I may, remaining serious in front of a camera is something I don't do well. I'll have plenty of scenery in my videos, but the on trail editing could be questionable. Consequently, they could be a bit rough, but isn't that what makes them fun?

Music or no music? Sargie says she likes music. Trail Boss Scotty doesn't care for it. Pokealong could be somewhere in the middle.

How to please all the people in my life? Mama didn't have no dummy. You please the person you sleep with! Duh.

I'll post yesterday's walking/talking/editing attempts at the bottom of today's blurb.

My trip to the dentist on Thursday turned out to be a good one. Evidently just a bit of an old filling has flaked off causing a rough area. An X-ray was taken and the tooth was pronounced healthy with no decay. I was out of there in ten minutes.

There's an old building near the dentist's office in downtown Crystal Falls that fascinates me. 

One thing I'm sure of. If anyone stepped out of that upper story door, they'd be in for a big surprise.

After raking and seeding the area where the stumps were removed, Sargie and I began the first mowing of the year.

It appears my timing was near perfect for sowing grass seed. Light rain has fallen intermittently throughout the night and it shouldn't be too long before patches of green start appearing in the bare dirt.

Sargie mowed while I trimmed with the push mower. Since the smaller mower hadn't been used since last fall, I took the time to change the oil, clean the air filter, and sharpen the blade.

 

It took all afternoon, but in the end, Sargie has the place once again looking like a golf course.

The wild flowers are beginning to bloom in the woods. God does a darn nice job growing His garden.

Time to wrap this up and get my walk out of the way before heading to Iron Mountain. What's on the agenda after?

I don't know. The way the weather is, light rain with a snow flake thrown in here and there, a good afternoon nap might be in store. No doubt I'll need to recover from having blood drawn and starving.

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...