Saturday afternoon
White popple trees framed against the cloudless blue sky
May 2, 2021 - Sunday morning
44 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road
Saturday turned out to be one of the most pleasant days we've enjoyed since last fall. At one point, the thermometer registered 78 degrees. A rather strong wind kept the day bearable, perfect for pickin' 'em up and throwin' 'em down.
That's exactly what I did.
Back from my morning walk with Yooper Brother Mark, it was time to make hay.
I'd purchased three dwarf burning bushes last year through a discount nursery catalogue. Teeny plants, dead looking six inch toothpicks actually, I didn't think they would live, so I planted them in random places around the yard.
They lived.
The bushes needed a permanent home. Tapping into my number one resource, the Director of Lawns and Everything Pretty, Sargie suggested I build a frame over the culverts in front of the garden, haul in dirt, and plant them there. I thought it was as good a place as any.
There was plenty of dirt between the culverts, but only an inch or less over the top. I'd not only have to haul in dirt, I'd have to space the bushes in places where their roots could find enough soil between the culverts in which to thrive.
With lumber three times its normal price, I've not purchased any extra this spring. In fact, none has been bought. Thankfully, I am, indeed, a lumber hoarder. I found just enough scrap treated landscape timber in back of the barn for what was needed.
Gathering half the tools in the shop along with the pieces of timber, landscape nails, and the kitchen sink, I made a portable shop alongside Pentoga Road and got to work.
Making everything square and level on an uneven roadside ditch proved to be quite the challenge. Digging out large rocks to accomplish my means was even more demanding.
With the frame made, I hauled in several loads of black dirt before adding landscape cloth to discourage any weeds.
It was almost noon before the teeny bushes were planted and finished by spreading an ample layer of wood chips over the landscape cloth.
After eating brunch and refueling my inner tank, Sargie and I left for our usual drive. A stop was made at Sheri and Mark's where we enjoyed a quick visit. Mark was spring cleaning his garage with Sheri supervising.
It's a good thing Sheri was there. Someone needs to give the boy some direction when I'm not around.
Back home, it was simply too nice of a day to not do something outside. There was an extra garden frame that was removed when the pond was dug two years ago. Moving the frame to the far east side of the garden, I began hauling black dirt, one wheel barrow load at a time.
It was warm, almost too warm to do hard physical labor for any extended length of time.
Still, that raised bed wasn't going to fill itself. It took a while, but in the end, the frame was filled, the soil tested (ph 6.5), and is ready to be planted.
Remember when I wrote a day or two ago that I doubted the garden windmill would survive a strong wind, that the metal was so thin and light that my spot welds would hold?
With my abilities to see into the future, I should retire from retirement and become a professional psychic.
We've really enjoyed this one over the years, but it's time to find a new garden windmill. It's just plumb tuckered out.
Time to strap on the hikers and get this morning's walk out of the way. I'm beginning to have a problem with the side of my right heel so I inserted a new set of insoles into my hiking shoes. Though pricey, I find the Orange brand seems to work best for me.
I hope I'm not going through another bout of plantar fasciitis again. It doesn't feel anything like what I experienced a couple of years ago when I ended up wearing a walking cast for several weeks, so I'm hoping I just bruised the heel.
Lord it's fun getting old and still wanting to be active. I had some knee problems a week or two ago that had me a bit worried, but that pain went away after a few days. Hopefully the same will happen with the heel.
After all, a man's work is never done.
So are the tales from Pentoga Road...
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