Wednesday morning began a bit on the chilly side

May 13, 2021 - Thursday morning
32 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

Thankfully, the temperature moderated throughout the day on Wednesday with a high nearing 70, a swing of almost fifty degrees. 

It's called springtime in the UP.

Despite the below freezing nighttime temperatures, the leaves are just a day or two away from coming out in the woods. We'll soon be living in a sea of green.

Yooper Brother Mark and I always shoot a quick text back and forth in the mornings. Yesterday morning, I teased him about HAVING to work and that it was too bad he couldn't go for a walk with me on such a nice day.

The next thing I knew, the boy was parked in our drive, ready to walk a few miles.

I made a silly practice video of our time together and edited it last night. No doubt, it'll appear down below on today's blog.

Back home, the new bed in the garden was completed with the clock showing nearly noon before I finished.

Sargie and I enjoyed a brunch before we headed to town where aged cow manure was purchased for the garden and flower planters. A local store has it on sale, three bags for $5, and I like to use it to top dress everything. Best of all, it has no odor.

We took our time coming back home. The day was nearly perfect, no clouds, little breeze, and warm temperatures.

Once home, Sargie donned a pair of gloves, gathered a rake and shovel and was pushing the wheel barrow across the yard. Oh oh, that spelled work.

I hid on the opposite side of the garden house where twenty cucumber plants were transplanted into larger containers. I was hoping it would be out of sight/out of mind.

When the plastic containers were retrieved from the old greenhouse, I noticed something strange. Seems the greenhouse works. Many had melted into misshaped works of modern art.

Running out of reasons not to help Sargie, I soon joined her where we worked until later in the afternoon.

We quickly got into a routine. I'd pry or dig any rocks that might stick out of the ground far enough to be hit by the lawnmower blade. Sargie came soon after with a wagon of dirt, filling each hole.

I have to be honest. It was I who cried mercy at the end of a long day. After loading twelve heavy bags of manure, unloading and carrying each into the garden, bending over earlier time and time again while working on the new garden bed, and lifting and carrying newly pried rocks, some quite large and heavy, from the yard, my back hurt, as did my arms, legs, and I swear, even the few hairs on my head. 

Anyone who knows us knows Sargie and I are quite opposite. She likes to sleep later in the morning. I'm usually up well before sunrise. The girl is quiet and introspective, a great listener. Me? No one has ever accused me of being quiet by any definition of the word.

Never far away from a bottle of sanitizer, my bride slathers the stuff on herself at the mere thought of a passing germ. I delight in getting dirty, am still reminded to wash my hands after playing outside, and continue to maintain the theory that if you can't see germs, how do you know they really exist? 

Sargie's beautiful and pretty, sweet and sensitive. I've never been described as pretty and like to think I'm more of the two-fisted, give 'em hell, kind of guy.

I could go to bed at nine pm with no problem. Sargie could easily stay up until well past midnight and often comes to bed at 11 and reads into the early morning hours before dropping off to sleep.

Last but not least, I hit my stride, my optimum work time early to mid morning. By noon, I'm winding down and come mid to late afternoon, I'm ready to call it a day.

Not Sargie.

The girl doesn't begin to talk in full sentences and conjugate verbs until well into the late morning hours and by afternoon, has shifted into overdrive and ready to do some real physical labor.

When it comes to the lawn, the girl has no mercy. Since assuming the position as the Director of the Lawn and Everything Pretty, things have to be just so. 

Yesterday we raked, we pried, and we shoveled well into the afternoon, and it appears there'll be more of that to come today.

Once we'd quit, I miraculously got a second wind and talked Sargie into taking another walk with me, this time a two mile stroll. Suddenly, the shoe was on the other foot. She acted tired, but in the end, agreed and we had a wonderful mini hike.

Needless to say, neither of us had any trouble climbing the steps to the bedroom last night. With the window open and the fan circulating the fresh nighttime air, snuggling together under the quilts was just what we needed to refuel our bodies for another day of... gulp, raking, prying rocks, and filling holes.

So now you know what I know. It appears as though it's going to be a busy day ahead.

Is there no mercy for the widow's son?

"Sigh," said Tommy P.

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

Hotel California for woodpeckers

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...