Sister-in-law, Nancy, posing as a "I'm a serious trucker kind of woman" while departing Pentoga Road Tuesday afternoon.

June 30, 2021 - Wednesday morning

58 degrees/hazy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm expecting the publishers of Women in Trucking to call at any moment to do a feature on Nancy. Sitting in the copilot's seat with husband, Ron, at the wheel, I believe Nancy could be the perfect example of today's modern female road warrior.

Leave it to the Milligan girls to lead the way.

Speaking of Milligan girls, I was looking for a flash memory card to use with the trail cam yesterday when I came across a card with over a hundred pictures from Sargie's old camera. All were taken on Christmas Eve/Christmas, 2006, and shows a family that even then, celebrated together. I've been sending out photos to family members and wanted to share this rare snapshot of all the Milligan brothers and sisters.

Front - Trish, Susy, Jeanne

Middle - Nancy, Holly

Back - Pat, Sargie, Steve

Tuesday was a fun day. I busied myself in the shop and finished sawing the Fourth of July project. I'll sand and apply finish before attaching a backer board.

In this day where our rights and freedoms are being taken away at an alarming rate, all I can say is, God bless America. 

He'd better bless it or we're going to be in bigger trouble than we already are.

Using the old Ford tractor, loading the mower into Ron's trailer went without a hitch... actually, there was a hitch involved that connected the trailer to his truck. 

Hey, give me credit. It was there for free.

With the mower ready to transport, we enjoyed a nice lunch and conversation. Unfortunately, their visit was all too short and Sargie and I were bidding them goodbye all too soon.

Intermittent drizzle and light rain began falling,  making the perfect excuse to be lazy for the rest of the afternoon. Sargie and I contented ourselves by watching tv and/or playing on the internet. 

The forty-nine year old fellow, Betty White, we've been following via Youtube on the Appalachian Trail, summited Mt. Katahdin in Maine a few days ago. He began his 2,200 mile journey last February.  After watching his daily progress, we feel like our favorite tv program has been cancelled. We'll no doubt find another person to follow for the rest of the summer.

Betty White? It's a silly trail name, but most are. (Remember, I'm Tbuster, named after a Howdy Doody character.) It's the culture. Betty is retired active service who trained dolphins for the military. He's married to a veterinarian and they have a grown daughter who is engaged.

We found Betty White's videos very informative. Since I, too, plan to start in February next year, I've been able to anticipate similar conditions which helps in my preparation. Twenty years my junior, there's little doubt that he hiked faster than I'll be able to, but even adding two to three weeks to my slower pace, I should still finish around the middle of July.

The sun is up and I should get a move on. I have several options for today:

* We can go to Iron Mountain and have a new set of tires put on the Hyundai

* I can go to Yooper Brother Mark's plant and with Mechanic Dave's help, tear the backhoe apart so it can be welded

* I can begin sawing and working up the ten hardwood trees, all dead, but some quite large, for this coming winter's firewood.

Honestly, I don't feel like doing any of the above, but the summer is passing so quickly that I need to get in gear.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

June 28, 2021 - Tuesday morning

64 degrees/light rain/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Seems there is no longer any middle ground in the weather department. This year, including last winter, we've either experienced warm temperatures with little precipitation, or way below temps and/or copious amounts of rain. We never did get much snow last winter.

The rain started late yesterday afternoon with angry clouds rolling in from the southwest. Since then, over .6 of an inch has fallen with light rain still coming down. 

Today's forecast? More of the same.

The sudden influx of moisture has certainly awakened the wild flowers along Pentoga Road. I occasionally feel much like Dorothy must have while skipping through the poppy fields on her way to the Emerald City.

Back home from Monday's walk, Sargie and I prepared all the ingredients for lunch. Cos and Mike were coming and we wanted something that wouldn't interrupt our social time.

The guys arrived before noon and after walking through the garden and around the pond, we began digging the thornless blackberries I'd given them.

Unfortunately, they only have room in their garden for three plants. I'll move the others to alongside the woods where they should grow and prosper just fine.

Cos gave me some excellent advice on the pond and garden. You may remember that both he and Mike designed our pond and have one of their own.

Cos suggested that I use sand bags to hold fill, sand and gravel, and make more shallow areas, both by the "swimming beach" and also on the far side. The shallower swimming beach will allow us to sit in the water without sliding deeper, also make it safer for the little ones who may be playing in the sand. Shallower areas on the far side will support more plant life and will have submerged pots in which plants will thrive.

I also learned that cannas, the same as those growing in the garden and alongside the barn, will thrive just fine in water.

Overall, he said the pond and garden, both, were beautiful and coming along. I take that as the ultimate compliment from an expert.

After several hours of great conversation over the dining room table, the guys left for home. I was checking the weather radar when my phone froze. I couldn't turn it off, slide anything, or close any apps. 

A quick trip to the Verizon store in town proved fruitful. I was shown how to do a soft reboot and within seconds, my iPhone mini 12 was back to normal.

We enjoyed a nice soft rainfall all evening and throughout the night. Having lived for several years in the rain forest of Southeast Alaska, I'm much more comfortable in wet conditions than dry. Yooper Brother Mark teases me about my ongoing wish for more rain, but I simply reply, "Let 'er rain." 

When it begins to flood, I'll shut my mouth.

Ron and Nancy are to come at some point today and we'll load the bush hog mower onto his trailer. Other than that, I plan to be in the shop to work on the piece for the Fourth of July.

Oh, thanks to Norriene for her inspirational attachment. She seems to come up with all the right things to help in preparation with next year's AT hike.

Time to get wet and go for my morning walk.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road... 

There's nothing more beautiful than a loving grandmother holding a grandchild

June 27, 2021 - Sunday evening

75 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I figured I'd write tonight while we're sitting here playing with Cheeks. 

Today's been a good one. The baby is absolutely no trouble and has cried once, maybe twice, the entire time she's been here.

Mostly, she's content to either play or sit on our laps and watch her surroundings. We've played tickle, sang songs, drank formula (well, Cheeks did. I stuck to my usual Gatorade.) Oh, I also burped her to John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever.

I almost forgot. We also played Super Baby. 

Cheeks can leap tall pillows in a single bound... and also drool/spit up onto Pawpaw's face while effortlessly flying through the air.

I've got a bunch of Cheeks pictures and rather than verbalize each, I'll just post them. This weekend was the first time she has stayed with us so it was a special occasion, plus we're grandparents. We're supposed to take a lot of pictures.

In other news, we don't have as many hummingbirds this year as usual, but Sargie did manage to take a few snapshots of two finches that decided to rest on the hummingbird feeder.

Dad used to call them yellow canaries, but in reality, they are finches.

I spent part of the afternoon in the shop working on a piece for July 4th and should easily finish it by the end of this coming week.

Too nice to stay inside, even in the shop, I made my way to the garden and pruned the dead grape vines from the trellis. The few days of -35 to -40 temperatures killed anything that wasn't insulated by our sparse snowfall.

The phone just rang. It was Mel saying they are on their way to pick up Cheeks. No doubt, Hambone and Sadie the dog will be with.

We like that. We like that alot. It's always good to see everyone, even if it will be for a short while.

I made another video this morning. This one is about my mental preparation for next year's hike.

OK, I better get ready for the tornado that's about to blow in.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Who came to visit Grandma Sargie and Pawpaw?

It's Cheeks!

June 27, 2021 - Sunday morning

57 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

The phone rang late Saturday afternoon. It was Cheeks, wanting to know if she could come and hang out for the night. Seems Daddy was in Green Bay for his weekend bachelor party and Mommy was in Marquette and going to hang out with the girls. Big brother Hambone and Sadie were at her other grandparents, so Cheeks, evidently growing bored with such weekend activities, decided to come and visit Grandma Sargie and Pawpaw.

We met Mel last evening partway to Marquette and made the baby exchange. 

Saturday was all about mowing, weeding, getting a rotary mower ready to transport, and playing in the shop.

Home from my walk with Yooper Brother Mark, I readied the riding mower for a busy day ahead. Sargie was soon out the door, navigating the rider up and down, round and round, in her quest to tame the savage yard.

With all the rain of this past week, not only is the grass growing, it has magically started to turn green again. 

I worked separately, pushing the trim mower in all the hard to reach areas and later, pulled the lawn sweeper over the yard to clean up the piles of cut grass.

It's no wonder women want me and men want to be me with my long, thick, luxurious, flowing hair, six pack stomach, and those hot sexy legs.

Finishing before Sargie, I spent time in the garden weeding various beds and am delighted how the garden has jumped to life with the latest rains.

 The Siberian tomatoes are beginning to bloom

... and finally, a blossom on the cucumbers

We've been so busy this summer that I hadn't even gotten the blue four wheeler going for the season. Serving as my portable sawhorse when doing various distant projects on the property, it's one of my most valuable summertime tools.

After being pulled by Sargie who was on the red ATV, the small four wheeler jumped to life and was made ready for another season of work. Running up and down the road loosened it up a bit and now, the machine easily starts using the pull rope. 

As Sargie said, "Big blue is back!"

Brother-in-law, Ron, recently got a Ford tractor, almost identical to mine, but much prettier, and has the need for a rotary mower to care for their forty acres on Milligan Mountain. Cutting all the trails we intend to maintain in this lifetime, I offered my mower to him on a "permanent loan" basis. 

Though I've kept the mower maintained, it's been sitting at the edge of the woods for several years. I brought it to the barn yesterday.

Greased and tightened, other than a blade or two that could probably use some sharpening, the mower is ready for use high atop Milligan Mountain.

I spent an hour in the shop yesterday afternoon working on a July 4th project and was happily cutting along when I noticed a large knot in the board on which I was sawing. Of course, as with all good knots, it eventually broke away. 

It's back to the drawing board.

Cheeks, Grandma Sargie, and I, had fun last night playing. I imparted no small amount of wisdom to the young lady, mostly on how to make loud, smacking noises as we pretended to kiss. She also filled me in on what's been going on in her life, mostly drinking formula, pooping diapers, and enjoying her homies at daycare.

It's time to wrap this up and head out for my morning walk. Cheeks and Grandma Sargie, both, are still sleeping, so I'd better make hay while the sun shines. I have the feeling that once our youngest granddaughter is awake, our lives, as we know them, will change dramatically.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Sister-in-law, Debbie

What you can't see are the thousands of tiny butterflies surrounding her. Look to her right, over the pond.

June 26, 2021 - Saturday morning

57 degrees/cloudy skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

Happy birthday, Mom. I miss you.

Pat and Debbie arrived late Friday morning for a fun afternoon of talking, laughing, and eating. It's too bad the butterflies didn't show up in the picture above. There were, literally, thousands that surrounded Debbie as she walked alongside the water.

Earlier in the day, Mark and I enjoyed our walk to Pentoga Village and back. After receiving an inch and a half of rain the night before, the humidity was high, so much so that you could see it in the air.

Back home, Sargie and I planted the flowers we'd purchased earlier to fill any empty spots in the pots and planters around the yard.

It was time to prepare the large lake trout I'd caught last fall. Sargie sliced apples while I ventured to the garden to pull a few fresh onions.

I placed the onions and apples inside the fish, then wrapped it good, old fashioned, bacon with lots of fat. Finally, the entire thing was tightly wrapped in several layers of tin foil before placing it on the grill.

I guess it must have been palatable enough as there was only one small piece left to send home with Pat and Debbie to enjoy as leftovers. 

Sargie had made a vegetable salad and Debbie brought sliced potatoes to put on the grill. Along with fruit and whipped cream for dessert, we ate like royalty.

I'm sorry to say I didn't get many pictures while the folks were here. I guess we were too busy talking and enjoying each other's company.

Sargie and I left late in the afternoon for a program at the Iron County Museum entitled Gangsters Up North. 

We drove to Mark and Sheri's before walking to the museum, just a block away.

There was a large crowd and people "neighbor'd" as we stood in line waiting to go inside the large lecture hall.

Mark and I slipped away to the old saloon for pop and bottles of water. 

The large crowd was waiting and eager for the presentation to begin. 

Unfortunately, the lecture was a bust. Entitled Gangsters Up North, the presenter's idea of what north is was completely different than those in attendance. Much of his "up north" talk concerned the lower peninsula, almost four hundred miles away. The majority of what he talked about on this side of the Mackinac Bridge concerned northern Wisconsin, not the UP.

Oh well, everyone seemed to have a good time regardless and though disappointed, all gave the presenter a polite applause at the end.

When I gave presentations about arctic Alaska before retirement, I strongly believed in leaving the audience wanting more. This guy, a retired university professor, left everyone looking at their watches.

The four of us enjoyed our walk back to Mark and Sheri's along the old mine pit. 

Prominent is the shaft/tower where equipment and miners were lowered thousands of feet into the ground and iron rich ore was lifted to the surface.

The wildflowers along the pond were beautiful, especially these bell-shaped beauties.

Friday night was one of those old fashioned summer evenings that those of us who grew up without phones and computers remember well. Children, covered with dirt from head to toe, were outside playing, and big people were enjoying life simply because they could. We were no exception.

How best to top off a beautiful evening?

Our local ice cream stand supplied copious amounts of culinary summertime pleasure. It was like the old days when Dad would load Mom, Barb, and I, into the car and we'd go to the A&W for root beer. All Sheri, Mark, Sargie, and I, needed last night was to get a good game of Hide and Go Seek going or possibly Kick the Can and it would have been perfect.

Driving home to Pentoga Road, Sargie even commented at the number of lightening bugs sparkling over the rural hayfields. That started the conversation of childhood days when we caught as many as our little grubby hands could snatch out of the air and made "lanterns" by putting them in a fruit jars. Some were dissected with the glowing appendage stuck to a finger and worn as a beautiful ring that could be twirled through the air in the dark. 

And so our day ended. For a short while, gone were politics and the grown up troubles of the world. Last night, we got to be our parents and grandparents, those who sat outside and enjoyed a warm summer's eve simply because they could.

With rain in the forecast, Sargie and I are going to try to mow today before it starts. She'll take command of the rider while I follow pushing the trim mower. 

Hmm, somehow there seems to be an inequity in that.

Oh well, I'll do what I always do. I'll just keep on pushin'!

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Swans have made their summer home in the old Caspian Mine pit, just a few hundred feet from Mark and Sheri's home.