Sounding like a broken record, we need rain. Some of the seeds that have been planted for two weeks or more are just now germinating due to lack of moisture. It seems to make little difference that I'm watering every other night. They need real, good, old fashioned, rain.
The plants are just "okay." We'll have a crop of everything, but unless the weather changes rapidly, it won't be a Better Homes and Gardens year.
Next chance of rain is late this afternoon and overnight. Yeah, I've heard that story before.
I came inside to find a big box sitting on the couch. Inside were several smaller wrapped presents.
Sargie has to be the best gift giver/finder in the whole world. I received all kinds of needed hiking goodies from a titanium (VERY lightweight) spork, fork on one end, spoon on the other, to a lightweight hiking umbrella and a few other goodies.
The umbrella, weighing only 12 ounces, fixes onto the front straps of a pack and is used hands free.
Sargie gave me my favorite electronic piece to take on the AT, a Garmin Mini In Reach. The tiny device not only acts as a normal GPS, but also a communications means that will allow Sargie and whoever's interested to follow me on my hike. It will also send and receive text messages via satellite, regardless of cell coverage. There's an emergency SOS button that can be employed should I find myself in a less than desirable situation.
The Garmin also straps onto my pack and transmits, unencumbered.
In Iron Mountain Saturday afternoon for errands, Sargie found a refrigerator to replace the defunct dorm size unit that's been sitting in the garage the past nine years. This one, a 7.5 cubic foot apartment sized model, seemed to be the right price and size for what we needed.
Too bad we drove the car and not the Blazer.
Hmm. I had an idea.
After borrowing a tape measure from a less than pleasant appliance lady, I ventured to the parking lot. Yup, the appliance could lay down on the back seat with little room to spare. Time to buy a refrigerator.
Well, darn it, the refrigerator should fit and it would have except I failed to take the back seat arm rests into account. We tugged, we pulled, and we danced the hootchie coo, to the delight of passing onlookers.
It was about that time that Home Depot employee of the century, Bob Butterfield, came along and offered assistance.
Laughing, I not sure Bob Butterfield could believe what he was seeing.
What? A refrigerator in the back seat of a four door sedan?
Bob, Sargie, and I, pulled and tugged, moved seats, but most of all, we laughed. A guy sitting across the parking aisle in his car really got his money's worth of entertainment.
Bob even got out his box cutter and trimmed off the ends of the cardboard shipping box. It was still three inches too long to close the back doors.
Only one thing to do. I used the strapping that held the shipping container intact and tied the two back doors together. People tie their trunk lids down, why not back doors?
With a hearty thanks and handshake to Bob Butterfield and praying we'd not meet any law enforcement officers along the way, we successfully zoomed back to Pentoga Road.
Darn straight.
I heard from all our sons yesterday, Josh, Matt, Luke, Andy, Cale, Shea, and Macrea, also from friends and relatives. I'm finding as I get older that the best birthday gifts come in the form of simple "I love you's," regardless of the media.
Perhaps Wes, Em, and Ben sum it up the best.
It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
Thanks, honey, I love you too.
In other news, I learned that my new BFF, Alaska Megan, Alaska Curt's daughter, recently won the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage. You may recall that Megan trained in our area, more specifically, on Pentoga Road.
That, alone, doesn't surprise me in the least, but the circumstances in which she was victorious can only be described as uniquely Alaskan.
After reading of Meg's success and her bear(s) encounter, I'm seriously considering opening a marathon Olympic training facility here on Pentoga Road. We have plenty of bears that we deal with and our roads are usually lightly traveled.
I'm just throwing it out there. Hey, it worked for Megan.
By the way, congratulations, Megan. I'm proud of you and your accomplishments. You go girl!
Okay, it's time to head out the door for my morning walk. On today's agenda... well, who knows? It's Father's Day and my last chance to be lazy for another year.
Why do all the special days in my life come together?
Our anniversary, June 17th.
My birthday, June 19th.
Father's Day, this year June 20th.
I'd prefer to have one every four months or so, but then, no one asked me.
Meanwhile, here's day number three, a short video.
Just remember:
A man's work is never done.
So are the tales from Pentoga Road...
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