Look! Out on the drive...
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Spray Man!

June 13, 2015 - Saturday morning

44 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

Until a few minutes ago, I couldn't find my small Olympus Tough pocket camera. I know I had it with me all day yesterday, but I noticed this morning that it wasn't on the dining room table, its usual nightly resting place.

My camera is much more than a device by which I take pictures for this web page. Often, it serves as a tool that allows me to see what I'm doing and after, inspect what was done. I simply unload the image on my computer, enlarge it, and I can see what my eyes might have missed. 

For instance, yesterday, I had to crawl under the front porch and inspect the dryer vent. I couldn't see a thing under there, but this is what my camera found.

Sometime in the past, the flaps had broken off and on top, in back of the actual vent, I found a place where the mice could be entering the basement. The camera also allowed me to inspect the pipe.

I did find the camera stuffed down alongside the cushion in my recliner. No doubt it had slid from my pants pocket last evening while watching television. Another crisis averted on Pentoga Road.

Friday was Home Owner's Day on Pentoga Road. Nothing I did was fun... it was the old all work and no play puts Tom in a crummy mood.

I began the morning by spraying the cracks in the drive that formed this spring when the frost heaved the pavement, in some places, several inches. 

I used the high pressure washer to clean the drive then slid around on my backside with a bottle of filler pouring and brushing some goop into each and every crack.

It was hot and the flies kept pestering both Brutus and me. Still, persistence paid off and in the end, the cracks were mostly filled. I'll go along before summer's end and do it again. There's little doubt that this will be a regular early summer chore if I want our drive to last.

Page Two

After several years of seeing one, possibly two, mice a winter in the basement, we hosted a herd down there last year. At one point, I felt like I was running a formal trap line and they ate through mouse poison like water pouring through a sieve. The activity finally ceased this spring.

I crawled all over the basement last winter, inspecting every nook and cranny and I couldn't find where they were getting in. It was frustrating to say the least.

We saw mouse droppings last week by the washer. They were back.

The one immediate place I hadn't checked was the outside of the dryer vent. It runs up the basement wall and exits through a very sloppily-made hole in the sill of house under the front porch.

I didn't want to crawl under that porch. There are things that could live under there... spiders and snakes... lions, and tigers, and bears, OH MY.

I removed the lattice work, lay a couple of pieces of cardboard on the ground and entered. 

Even Brutus, my constant companion, refused to crawl under. I was on my own.

It was dark and the spider webs, draping themselves over my head, felt creepy. I am completely blind in the dark and fully expected the Boogie Man to reach out of some unknown crevice and pull me inside.

But in the end, this is what I found, a very broken, leaky, direct path into the basement.

It's a wonder a bear or two didn't attempt to enter; perhaps a few squirrels, a chipmunk, and the random skunk who happened to be in the neighborhood.

After bumping my head a few times, this was the finished product.

I sealed the area above the vent, the actual place where the mice were probably entering, put on a new face plate, complete with working flaps, and hopefully, our basement rodent problems will be over.

I was happy those two jobs were done and was looking forward to getting on the backhoe and loading dirt into the back of the old pickup and doing some honest-to-goodness landscaping, something I greatly enjoy.

My stomach growled. It was past lunchtime and I was hungry. What to have? 

The first bite of Cheerios had just been swallowed when I felt something strange. My tongue went exploring and it found the temporary crown, the one cemented the day before, had come loose and was floating around in my mouth. It's lucky I didn't swallow the thing.

I called to the dentist's office. Sure, they were still open for the week and could see me at 3:30. Rather than do any landscaping, I ran through the shower and eventually got my temporary crown cemented once again. Hopefully it will stay this time. Betsy gave me an emergency packet consisting of glue, gauze, a mixing sticking, and whatever else should the crown come out again. It's kind of a do-it-yourself, at-home, dental kit, but I noticed it doesn't have the #8 drill or the "football" included. I'll have to talk to Eric about that. 

So that was my day... not a very good one, but you have to have one of those every now and then. 

Sargie was home early last night and we drove into town for groceries and took our time coming back. It was a beautiful evening, one that was perfect for enjoying each other's company and relaxing.

Sargie's back to work today, her last of six working days in a row. I'm not sure what's on my agenda other than trying to keep my crown firmly fastened and staying away from the underside of front porches. I think I'll begin by playing in the garden, then mow some tall grass with the weed cutter. Later, I might actually get on that backhoe and begin moving some dirt.

Time to begin the day. After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

It was hot working on the blacktop, so Brutus chose a place where the water was running from the high pressure washer to cool off. I loved working around a wet, smelly, dog the rest of the day.

My teeth are now shiny clean and pearly white, thanks to my BFF, Melony!

June 12, 2015 - Friday

49 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I can't believe it, twenty four hours ago, there was a hundred percent chance of rain forecast for today. That's all been changed and replaced with a the promise of a few dry days ahead. There's plenty to be done outside that had been put on hold due to the wet weather.

Thursday began with a trip to Today's Smile, my all-time favorite dental establishment to have my teeth cleaned, polished, and made like new. Melonie spent some time with her hands in my mouth in an attempt to give me a sparkling white smile and I think she did. I saw a lot of people wearing sunglasses yesterday, so I'll assume it's because my choppers were so pearly white.

Betsy, my personal dental assistant, who substituted for Mom, held my hand, and assured me everything would be okay.

I was supposed to be fitted with my new crown after the cleaning, but there was a mix up and I'll have it installed July 2nd.

Eric was busy on Thursday morning and much to my disappointment, we really didn't get to talk dental jargon. All I really learned was that he was going to skip the #8 drill and go right to the "football." I'm not sure, but I think the football is when he brings out the big guns, possibly the use of nuclear warheads, similar to "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" 

So with a bit of a grind here and an impression there, I left Eric and friends in search of bluegills, crappies, and bass.

Chloe and Brenda in the front office.

Today's Smile in Crystal Falls IS taking new patients. Evidently there's some misinformation that the practice is turning away new patients. Not true. Eric and the ladies say to give them a call. 

One last thing, obviously I'm a fan of this young dentist and his crew, and why not? After being in the education business the past forty-two years, it's refreshing to see a young person actually earn a degree or two and work hard to become successful. You know, those things that our country was built upon, hard work and sacrifice? Seems to be a dying trait among much of our youth today. 

Page Two

Mike waited for me in the outer room while I had my teeth made pretty and as soon as I bade everyone goodbye, we were on our way to the lake. I'll let the pictures tell the story:

Fishing was pretty good and in the end, we caught 19 large bluegills and two nice bass. Mike was the overall winner as I mostly played "guide," putting that boy on fish and keeping the boat in a straight line.

We both had fun and I'm happy to have found a new lake to explore in the near future. As Douglas MacArthur said, I shall return.

We arrived home and I told Mike I'd clean our catch and split the filets with him. It was a pleasure to clean such nice-sized fish.

Just a sample of what was caught

Sargie was home early last night and we fixed... what else, fried fish and sweet tater fries for supper. Why do we eat so much? Because it tastes so good!

Sargie works early today, her fifth in a string of six straight days. Assuming it's not going to rain, I'll do the laundry, play in the garden between loads, possibly mow the grass, fill some cracks in the drive, tote that barge and lift that bale. I might even hum a few work songs along the way.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I forgot to warn you to put on your sunglasses, pearly white teeth and all.
Oh, never mind, that's the glare of the light bouncing off my shiny head.

Sargie watering her hanging ferns Wednesday evening

June 11, 2015 - Thursday
46 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

It's another beautiful morning in the neighborhood; near perfect... rainy nights, sunny days. We must have done something right in a previous life to deserve this gorgeous weather. It's to be nice today then there's a 100% chance of rain for tonight. The pattern continues.

I stopped by Home Depot yesterday morning in Iron Mountain and purchased what welded cement wire that was needed to finish the tomato cages. 

There was still some time before my appointment with the money man, so I stopped by brother-in-law, Ross's home, and we visited for a few minutes. Holly and Ross's flowers are all out in bloom and absolutely beautiful. I wish I'd have remembered to have taken some pictures. Oh well, next time.

I  had a good meeting with my money man and was home before noon.

It took a while to make the tomato cages, but I'm happy to report all are finished and installed in the garden. As I said, I only wanted six plants, not twenty-six.



Neighbor Mike came down and asked if I might help him move some scaffolding. We spent a while doing that and of course, catching up on this past week's gossip.

My next chore was to gather a wheelbarrow full of rotted leaves from those we raked earlier this spring. I took those and covered the potato plants that are growing in the fifteen gallon cloth pots.



I'll keep adding layers throughout the summer months as the potatoes continue to grow. Supposedly, I'll be able to simply tip the pots over this fall and gather potatoes. Stay tuned, it's a project in the making.



I noticed one light quit working on the boat trailer. It took some time to track down the problem, but I eventually found a wire that had been pulled apart. I probably snagged it while pulling the boat out of the water at some point. 



Sargie was home early last night and we had a quiet evening after first enjoying the end of the day by walking around the yard and down the main trail into the woods.

Sargie's perennial garden. The day lilies should be blooming next week.

I have a dentist's appointment at 8 this morning. Neighbor Mike is coming with me and we'll leave directly from there to go crappie fishing on a lake about an hour north of here. Its one he's discovered and he tells me it's loaded with giant crappies, all eager to jump into the boat and be a part of our next fish fry. 

With that being said, I'd better get busy and pack Sargie's lunch and fix breakfast. 

As you well know, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Brutus was tired after following me around all day Wednesday. It's not easy being a bulldog you know.

Turtle anyone?

June 10, 2014 – Wednesday

58 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

Our sleep was interrupted at 1:30 this morning by one of the strongest storms I’ve experienced since living in the UP. Looking at my phone, I see the National Weather Service sent out all kinds of storm warnings around 1 AM, but we were three hours into our nightly slumber by then. It was the heavy rain pounding down on the metal roof overhead, accompanied by the lightening that lit up the sky and ensuing thunder that awakened us.  I got out of bed, looked out the window, visited the bathroom, crawled back between the sheets, smiled, and fell sound asleep. Can’t beat a good old-fashioned summer storm for good sleeping.

The internet is out this morning. I’m assuming that the tower, located about a mile from here, was struck by lightening. I’ll call later this morning and let the company know.  Hopefully, it’s not on my end.

Tuesday dawned hot and humid and remained that way all day. With the thermometer showing 78 degrees and the humidity pushing 100%, even the mere act of thinking caused one to drip with sweat.

I went fishing for a while on our local lake. Honestly? I could have caught a mess of fish, enough for a meal, but there were several boats on the lake and I don’t like to share the water. Besides, the fishing was somewhat slow and it was hot sitting in the sun. I packed it in after an hour and a half and came back home.

The summer camp, located on our local lake, is gearing up for another season of activities. They host a nationally known music camp that is recognized throughout the Midwest and much of the US.

I planted the last four tomato plants in the garden. They were the ones that I saved just in case something happened to those I planted a couple of weeks ago; frost, birds, bugs, disease, etc.  Other than the starling issue, everything has grown like there’s no tomorrow. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen conditions so favorable, causing everything to jump to life. Let’s hope it remains that way the rest of the summer.

I was taking a break when I looked out the window through the binoculars and observed a Tom turkey courting a couple of hens. The lust-filled boy was so deep into his hormone-crazed condition that I was able to sneak out the door and get fairly close to him. Suddenly, a deer jumped out in front of the turkey and I managed to capture both in one frame.

I mowed the back meadows and all the trails yesterday afternoon and was shocked to see how tall the grass was after just one week. It appears that some of the thistles I sprayed a week ago, those that immediately wilted, look as though they are coming back to life. Those things seem to be almost impossible to kill, but I’m not going to stop until they’re dead. I’ve worked too hard to let the beautiful meadows become overrun by the thorny weed.

I drove to Iron Mountain last night to meet Sargie and ride home with her. I’ve got my appointment this morning in Iron Mountain and it was a good excuse to spend a couple more hours together.

We took our time coming home and saw lots of deer and…. turtles! I don’t know if it’s the mating season for turtles or all are simply out getting their exercise, but Sargie saw three on our way home.

It was a beautiful evening and we drove down by the Brule River where we saw a small snapping turtle. Though he hissed and made his presence known, I picked him up for a closer look.

Sargie will be back to work today. I’ll have my mid-morning meeting and should be home before noon. There’s no rain in the forecast, so I think I’ll fill some of the cracks in the blacktop that were caused by the frost heaving out of the ground this spring.

It appears our resident mama bear has twin cubs this year. Caught on the trail cam.

Hey, the internet just came back on! Perfect timing. With that, it’s time to get this uploaded and ready for the day to come.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

The violets, all coming up volunteer, are absolutely gorgeous this year.

June 9, 2015 - Tuesday
51 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

We seem to be getting into a summer cycle of weather patterns, sunny, humid, and warm most of the day with a parade of scattered thunderstorms marching through in the afternoon, although Monday's weather was in the reverse. It showered in the morning, then turned sunny and humid for most the day with some neighboring communities receiving rain during the late afternoon hours. 

I rode with Sargie to Iron Mountain first thing in the morning, bade her goodbye, and continued onto Home Depot where I purchased welded cement wire, blacktop filler, and cement dye. 

Once back home, I began cutting the cement wire and making tomato cages.



I had enough to make a dozen and I still need to make twelve more. 


Geesh, I was going to plant only six tomato plants this year, how did I end up with two dozen? It happens every year.

Three tomato plants (with their new cages), the sugar peas, and if you look real hard, there's a cauliflower plant stuck in there. I hate to waste gardening space and if I plant enough vegetables, they choke out any weeds.

I spent the rest of the day working on making a trellis for Sargie's sugar peas and another for the pole beans.



I've used several designs in years past for pole beans and find that using inexpensive garden twine is about the easiest way. In the fall, after harvest, I'll simply cut the twine and dying plants and throw them all into the compost pile.



I'm not sure what's on the agenda for today. I'd like to begin spraying the thistles in the front pasture. It appears I've finally gotten the upper hand on those that have been growing elsewhere and would like to knock the rest down as well. 

I purchased the paint for the barn while in Iron Mountain on Monday, but I'm not at all certain when I'll begin transforming the structure from blue to red. Rather than paint all at once, I'd rather do a bit at a time. So what if it takes all summer? I'm operating under a new philosophy this year of attempting to not burn out on any one activity, but rather, do a bit of each when I feel like it. I think everything will get done in the same amount of time (by summer's end) and I won't get sick of doing any one chore. Between building the storage shed and all the landscaping last year, I was about all done in by summer's end. So far, so good, this year.

Sargie works late and closes the Vision Center tonight. Since I have an appointment Wednesday morning in Iron Mountain, I'll go over tonight, leave the Blazer then ride home with Sargie and we can ride together tomorrow. 

I think Neighbor Mike is coming down to his camp today. Hmm, he'll probably want to go fishing. Well, there goes today's projects. 

Oh well, as I said earlier, I don't want to burn out doing any one thing this summer. Besides, I'd be willing to bet those pesky thistles will be there tomorrow and I can spray them then.

Other than tagging around with me, Brutus is enjoying his favorite activity; chasing squirrels through the woods. Too bad the pup can't climb trees.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road... 

With all the rain that's fallen, everything is green and lush

June 8, 2015 - Monday
51 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

Sargie's been off the past two days and has to go back to work today. I don't know why, but I have the same feeling that I used to get before I retired... ugh, a full week of labor ahead. Reality hits home and I remember I no longer work a regular job, but since most of my outside activities revolve around Sargie's schedule, it feels like a Monday.

Let's see, what's happened the past two days. We received a full inch of rain Saturday night. Our spring was looking brown and dusty a month ago. Thankfully, God turned on the spout and everything has turned green and lush. Our little lake is rising and the grass and trees look as though they belong in a scene from the Emerald City. 

The garden continues to grow and, knock on wood, could be one of the best of the past few years. Of course, as we all know, a random hail storm, too much or not enough rain, or a variety of other factors could see all that come to an immediate end. Even an errant deer breaking through the electric fence could reduce the garden to stubble. All that being said... so far/so good.

Sargie drove to Marquette Saturday morning and spent the day with Baby Grady. She had a good time and got to spend the day with not only Grady, but also mutual friends. Macrea joined them after work and they enjoyed pizza before Sargie came back home.

I spent part of the morning visiting with Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri. The ten-mile ride into town on four-wheeler was really enjoyable. 

A spring had broken on Mark's garage door and when I arrived, only Sheri was home. Mark had gone to the hardware store for new parts. Sheri offered a piece of her homemade rhubarb/raspberry pie and of course, I accepted. That girl knows how to cook. Along with a few dips of vanilla ice cream, I enjoyed the pie and some great conversation while waiting for Mark. 

I tried to help Mark thread the new cable from the brackets on the ceiling, but found that I was a mere gofer at best. The door was fixed within minutes and after a bit of conversation, I headed back home.

The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, curing several pork loins in the smoker to enjoy this week, and digging and hauling another load of fill and emptying it in the rear of the back yard. 

Smoked pork loins done over wood chips and charcoal. 

Sargie was home well before dark and we had a quiet evening.

Sunday was strange... good strange, but a bit different. I haven't been sleeping well due to some rather harsh back pain, so I decided to take a couple of generic Tylenol PM - type tablets. With the bedroom window open and the rain pounding down, I had no trouble getting to sleep; and sleep I did, until 11 AM Sunday morning. 

I don't believe I've slept that late in years. In fact, Sargie was awake before me. Slumbering half the day away isn't my idea of living and it seemed odd sipping coffee and writing my usual early morning emails at noon. Oh well, as Mom says, "I guess I needed it."

Sargie and I took a long Sunday afternoon drive and visited a couple of area lakes that we normally don't go to. After, we picked up our usual fried chicken and a loaf of homemade bread and came home. It was one of those quality, not quantity-type of days. 

As mentioned above, Sargie's back to work today. The Blazer is in Iron Mountain, so I'll ride back with her this morning and visit Home Depot. I need to pick up a roll of cement wire with which to make tomato cages. A couple of plants are getting large enough that it's time and I'm happy to say that a half dozen plants will have blossoms before week's end. I also want to purchase some red cement color. I think this is the week that I begin the walk/patio from the back deck to the drive. Sargie helped me lay it out last night. Stay tuned on that project.

This week looks to be a busy one. There's the twice-a-year scheduled appointment on Wednesday with my money man, the person who manages my millions, the vast fortune which allows me to be retired. Thursday brings a dentist appointment to have the new crown cemented into place. Neighbor Mike is coming down from Marquette and wants to do some fishing. There's the garden to tend, the new cobblestone walk to prepare for, more thistles to spray, and grass to mow towards week's end... oh if only you had my life.

But then, is that a surprise? After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...  

We found a new hiking trail that I'll have to try later this summer