Look who's coming to Grandma and Grandpa's. Why, it's Emerson Pennington!!

June 18, 2015 - Thursday
60 degrees/cloudy/calm
Pentoga Road

Now I'm in a dither. The forecast low for tonight is for 38 degrees. That's only six degrees away from freezing, four from frost. Should I cover the plants? I probably won't need to, but after all the work, and time spent, and everything is growing so well. 

I was talking to a tourist the other day about gardening. I told him that if one can grow a garden in the North Country with our yoyo'ing summer temperatures, he can grow it just about anywhere. Amen and amen. 

We received some exciting news yesterday. My son, Matt, along with daughter-in-law, Jessica, and granddaughter, Emerson, will be visiting from July 1st to July 5th next month. We're so excited, especially that they'll be here at the same time as Mom. It will be Mom's first time to see her great-granddaughter, Sargie's first time, and only my second. What fun!

I'm especially excited that they'll get to meet Sargie's family, the Milligan's, on the Fourth of July. It's going to be a wonderful time.

I went fishing early Wednesday morning. Conditions were perfect; cool, calm, overcast. The only thing missing was the fish. I worked hard for two hours with little to show for it. Everything in the tackle box was thrown in an attempt to entice something, anything, to hit. In the end, I caught four little bluegills. I chalked the experience up to an exercise in breathing fresh air and came back home. 



Showers were forecast so I didn't dare paint the barn. Ah, thistles... if the rain would hold off for a couple of hours, I could continue my mass eradication program.

Already wilting after being sprayed just a few hours before.

Almost three hours were spent spot spraying the prickly weed with another two needed to finally have covered the acreage. I'm seeing great results from my previous sprayings. Thistles that have died and turned an ugly black aren't hard to see and with each one, I think that maybe I might be breaking their growing cycle. 



I went to town to purchase a few groceries and stopped by the plant to visit Yooper Brother Mark. Ann, his secretary, is on vacation this week, so Mark is filling in at both roles in the front office. As much as I love that man, I do have to say he's not a very attractive administrative assistant. 

The rain failed to materialize, but it was too late in the day to power wash another section of the barn and begin painting, but there were boulders and rocks to be moved from the last digging in the side yard.



With the assistance of the front-end loader, I managed to haul some pretty good-sized rocks and hopefully, once the fill is brought in and the area is raked, we'll be able to cut the entire area with the riding mower.



I felt sorry for Brutus yesterday. He wasn't allowed to be with me when I was spraying for thistles, then could only watch from a distance while I was on the backhoe or tractor. 



He finally gave up trying to assist me and decided to roll over and take a nap.



Sargie was home early last night. I fixed chicken salad for supper and we had a nice, quiet, evening. She closes the Vision Center tonight so it will be a long day for her.

According to the weatherman, there's 0% chance of rain today which means I'm going to pressure wash the south side of the barn first thing this morning so I can begin painting as soon as it's dry. I especially want to do the area behind the black cherry tomatoes that are growing in the raised planter as I intend to built a trellis for them in the next few days to grow up the side of the barn. 

With that being said, it's time to get a cup of coffee and think deep thoughts while waiting for it to become fully light outside. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Emmie's specialty... making duck lips. I wonder who taught her to do that?

The front of the barn is now red.

June 16, 2015 - Tuesday evening

62 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

There's not a lot to talk about tonight. My original intention was to go fishing this morning, but an early-morning wind changed my mind. It was too wet to work in the garden or yard, so I went with Plan C... I washed and painted the front of the barn.

It took over an hour and a half to power wash the front. I went over the steel siding and fiberglass door using 3,000 lbs of pressure, after which I sprayed strong soap and let it sit for several minutes, then rinsed everything.

I also used the power washer to strip the old paint from around the wooden door frame.  All trim will be painted white.

I hesitated before brushing the first stroke. Once done, there was no turning back.

The following pictures tell the rest of the story. It took until late afternoon, over six hours, to finish. I'd paint a panel or two, take pictures, come inside and and upload them on my computer to see if any places were missed, then go back outside and continue.

I thought about going fishing this evening, but there was no gas left in the tank. Crawling up and down the ladder all day about did me. Maybe I'll go in the morning if the weather's decent. There's a chance of showers in the afternoon. We'll see.

I did take a break today to write the regular weekly test for the class I teach. I also walked through the garden and was happy to see that the tomatoes are beginning to blossom.

Sargie and I watched America's Got Talent this evening. She's back to work early tomorrow. I'm not sure what's on my agenda, but with rain forecast for the afternoon, I doubt it will be painting the barn or doing any landscaping.

Hopefully, I'll go fishing first thing in the morning. After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

A tomato blossom.

Something's holding the deers' attention. Taken by the trail cam Sunday evening.

June 16, 2015 - Tuesday morning

46 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

I was up and out of the house by 5:30 Monday morning, driving to a lake an hour north of here to meet Neighbor Mike and go fishing.

Even with two delays for road construction, I made our rendezvous with time to spare. Since I usually don't drive that far or very fast, I wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

The day began bright and sunny. 

Mike's stringing his fly rod in anticipation of a successful outing.

Fishing was so-so. What we caught was good-sized and in the end, there were plenty of fish to go 'round. Using a fly rod, Mike caught the majority of the bluegills. 

I caught a couple on light spinning tackle and Sargie's favorite, a nice-sized bass that weighed 3 to 4 lbs. 

The rain began at midmorning and by the time we got back to the boat launch, it was thundering and lightening. Mike said he'll be down to his camp on Thursday and after saying our goodbyes, he headed north, I turned to the south. 

Between the rain and construction, it was a long trip home, but I had no problems. The fish were cleaned in the barn and the rest of the day spent inside, grading papers.  

I was shocked to see that we received .8 on an inch of rain yesterday. For a year that began so dry and dusty, it's certainly turned into an Eden of greenery. As much as I hate to say it, we could stand a few days of dry and sunny weather. I hope I don't pay for that statement later this summer.

Bambi is growing and doing well despite a woods full of coyote, bears, and wolves.

Last night was a quiet one and we were in bed early. 

Sargie's back to work early today. Since it is too wet to work in the yard or garden, I think I'll go over to one of my favorite local lakes and try to add some bluegill filets to the freezer. We're hosting a Mighty Milligan fish fry on Labor Day. It's so stressful to have to go fishing and enjoy nature so that I might supply fish for our big fall celebration. Oh well, someone has to do it and I'm willing to step up the plate.

A coyote on his nightly rounds

But then we all know, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I can relate

June 14, 2015 - Sunday evening
76 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

I'll be leaving at 6 in the morning to meet Neighbor Mike about an hour north of here for a morning of fishing, so figured I ought to write tonight. Mike will be driving from his home in Marquette.

Today was a whirlwind around here, complete with some real victories in the mechanical department.

The old truck has had a short for sometime that causes the battery to run down after using it several times. Since the truck is no longer licensed and doesn't go on the road, I've not worried too much about it. Still, it's been bothersome and a real pain at times.

I've taken it to a mechanic's and son, Andy, looked at it several times, all to no avail. 

The engine wouldn't turn over this morning. I raised the hood, wiggled some wires and heard the key alarm ding in the cab. Power had been restored. The truck easily started and I drove it to the barn.

There was nothing to do other than put on the magnifiers, get a ladder and crawl head first into the engine compartment. 



I wiggled. I listened... a crackling sound somewhere far down. Wiggle/crackle... I lay across the engine, my head and arms down alongside the monster. Wiggle/crackle... wiggle/crackle. 

FINALLY... a ground wire had corroded and was shorting out on the frame at the base of the engine. 



I soon had the wire loosened from a rusted holder and was wrapping it with electrical tape. The old man-truck is back, complete with a system that charges rather than a continual discharge. 



In real life, it might be considered trivial, but after five years of frustration, I felt as though I'd just won an Olympic gold medal.

This is the fourth year for the wire bread wrappers used to affix the cable from the pedal to the accelerator.  The mechanic wanted $80 plus labor. My fix cost me only a trip to the kitchen and five minutes of time.

The next mechanical feat of the day concerned the trip lever for the bucket on the front end loader. The bungee cord that was used to replace the worn spring broke.



Once again, I had to dig deep into my mechanical bag of goodies and produce another bungie cord to make the lever work. I was back in business within minutes.



Sargie spent several hours mowing. 



Later, she pulled the sweeper over the lawn.



 The only snag occurred when Sargie ran over an extension cord causing it to wind around the brushes. It took a while, but with both of us working, it was freed.



While Sargie mowed the lawn, I worked in the side yard, moving yesterday's boulders and digging out a few more.



 I think I'm about done with the digging phase and will soon be ready to begin leveling and raking the remaining area.

It was mid to late afternoon before we called a halt to our labors and took our ride. Sipping Cokes and munching burgers and fries, we drove north, making a circle of about fifty miles.

The old state prison that was closed several years ago.

It was too nice of an evening to be inside. Sargie and I took a four-wheeler ride to Alpha and back on the trail seeing some beautiful country.

Sargie's back to work tomorrow. I'll go fishing in the morning then continue working on the side yard in the afternoon. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

A rare sighting these days, a Monarch butterfly.

The lupines are beginning to bloom. The rhubarb behind is almost chest high.

June 14, 2015 - Sunday

60 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

The rain threatened to fall all day Saturday, but other than a few intermittent showers, held off until later in the afternoon. Thankfully, there was plenty of time to do a bit of laundry and hang the sheets on the line to dry.

After spending Friday doing all maintenance chores, I was anticipating having some fun on Saturday. The first order of business, weeding several beds in the garden.

OK, so my definition of fun and yours may not be the same, but I enjoyed myself just the same. I like sitting down on the wood chips alongside whatever raised bed needs to be worked on, getting my nose right in there, and weeding and cultivating, usually with my fingers. I love the smell of the compost and dirt and get such satisfaction when everything looks so nice and the plants are healthy and growing strong.

The pole beans are just beginning to send out tendrils and should soon begin their summer-long climb up the trellis.

I was delighted to see that the honeyberries are beginning to ripen. We should begin picking those in the next week.

A member of the honeysuckle family, honeyberries are an oblong fruit that taste very similar to a blueberry but are much easier to grow. They are insect and disease resistant, thrive in any type of soil and are cold and heat hardy. In other words, they are fairly bomb proof. We enjoy eating them fresh off the bush, but if we have enough this year, will freeze some for next winter's use.

Our two bushes are only three years old and I don't expect to begin picking handfuls of them until the year after next. We enjoyed the flavor of the berries so much last summer, the first they produced, that I added three more bushes this spring.

Page Two

The rain was still holding off. I really wanted to work on the side yard, but with the threat of rain, hesitated to bring up the backhoe. I opted for Plan B, cutting the weeds where I intended to dig.

After almost two hours of mowing, it still wasn't raining. Perhaps I'd go ahead and haul the backhoe to the front of the property, get it ready for this coming week.

Usually, the tractor is used to move the backhoe, but I had the idea that utilizing the old truck might be easier and quicker.

The first thing was to place two, 2x6's across the back to keep the bucket from slipping out while moving.

I lowered the bucket into the bed of the truck and lifted the front part of the backhoe off the ground. It worked like a charm.

Still no rain... it was time to dig.

This bad boy was about all the backhoe could handle. I finally got the boulder out of the ground. Now all I have to figure out is how to move it.

I spent the rest of the afternoon dodging rain showers and digging. With one or two exceptions, I think most the boulders and rocks have been removed and I'll begin the process of leveling the ground and hauling in fill to level everything. The end is in sight.

Sargie was home early last night and we had a quiet evening eating pizza, watching television, and reading the weekend newspaper. She reads the actual paper that is delivered every afternoon. I read the same online where the print can be enlarged or better yet, have the computer read it to me. 

Sargie's off today and says she's going to mow the lawn. I'm plan to move those rocks and boulders I dug yesterday. Other than that, who knows? It's Sunday and no doubt, we'll take our usual afternoon drive, probably stopping in town for a loaf of homemade bread and a box of fried chicken. Life's tough in the fast lane you know.

I've always pitched anything not wanted in the garden over the electric deer fence into the weeds. Now that the area is being turned into lawn, I'm discovering all kinds of surprises. A bunch of chives made themselves at home. If you look real closely, toward the back righthand side is a potato plant. Both are coming up volunteer.

Coffee's done. Time to pour a cup and think a deep thought or two. After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...