Happy Fourth of July!

July 4, 2015 - Saturday morning

59 degrees/foggy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

God Bless America. We'll hope that this next year sees a return to common sense and the America as our founding fathers meant it to be.

Let the fun begin! Emmie, Isabella, and Grady on Friday evening.

Friday dawned breezy, windy, and chilly, and though the forecast was for sunny and warm temperatures, it never really became summer-like until late afternoon. We were going to go kayaking, but somehow, the day slipped away from us and Jessica, Matt, Emmie, and I, were content to take a long walk.

I met my newest BFF's, Joe and Hannah, in the middle of the Brule River bridge. Their truck, pulling a trailer, slowed down and the driver said, "Hey! I know you!"

And that's how we met. Joe and Hannah are daily readers from Appleton, Wisconsin, more than a hundred miles away and were coming north for a weekend of fishing.

Every now and then I am fortunate enough to meet someone who reads my daily blathering. It was a pure pleasure meeting Joe and Hannah yesterday. 
Similar to yesterday's log, I'll skip much of the usual writing and let the pictures tell the story. 

A daisy for Grandma Sargie

Matt and I worked part of the morning fixing a flat on the little blue four-wheeler. Just my luck... brand new tires and somewhere on Thursday's ride to town, I ran over a sharp rock or some object that made a fairly good slash in the tire. Thankfully, the plug seemed to have worked.

Meanwhile...






Grady and Macrea arrived by mid-afternoon.

Emmie, this is Grady...

And to complete the party, Isabella came a knocking with Grandma, Grandpa, and Mama in tow.

Friday evening finished with everyone sitting around the fire. The end to a near-perfect day.

We're off to the Mighty Milligan's later today. Meanwhile, I have fifteen pounds of chicken quarters to cut, clean, and parboil.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Emmie playing early-morning "tickles" with Brutus

July 3, 2015 - Friday morning
55 degrees/hazy/breezy
Pentoga Road

I missed my early morning window to write, so I'll let the following pictures write the story. I think they're fairly self-explanatory.

Let me read you a story, Brutus

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that everyone else is pretty much secondary when Brutus and Emmie are together. 

I went to see my friends at Today's Smile Thursday morning to get a permanent crown installed. 

I feigned fear so that everyone would feel sorry for me.

As usual, Eric and his crew were wonderful. We talked, laughed, and after a short while, my new pretend-tooth was cemented into place and I once again have a pretty mouth. 

We spent much of the morning on the patio and in the backyard playing.

Mommy/daughter yoga time on Pentoga Road

Later in the morning, Matt did some work while sitting at the dining room table while I grabbed a hoe and with Brutus at my side, went deep into the woods to chop thistles.

It was mid-afternoon before Jess, Matt, and I, left for town on four-wheelers to do a bit of grocery shopping.

We stopped by Yooper Mark's plant for a quick visit and tour.

And no four-wheeler trip to town would be complete without a quick stop for a Coke.

Mom and Sargie played babysitters while we were gone. 

Sargie grabbed the good SLR camera and took some beautiful shots of Emmie.

I fried fish for last night's supper.

We made a fire in the new outdoor fireplace last night and sat around it until bedtime. 

With coyotes howling in the background and something large (a bear?) crashing through the woods nearby, it was the perfect way to end a near-perfect day.

Today appears to be just as busy as yesterday. We'll spend much of it gabbing, eating, and later, I think Jess, Matt, and I, will go for a kayak paddle around the lake.

Macrea and Grady are due to pull in for the weekend this afternoon and Yooper Brother Mark, Sheri, Sarah, and Isabella, are coming for supper this evening. Things are a rockin' and a rollin' on Pentoga Road this weekend. Well, at least until tomorrow when we travel to Derek and Leah's for the annual Mighty Milligan Fourth of July celebration!

Time for another cup of coffee. Emmie's up and I think she and Grandpa will think some deep thoughts together. We're at the same mental levels. After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Congratulations to my oldest son, Josh, who just made the rank of Commander in the United State Coast Guard. With Josh, is my daugher-in-law, Megan, and youngest grandson, Cody. Josh is an instructor at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

July 2, 2015 - Thursday

42 degrees/clear/calm

Pentoga Road

Emmie and her mama, Jess, playing Patty Cake

This will be short on words and long on pictures this morning. I expect Emmie to come screaming in at any moment and after that, any thought of writing will be long gone.

I spent Wednesday morning putting the finishing touches on the yard and house. With Mom's help, I even got the shop swept.

Moving the snowmobile to a less conspicuous place

Everyone arrived around 2 PM. Emmie immediately went to her newest BFF, Brutus. They have become best friends and it appears as though they will be glued at the hip for the rest of their visit.

Emmie's giving hugs

The big people spent much of the afternoon sitting on the back patio, talking and catching up on the news.

Matt and Jessica

Emmie and I went for two four-wheeler rides and she also enjoyed "driving" the lawnmower. 

I got to read to Emmie and I think she was a bit surprised when, unable to see many of the words, I simply made the story up, page by page. Only problem is she knows the real story line.

But mostly, she hung out with Brutus.

Sargie was home early last night. After eating grilled brats and Sargie's macaroni/chicken salad, everyone was tired. The kids had been up since 4 AM and even Emmie began to run down. It was time to turn in for the day.

I've got a dentist's appointment this morning at 9 AM to have a crown permanently glued into place. I think Matt, Jessica, and I are going for a four-wheeler ride into town after. Sargie and Mom are eager to babysit.

It was an orange moon a'risin' last night

I smell the coffee. It's time to get a cup and think a few deep thoughts before the rest of the world awakens. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Rocking and singing in her great great Grandma Pennington's rocking chair

Emmie sent me this video last night. You think Grandpa and Grandma aren't anxious for her to arrive?

July 1, 2015 - Wednesday
41 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road

I just checked Matt and family's flight status. They departed Manchester, New Hampshire, on time and are scheduled to arrive in Chicago almost half an hour early. So far so good.

Boy oh boy, we dodged a bullet last night in the frost department. I just received a couple of pictures from Yooper Brother Mark showing frost at his house. Thankfully, we remained too warm for it to freeze here. I remember being frosted out in early July years ago while living in Maine, ending the gardening season two months early. 

I began Tuesday by painting two supports and constructing a trellis from a piece of lattice work I'd purchased while at Home Depot on Monday. 

While they were drying, I started the laundry and ended up doing two loads before the morning was over.

Since we could have three babies here, all at once for a short period of time, we thought it would be good to sweep and steam clean the wooden floors. 

Grady

Emmie will be here, it appears Macrea and Grady will be with us Friday night, and hopefully, Yooper Mark's granddaughter, Isabella, (and her mommy and grandma and grandpa) will be over for dinner Friday evening. That's a lot of babies crawling and running around! 

Grandpa Stauber sent this picture of Isabella munching on a baked potato. I guess she just reached down and grabbed it off the table. Isabella is cutting her first tooth and would chew on a Volkswagen if it would make the tooth come through any easier.

The floors finished, I moved out to the shop and finished and installed the trellis alongside the barn. I'll be tying the black cherry tomato plants as they grow and by summer's end, I should have tomatoes to the roof.



Mark texted, saying that the trailer was filled with wood. We drove into town, making a stop at the veterinarian's to get a prescription of pain medication for Brutus's back end, then went on to Mark's plant to get the trailer. After a short visit, we made our way back home.



I next turned my attentions to the lawn. I cut the immediate yard and closest meadow. The others don't really need it yet and with Matt and Jessica arriving shortly after noon today, time was an issue.

Mowing had to stop midway through as I hit a darn tree and knocked a wheel off the deck. I limped back to the shop and after no small amount of grinding, welded the bracket back on. Nothing was hurt other than my pride and the time it took to fix.

Mom was inside for most the day. The high barely reached 60 and with a strong northerly wind, she was content to read a book and sit by the electric space heater. 

Sargie had to close, so it was a late one for her. Bedtime came early for all of us.

As mentioned above, Matt and all are due to arrive early this afternoon via Chicago's O'Hare Airport and Green Bay. They'll be driving in from Green Bay.

Mom and I have a bit of grocery shopping to do and I want to work in the yard before they arrive. It's a busy busy time here on Pentoga Road, but after all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road... 

A language spoken only they can hear