The giant pumpkin was moved from the garden on Sunday

October 10, 2016 - Monday

36 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It appears there's another nice day ahead on tap. I'm not sure if we're experiencing Indian Summer or an extension of the past four months, but we'll take it. Today's high is forecast to hit near seventy before the thermometer takes a nose dive down into the forties and fifties for daily highs.

I played outside for much of Sunday morning, gathering more squash, moving the smaller giant pumpkin, getting Sargie's fountain ready for winter storage, and other things.

At one point, I sent Yooper Brother Mark a text asking if he felt up to helping move the giant pumpkin out of the garden. Waiting for his grass to dry so he could mow it one last time, he said he'd be right out.

Moving 500 lbs of pumpkin can present it's challenges. 

Thankfully, I'd placed it on a piece of plywood when it was quite small allowing us to drill a hole through which to run a rope and drag it out from under the fence using the four wheeler.  

Even in four-wheel drive, low, the four wheeler was straining

Getting the beast up and over the drive required that we use ramps and it took some maneuvering to get it alongside the planter by the road.

To be honest, I'm not sure what the pumpkin weighs. It measures out to nearly 600 lbs, but the back is completely concave. In other words, rather than being flat or even rounded, it's sucked in towards the front. Still, even with Mark and I giving it our all, we could barely budge the pumpkin by hand. Almost everything we did to move it required the four wheeler or a long 2x4 to use as a lever.

I wanted to give this one to Nephew Derek in Iron Mountain, but Mark nor I could come up with a method by which to get it off the trailer and onto the stoop of his porch. We still have a while to come up with a solution, but for now, the pumpkin's sitting at the end of the drive. People enjoyed looking at year's and would often stop and take pictures of each other standing beside the pumpkin. I don't mind. It's fun.

With Sargie's help, we began picking seed pods from the nasturtium vines that have been growing in the pyramids all summer. The flowers were plentiful, a brilliant, deep, dark, red, with dark green leaves. 

Those are the seeds in the middle of the picture

As I remember, I paid around $6 for a packet of twenty to thirty seeds last spring and it took four packets to plant three sides of the four pyramids. I'll continue to gather more today then dry them to ensure there'll be plenty to plant next spring.

While Sargie picked seed pods, I began ripping the plants out of the dirt and disposing of them.

The area alongside the barn has been so rich and full of foliage and flowers all summer and with one hard freeze is suddenly looking empty and barren. At least I'll be able to install the new shop window alongside the solar heater without tripping over giant pumpkin vines!

It was time for our afternoon ride. After a quick stop at the grocery store, we headed west and enjoyed riding on mostly woods roads, those that wind through the national forest. 

We were almost home when the phone rang. It was Mark asking if we wanted to stop by for lasagna; that, along with bread and cheese sticks? Sheri's cooking? Lasagna, my favorite of all of Sheri's kitchen creations? Duh, Mama didn't have no dummy. Of course we accepted!

Jenna and Jerad stopped by later and the six of us had a wonderful time talking and laughing and eating some of the best lasagna in the world. That Sheri Girl can cook.

I watched the Packers/Giants game last night and along with Yooper Brother Mark, texting back and forth, we coached Green Bay to their third victory of the season. 

I texted Andy and asked if he were watching. He replied that he was trying to clear customs in Trinidad where they are currently drilling for oil. I guess when one is in the topics, off the coast of South America, Green Bay, Wisconsin, seems a long ways away.

Sargie opens today. I'm going for my walk then spend the rest of the day cleaning out the garden. There are at least two, possibly three days, of work to finish before the ground freezes and snow flies. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Congratulations to our friend, Eldy, and his new bride, Teresa, who were married high atop Norway Mountain on Saturday afternoon. (Note the pheasant feathers in Teresa's bouquet. Eldy raises pheasants commercially.)

October 9, 2016 - Sunday

28 degrees/clear/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm thinking summer must be over as there's definitely frost on the pumpkin this morning.

Saturday was a busy one on Pentoga Road. Sargie worked only half a day as we had Eldy and Teresa's wedding to attend later in the afternoon. I busied myself in the shop by finishing any last minute mechanics on the Homelite saw, then sharpening the chain.

I hate to admit it, but I think the Homelite's day of cutting wood are about over. There's a leaky oil tank, it runs extremely rough, several smaller parts are broken or missing, it needs a new bar, and the list goes on and on. I could take it to the small engine repair shop, but I can't justify spending a hundred-plus dollars on a reconditioned saw that I only paid forty-five dollars for eight years ago. 

I'll take my much larger Husqvarna chain saw to the small engine shop tomorrow and have it tuned up and made ready to cut some fire wood. Meanwhile, I'll start shopping around for another inexpensive, light weight, disposable, saw to trim branches and smaller logs with.

I spent a couple of hours picking squash in the garden. This wasn't a banner year, yet I was pleasantly surprised to find more squash than anticipated under the leaves and vines.

One wheelbarrow was filled and there are probably three or four more to go before the garden is empty.

Sargie arrived home shortly after noon and we soon departed for Iron Mountain. We'd arranged to ride with Holly, Ross, and Jeanne, to the wedding where we later met Nancy.

Four of the six Milligan sisters: Sargie, Nancy, Jeanne, and Holly

It was chilly, in the upper forties, high atop Norway Mountain, yet when one could get out of the wind and into the direct sunlight, it wasn't too bad. Any discomfort was more than made up for by the scenery. 

With over 1,200 invited guests, one knew that this wasn't going to be just any wedding, it was going to be the wedding that everyone would talk about for years to come.

It was obvious upon first arriving that not only would we be witnessing the joining of two very nice people, but we'd also be entertained... and entertained we were throughout the ceremony, afternoon, and evening.

With a large crowd, either sitting on hay bales or standing, Eldy was the first to make an appearance... on a Belgian work horse.

Next came the best man who was riding a very stubborn donkey.

The attendants made their entrance via the chair lifts coming up the mountain.

And finally, after zooming over the crowd, the bride came flying in, literally, in a helicopter.

How would you like to be that guy in the chair lift with the helicopter landing just feet away?

The wedding procession was no less interesting. The men wore suits, while the ladies were adorned in a decorative camouflaged-type outfit, complete with cowboy boots.

Rather than rose petals, the flower girl adorned the path with (what looked to be) popple leaves.

Escorted by her son, Teresa was a beautiful bride.

The ceremony was short, humorous, but in its own way, touching. I guess one has to know Eldy to truly appreciate their vows. He's spent his entire adult life giving to the surrounding communities, both physically and in spirit, and everyone knows him for his humor and kind words. 

In front of hundreds, if not a thousand, witnesses, Eldy and Teresa became husband and wife, just as it should be. 

At the end, rather than white doves, pheasants were turned loose to fly into the heavens... or roost in nearby trees. There'll be some very happy and surprised partridge hunters over the next week or two.

The reception was wonderful with goodies and plenty of libation for those who cared to partake. 

This tent, alone, seated 600 people.

The wedding cake(s) were also quite unique

With the day getting long and the revelers gearing up for an evening of dancing and celebration, we quietly made our exit. It had been a wonderful afternoon filled with laughter and love, and no doubt, we'll see Eldy and Teresa at one of the Mighty Milligan holiday functions to share our best wishes and love. They're just those kind of folks.

Ross had found a good parking place earlier in the day and we didn't have to walk too far.

Jeanne had a chill so Ross and I thought we'd warm her up just a bit.

Yeah, I know, we're silly, but why not? Weddings like the one we attended on Saturday only happen once in a lifetime, at least for us.

Back to her old form, Nancy paused briefly before the ceremony for a JC Penny modeling moment.

Neither Sargie or I had any difficulty going to sleep last night. Sargie has today off. I'm going to play outside, work in the garden, and begin to think of the best way in which to wrestle those giant pumpkins out of the garden. I know I'm going to have to take down part of the fence and use the tractor.

Oh well, it's but another deep thought to ponder while enjoying my next cup of coffee.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Taken early Sunday morning. Frozen solid, this dahlia will quickly wilt when the temperature rises above 32 degrees.

October 8, 2016 - Saturday
36 degrees/clear skies/breezy
Pentoga Road

The fire in the stove sure feels good this morning; kinda' helps to take away the chill in the house and the aches in an old man's bones. 

Friday was a tale of two cities. The day began as cloudy and very warm. When I walked out to the shop early in the morning, the temperature was a balmy 64. A check less than an hour later showed that it had dropped to 45 degrees. 

And windy! Lord it blew and howled and many of the pretty leaves that had adorned the trees along our drive were now lying on the ground. So much for peak color season.

I spent much of the morning in the shop working on an old chain saw.

I'd last used it when removing the two trees, stumps, and roots, from where the new area was added onto the garden early last spring. Filled with sawdust and dirt, The saw was simply put away and forgotten about.



Generally I'm pretty good about regular maintenance, but I dropped the ball on this one. 

Other than sharpen the chain, I believe the machine is ready to cut some wood this next week. It's been cleaned, fixed, wiped, and lubricated, and should be good to go.

Funny thing about that old Homelite chainsaw. I purchased it online for $45 as a reconditioned spare eight years ago. I thought it might serve as a back up to a much larger Husqvarna. The Homelite has run so well and is so light weight and dependable, that it's become my main power saw. It's been a good one.

Cleaned, fixed, and ready to go. I had to manufacture a metal piece for seating that required cutting and drilling so a bolt might screw through it. It took a while, but it worked.

Sargie and I spent most of the afternoon driving around the area looking at leaves.

Some areas, those out of the wind, were still pretty, but we were surprised how many bare patches are beginning to appear in the woods.

Once home, Sargie and I began the process of storing the patio furniture above the shop in the barn. We had a pretty good assembly line going. She'd hand the furniture up and I'd grab each piece over the side and hoist it up and over a rafter and onto the floor.

Never, I repeat, NEVER take a picture of someone who is waiting for you to grab a table while she is performing a balancing act several rungs up a ladder. 

We met Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri last night for a good Friday night fish fry. As always, we talked and laughed and ate entirely too much.

Sargie opens the Vision Center this morning, but will be finished at noon so we can attend a four o'clock wedding this afternoon. 

I'm going to go for my walk this morning then hope to finish the chainsaw and get it running. I'll have to quit whatever I'm doing early so I can get ready for the big wedding. 

Time to throw another log on the fire and pour a cup of coffee. Maybe I'll even think a deep thought while I'm at it.

With all the rain that's fallen, mushrooms are popping up everywhere.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...