It was a stress-filled day on Pentoga Road

October 24, 2012 – Wednesday

54 degrees

Pentoga Road

I received no small amount of ribbing about yesterday’s heading. One line said it was Tuesday, the other Wednesday. So you’ve found me out… I don’t know if I’m coming or going.

Tuesday was about the laziest day I’ve had in the past several years. Other than read a few assignments, I did nothing.

We stopped at a couple of places in Iron Mountain Tuesday morning before I left Sargie at the Vision Center. I turned around and took my time coming home. It was misty and rainy, traffic was light, and I set the cruise control to “slow” and meandered back to Pentoga.

What to do? My eyelids felt heavy as I sat by the wood stove and listened to the rain hit the roof. Occasionally, I’d get up and walk around the house, throw a chunk of wood on the fire, get a cup of tea, or find something to put away, then return to the chair. The cycle was repeated several times until I finally gave in and let my eyes close.

I wanted to go out to the barn and do something later in the afternoon. ANYTHING, but listening to the rain, the fire, the soft music I keep playing in the background…  I once again found myself slipping into a rainy day nap.

And so the day went. I didn’t walk, work, or do anything to speak of. I was so lazy that I didn’t even feel guilty. Doing so would have required too much effort.

I managed to throw a pork chop on the grill, make a salad, and prepare a baked potato for supper last night. It all tasted great, then it was back to the recliner.

It was almost 9:30 when Sargie arrived. She was tired after working a long day in the Vision Center then having to navigate home through the fog, rain, and deer. We talked a bit until bedtime.

Today is a new day. Though I don’t feel overly energized (I still hear water dripping off the roof) I’m going to walk this morning then work on mink boxes in the barn. Opening day for water sets is tomorrow.

Should it quit raining later this morning, I’ll be putting up wood and working in the yard. No more of this rocking chair/sitting around retirement stuff for me.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

October 23, 2012 – Wednesday

49 degrees/overcast

Pentoga Road

Another mini-window just appeared on my computer screen saying the Mac needs to make an update and will automatically restart when finished. Apple is getting to be as annoying as Microsoft when it comes to updating software. One would think they’d figure out a less intrusive way to invade my privacy.

I started my foray into the digital world in 1984 by purchasing a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer for $250, a considerable sum of money in those days. It was a rare portable computer and weighed a mere twenty pounds. The dot-to-dot matrix printer that came with the machine only made it seem more magical.

 I was writing a weekly column and our local newspaper editor had the machine for sale. It wasn’t long before I kissed my old Royal manual typewriter goodbye as I got used to seeing the bright green letters appear on the black miniature screen. I was hooked.

The world of digital computing has come a long way in the past thirty years; hard drives, memory, emails, instant messaging, social media, and of course, the internet.  There’s little doubt in my mind that thirty years from now, if I’m still alive, I’ll be laughing about the old days of using a super-powered MacBook Pro that was capable of reading aloud and operating via voice commands.

But somehow, I wouldn’t be surprised that annoying screens will still be popping up, informing me that my computer needs updating and will restart when finished. Want to bet?

Monday was a busy one on Pentoga Road. I started with my five-mile hike, enjoying the near-perfect weather and temperatures. It’s a good thing I walk so much. I’m trying to tell my body that I no longer live in the arctic and don’t need an extra ten or fifteen pounds of insulation to help me survive, but it’s insisting.

Had the deer not wagged it's white tail, I'd have walked within ten feet and not seen it.

One positive; in February, when the days begin to get longer, the same body that insisted on storing fat in the fall is just as insistent that it shed any and all extra baggage. Knowing that makes the Pillsbury Doughboy look a bit more acceptable.

 There was a dead maple tree to be brought down. With chainsaw, maul, and Man Truck ready to roll, I spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon making firewood. At one point, the day was warm enough that I could work without a shirt, no doubt one of the last times this year.

Sargie had to work early on Monday and then visit her dad at the VA last night making it a very long day for her. I decided to surprise the girl and meet her in Iron Mountain, leave the car overnight, go to the VA, and ride home with her. I’ll ride back this morning and bring the Blazer back home. Sargie is scheduled to close so it will be another long day.

Thankfully, winter hours begin this weekend at the Vision Center. It will be closed on Sundays and evening hours end at 7 PM.

Sargie watched the debate last night while I retired upstairs to watch the Bears/Lions football game. Depending which side of the political aisle one favors, I’m not sure who won the Presidential debate, but the Bears definitely beat the Lions. It’s turning into a close NFL race to the Super Bowl.

I talked with Yooper Mark and Sheri last night via Skype. There’s something horribly wrong when we live only ten miles from each other, yet end up socializing via video conferencing. As we both say, we saw more of each other when I lived in Alaska.  I’m not sure where the days go. It seems either of us are busy at all the wrong times. Hopefully this winter will see more time to get together.

Sargie and I are stopping at Walgreens in Iron Mountain this morning and I’m going to purchase a supplement called Resveratrol. It’s a chemical found in red wine that supposedly has magical healing qualities. I’ve read some promising peer researched reports of its effects on Macular Degeneration when used in very low doses. Other than super vitamins, there doesn’t seem to be anything else that halts the progressive eye disease, so what’s there to lose? Stay tuned.

Depending on the weather, I’m not sure what today’s activities will bring. The miles of garden hose needs to be stored and the yard readied for the winter.

I’ve started feeding the birds during the daylight hours, bringing in the suet at night so as not to attract the bears, and the chickadees are beginning to trust me enough that I can feed them by hand. By winter’s end, I’ll have each named. I’m not sure why I get such joy out of having wild birds land on me in search of a free handout, but I do, and hey, in the movies, don’t the old retired guys always sit on the park benches and feed the pigeons? I rest my case.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road… 

A lone deer grazing in a neighboring meadow during sunrise on Sunday

October 22, 2012 – Monday

40 degrees/ clear

Pentoga Road

Though we sleep in a cold bedroom, I awakened at two this morning dripping in sweat. Sargie, her back to me, was curled in one corner of the bed under several layers of blankets while I lay on top of mine.

And thirsty… I got up and downed a huge iced tea glass of water, then another.

I’m not sure what it was all about, but I’m guessing the two huge bowls of chili I inhaled late last evening might have been the culprits. The first tasted so good that I had to have another. Bet that doesn’t happen tonight! After two consecutive nights of chili, the large amount left will go into the freezer to be enjoyed sometime down the road.

Sunday was beautiful. After writing, I was out the door to check my empty traps, then took my five-mile hike. The mist was rising as the sun hit the frosty ground and the deer more resembled cattle grazing in the tree-framed meadows.

The lakes were so smooth and looked as though one might ice skate from one end to the other. It was a perfect morning.

Sargie was ready for work when I arrived home and we enjoyed breakfast together. I felt sorry for her. It was entirely too nice a day to be inside looking out.

I finished another mink box in the barn before it was time to come inside and coach the Packers. Once they took the lead over St. Louis, I gave up the television set for the radio in the barn and listened to the game while working outside.

Sundays mean the next week’s load of wood is worked up and brought to the house. Luke had sent a video on YouTube several weeks ago about a fellow who uses an old tire attached to a stump to make splitting wood easier. I decided to try the method and it works! It’s much nicer not having to continually bend over and set wood upright.

With the Packers victory assured, I began working on cutting another area of popples in back of the yard. I got quite a few done yesterday, chipped, and a large pile of wood chips dumped in the orchard and garden area. I’m happy they way the yard is shaping up before the winter months. When I have a bulldozer in next spring, I hope that area is completed so the boulders and large tree stumps can be pushed away. I’m looking forward to landscaping that part of the yard into something that can be mowed and enjoyed. Wouldn’t a small reflection pool and solar-powered fountain,  complete with a park bench and gazebo under the trees, be beautiful?

I’m not sure what today will bring. I think I’ll hike my five miles early this morning after Sargie goes to work. After, I’ll check the traps then no doubt will busy myself with any one of a million jobs that needs to be done around here before snow flies.

The difficulties with cutting small saplings at ground level are many, the worst being hitting the dirt and rocks that damage the chain...

and here I'm taking burrs off the guides on the chain that happened when a rock was struck and the chain came off the bar.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

The Mighty Brule. Taken during our walk on Saturday

October 21, 2012

28 degrees/clear

Pentoga Road

There are days when it might be better to stay in bed. I hope this isn’t one of them.

I awakened shortly after 4 AM, full of life and ready to put both feet on the floor, but managed to remain between the sheets until 5.

I tried to exit as gracefully as possible. Sargie was snuggled next to me and I could tell by her breathing that she was dropping into a deeper sleep.

First one foot… then the other touched the floor. I rose and managed to bang my head on the sloped ceiling. Who in the devil would build a story-and-a-half house and not install a dormer? I’d like to know the history of our second floor. The house was built almost a hundred years ago. I’m certain it originated as an attic and the two bedrooms and bath upstairs were an afterthought.

Rubbing my head, I realized too late that a sheet had wrapped around one leg. I stumbled, hit the nightstand, then stubbed a toe on a leg of the bed.

Thankfully, Saturday ended much better than Sunday began. After checking my empty traps, I fiddled around in the barn until Sargie was ready to go for a walk. We talked and hiked over three miles to the mighty Brule and back, and enjoyed the sunny fall day.

Sargie wanted to make chili. Garden tomatoes, hamburger, beans, herbs and spices… and no doubt other ingredients comprising of near-wizardry combinations were added to the giant pot atop the stove. The house soon smelled like it belonged to Betty Crocker and I delighted in thinking of the meal to come.

While Sargie was doing her kitchen magic, I fixed No Trespassing signs around the perimeter of our property. Since we’re surrounded by public hunting land, I’m fearful someone will innocently come in from the back or side and shoot too close to the house and yard.

I enjoyed the mild afternoon temperatures as I read a compass that pointed to the boundaries and enabled me to fasten a sign every few hundred feet. There’s one small area I’ve yet to post. Otherwise, that job is finished.

Sargie was multitasking and hanging out white clothes on the line when I got back. Entering the house, I noticed she had made peanut butter cookies that included coconut, chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Those, along with the simmering chili redoubled my anticipation for Sunday evening’s meal.

A trip to town and a late afternoon ride? Sure why not.

We stopped by Insurance Liquidators for a quick walk-through. There didn’t appear to be any new treasures we couldn’t live without. It was time for our weekly drive.

Old Beechwood Road by way of Dobson Road provided Sunday afternoon’s sightseeing adventure. I assume Dobson Road, west of Iron River, was named after Sheri since her maiden name is the same. We enjoyed seeing, literally, herds of deer around every corner and the variety of country homes, water, and woods. It was a good drive.

We arrived back to a home that smelled like Heaven… a hint of chili with a touch of peanut butter cookie on the side. Sargie filled a huge bowl and handed it to me. I prefer my chili with raw onion and grated cheese sprinkled on top and hurried to slather butter and peanut butter onto slices of homemade bread. The feast was about to begin.

And eat we did. There are few foods in the world that signal the beginning of a new season like chili. The day had turned cool, the air smelled fresh, a fire was crackling in the stove. All was right in our world and our tummies smiled in agreement.

While enjoying supper, I thought of Dad. He loved chili and Mom made plenty during the fall and winter months. He had a particular fondness for Steak n’ Shake chili and back in the old days, an option was to “float the grease.”

When dining at his favorite fast food restaurant, Dad delighted in telling the waitress to include a ladle of pure grease on top of the thick soup. That was fifty years ago when grease was still good for you. Dad loved his chili.

Saturday wound down by watching television, reading, and enjoying desert. As long as the calories were piling on, we decided it would be foolish to deny ourselves heaping bowls of Moose Tracks ice cream accompanied by peanut butter cookies. I got doubly sinful and squirted chocolate sauce over everything. Perfect.

Sargie has to work from noon to five today. I’ll fiddle around in the barn and naturally, watch the Packers play St. Louis. Hopefully, they’ll put together a winning streak of two games; the first this year. There's wood to cut, popples to chip, and mink and ermine boxes to make. A man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

It's difficult enough trapping small critters. I don't need a bear coming along and messing up my sets!

October 20, 2012

43 degrees – overcast/calm

Pentoga Road

Mmm, I love coffee makers with timers. Last night, I took a step outside my comfort zone, read the little booklet that came inside the carafe, pushed a few buttons, and awakened this morning to the smell of freshly brewed java.

I’ve taught educational technology on the university level for years, so it’s not that I’m technically challenged. I simply hate to read instructions.  I continually push buttons until something happens… or doesn’t. I much prefer large colored instructional pictures, those that a kindergartener could understand.

Until last night, I’ve operated our new Mr. Coffee manually, but no more. Half the fun of going is getting there and waking up to freshly made coffee is worth the trip!

Friday quickly flew by, but they always do when Sargie’s not working. I checked my traps and discovered a bear had messed with my raccoon trap. I’d thrown a lot of old garden vegetables in the area and set up the trail cam so I could catch any action.

It’s a wonder the bruin didn’t get his tongue caught in the coon cuff, a device that requires the raccoon to poke his arm into a tube. I like that type of trap as its dog proof. Obviously, it’s bear proof too.

He's licking the sweet coon lure I'd poured into the trap.

Sargie and I went to her old home to clean. I think we’re down to the stage where we need her sons to come and divvy up what goods are left. Any remaining treasures will go to storage, or to Goodwill. I’m hesitant to say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I think there’s a glimmer out there.

We stopped by Walmart and purchased a few groceries, hamburger being among them. Sargie’s going to make a huge pot of chili today, the first batch of the season. That deserves another Mmmm.

Later

I just got back in after crawling around the space under our living room. I thought I heard the telltale gnawing of a porcupine attempting to make a meal from one of the timbers that keeps the floor from falling onto the ground below. Since it’s dark under there and my vision isn’t as keen as it used to be, I had to get down and crawl around to get a really good view. There wasn’t a porky to been found. On the other hand, I didn’t want to get my face too close to any unknown space. I abhor piercings on today’s youth and certainly don’t want to join their ranks.

We enjoyed dinner at a different Chinese restaurant than we normally go to and thought it was very good. They had some different selections we’d never seen or heard of. I think a lot of their fare was more of a traditional Chinese offering, but we’ll go back, of that I’m certain.

Sargie’s home again today making for a rare two days off in a row. I know she’s making chili and later, we’ll no doubt head into town and go for our weekly drive to explore routes we’ve never navigated. Meanwhile, I’ll check the traps and do what I do best… simply fiddle around. Ah, I should have been a violinist.

So are the tales from Pentoga…

A homeowner has made quite the rock arch and wall around their home in the small village of Loretto, just a few miles from Sargie's old home.

A stronger antenna for internet was put on the house Thursday. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

October 19, 2012 – Friday

43 degrees

Pentoga Road

Somehow, knowing it’s gray and damp outside allows one license to linger in bed a bit longer than usual. Sargie’s not working today, so I was in no hurry to get out of bed.

The boys from the internet provider pulled into the drive on Thursday morning. I guess all my complaining finally spurred them to action, although I have to admit, the company has been good about responding. I now have a super duper antenna on my roof, one that makes the internet connection lightening fast. I was downloading a file last night and had to strap myself into the recliner to keep from being blown out of my seat.

Okay, that was a complete fabrication, but it is fast, it simply quits working for an hour here, two there. Maybe this will solve the problem.

I took my five-mile hike between rain showers and happened into a man who is from Alaska, but owns a small farm and vacation home around the corner. He knows brother Elmer and is very familiar with where my cabin is on the lower Noatak River. In fact, we know many of the same people in the arctic.

Wild stories were traded for well over an hour. A retired game warden, he’s been a contractor for several years and about ready to retire permanently. The man’s a typical Alaskan… a super nice guy.

What are the chances that two Alaskans originally from a tiny spot in the arctic would end up living a mile from each other along the same remote road? What’s more odd is that we both bought homes in the UP. Mine happens to be permanent, his, he enjoys for two or three months a year.

That says a lot for the UP… a place where Alaskans come to play in the woods and on the water. I often think of the UP as Alaska Light.

 I worked on mink and muskrat boxes during the afternoon hours and became so darn frustrated that I finally quit and came inside. I think I see the line on which to cut and there ends up not being one at all. I simply need to slow down and take my time. Patience is something I’ve never possessed too much of, but I’m learning.

Of course, it’s my fault. I dislike using a Sharpie marker for intricate work, so I make my marks with a pencil that simply isn’t dark enough. I think when we come through Iron Mountain today, I’ll stop and purchase some fine-tip Sharpies and see if they won’t work better.

Bait and lure is placed in the back. The sticks are used to stabilize the trap. The mink enters the front, hitting the trigger (upside down V in the middle) and the rest is history.

Sargie closed last night and was late getting home. We dined on hot popcorn in front of the television. Since she didn’t have to work today, we were in no hurry to go to bed. It was a relaxing evening.

I’m going to check the traps after I upload this then we’ll head over to Sargie’s old house to begin cleaning. I hope we can get that all done this weekend. It’s been a process.

I think we’ll stop at the Chinese restaurant in Iron Mountain on our way home and enjoy the buffet. The food is pretty good and there’s always lot of it.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Caught on Tape! Trappers Gone Wild!!

October 18, 2012 – Thursday

50 degrees/rain

Pentoga Road

I just read that Newsweek Magazine is ending its printed format and going all digital online after the first of the year. Several other publications already have and I’d be willing to bet in a few years, there’ll be few, if any, still in print.

I know many universities are now urging their professors to require only digital texts to help save students money and the trend in public schools is to use iPads and other devices rather than books.

Personally? I do all my reading on my Kindle Fire. It was a Christmas present from my son, Matt, and with its ability to enlarge print, meant I could return to the days of reading an occasional novel. I use it daily.

Still, there’s something about a monthly magazine that arrives in the mailbox. I get four; Backpacker, Trapper/Predator Caller, Popular Science, and Popular Mechanics. Three are offered online, but I prefer the printed editions. After all, what would I peruse while visiting the reading room here at home? The back of the porcelain throne would look positively bare without a stack of magazines waiting to be read at a moment’s notice.

Wednesday was an active day. Sargie was out the door shortly before 9 and I left to check the traps. I’d have bet something might have wandered into the waiting sets, but all lay bare. Oh well, it gives me a good reason to get out and into the woods every morning.

My route checking traps on a very foggy Wednesday morning

After arriving home, I changed clothes and took my first of two hikes.  It was warm and felt almost strange with only a t-shirt covering the upper half of my body. Had I thought, I’d have changed from long pants into shorts.

I felt like something was watching me as I trekked down a neighboring remote road. A wood gnome!

The next activity… the living room windows… arg. Sargie and I have long talked about the need to wash them. Between last summer’s hoards of flies and the wood stove, all were filthy. Her drive and hours at work are long and hard and in our spare time, we’ve been busy moving her possessions to Pentoga. There’s simply not been the opportunity to wash windows.

It was warm and sunny. I decided there was no time like the present.

The panes in our living room aren’t easy to remove. One must hold one window while lifting another, turn around three times, whistle Dixie in at least four different keys, and say just the right magic words, for the chance to swipe both sides of the glass.

And speaking of glass, it’s getting brittle. One storm window cracked in my hand while holding it. I wasn’t tugging or lifting. It simply began to crack and eventually, the break ran the entire length, much like a fissure in a windshield.

Still, after four hours, most were clean. We’ll complete the final three windows this fall before cold weather arrives.

I think we’re going to replace some of the panes with large picture windows next spring. These are over twenty years old. The plastic runners on which the windows are set have cracked and as mentioned above, some of the glass in the storms is getting brittle.

There was still two hours until sunset. Sargie wouldn’t be home for at least three. What to do?

Hike!

I’ve wanted to do the country block on which our home and land sits for several years. Looking at a plat map, I calculated it was about seven miles around. Once again, I changed shoes and took the first step.

Tucked off the road... a dream cottage in the woods

It was a wonderful trek and between the two hikes, covering almost thirteen miles, I was happy to get back home to a warm shower and the thoughts of Sargie arriving soon after.

Last night was a quiet affair watching television and enjoying being together.

Sargie is off on Friday and Saturday. We’re going to try to use that time to clean her old house so that chapter can be closed.

Oops, I’m being Skyped. It’s Luke and the grandbabies. They enjoy calling from the breakfast table before the kids hop on the bus for school.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…

Do you ever look at a picture of yourself and be surprised how much you resemble one of your relatives?  Here, I look like my Uncle Buggsy, Dad's baby brother.