A deer in the backyard just after sunrise

June 25, 2018 - Monday evening

63 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

It's been another good day on Pentoga Road, a busy one, but good.

I began this morning by removing the old motor from the lathe in the shop. It wasn't difficult and once separated from the heavy frame, it became  obvious the motor had seen its better days.

Bits of pieces fell into my hand and the motor still had a charred odor dashing any thoughts of an easy repair.

I've been in a tizzy the past several weeks over what to do about the lathe and admittedly, I've had some fairly significant withdrawal pains each time I enter the shop. There are two machines that, to me, symbolize the shop, the scroll saw and the lathe. 

It was time to bite the bullet. A new larger and more powerful machine isn't in my immediate future, so I decided to purchase a new motor for the old lathe at a fraction of the price. I talked at length with the tech department and they seemed confident the generic motor will work and be much more powerful than the old one. It's to arrive on Thursday.

The rest of the day was spent working up the firewood that filled the trailer. The day was cool, there was a good breeze, and best of all, I had a beautiful supervisor who kept me company.

Mom spent much of the day sitting in the nearby sun. Her presence made the day go fast and by late afternoon, the trailer was empty.

It's official, all the firewood needed for next winter is worked up and we can put that chore to rest for another year.

All that remains is to put the tarps over the top of the pile.

Mom and I made a quick trip to town to run errands and found the time to stop for ice cream cones before coming back home.

Mechanic Dave called late this afternoon saying that the brakes on the Equinox look just fine. The fluid was a bit low causing the warning light to occasionally come on in the dash. We'll get the car tomorrow when we're in town.

Sargie just called. She'll be pulling in the drive at any time and is especially happy that she can stay home to help celebrate Mom's 91st birthday tomorrow.

I'm going to begin Mom's birthday with a dentist's appointment at 8 AM. We don't have any plans for during the day, but the three of us will go out to eat tomorrow night. After that, it'll be party time and I can only hope to keep up with the two wild women in my life, Mom and Sargie.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I lied. Just one more peony picture!

Mom's enjoying the beautiful weather by the garden pond Sunday afternoon

June 24, 2018 - Sunday evening

55 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm not certain where today went, but it flew by in a flash.

With Sargie having to work at noon on Sunday, Mom and I had a good day at home. We talked, Mom kept me company off and on as I went about my daily activities, and for a while this afternoon, I even managed to take a short nap. I'm not so sure Mom didn't do the same.

I began the day in the garden as usual. 

I was especially happy to see the first tomato blossom of the year.

It's going to be a long time before we see any ripe fruits, but it's a start. 

The biggest problem I have in raising tomatoes is that they seem to get a fungus every year. We always have more tomatoes than we can use, but the plants are mostly dead before they ripen.

This year's variety is supposed to be disease resistant, but I noticed that a few of the bottom leaves already have some black spots. 

I was surprised to see our mosquito plant blooming.

This is one that we bought a year ago and overwintered down the basement.

After a morning spent in the garden, I moved my attentions to finishing mowing the trails and back meadows. For the first time this year, the entire yard, trails, and meadows are cut at one time.

I have Sargie to thank for the time she spent on the mower over the past couple of days. Everything is mowed and the garden beds are weeded. 

I turned my attentions to patching the drive. The frost heaves really played havoc with the blacktop this spring causing multiple cracks. 

There are still more to fill before I can seal the drive later this summer in preparation for next winter.

The strawberry bed was weeded this afternoon. I'm tickled how well the plants are doing, especially after they spent a full two months in the refrigerator waiting for the snow to melt and the ground to thaw after being shipped.

I'm picking a few berries off the new plants, but we won't get many this year. 

It's recommended that all the blossoms be plucked from first year plants and I used to do that, but it's been my experience that it makes no difference in their vitality. They'll send out runners over the next few weeks and the beds will be filled. I'm hoping for a good harvest next summer.

I enjoy growing large vegetables. In fact, it's become a bit of an obsession for me. This year's giant is the rhubarb.

Some of the leaves are the size of an elephant's ear, certainly the largest I've ever seen.

Of course, this late in the season, the stalks are too large and tough to be of any use for cooking. Still, the plants are beautiful and add to the garden scenery.

Hard to believe this patch came from two little plants purchased from the local hardware store seven years ago for $2 each.

The dash lights in the Equinox have been showing it needs a brake job. We took the car to town tonight to drop it off at my friend, Dave's, to be checked. I want good brakes before we drive Mom back to Indiana!

Supper tonight was one of our better ones. I grilled pork chops outside while Sargie cut up and made all the fixings for a vegetable salad.

If anyone was hungry after tonight's meal, it's their own fault. 

Sargie works from 11 AM to 8 PM Monday. No doubt, Mom and I will find plenty to do, gab a bunch, and maybe it will be a repeat of today. We might even sneak a nap in sometime in the afternoon!

After all, a man's work, and that of his mama's, is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I added more charcoal to the balsam tree stump tonight and the last I checked, it was still smoldering down deep inside.

Our beautiful granddaughter, Abigail.
The day of 8th grade graduation.

June 23, 2018 - Saturday evening

66 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I feel sorry for all the other grandpas in the world who can't claim Abba as their granddaughter. My oldest grandbaby will be going to high school next year. 

Baby brother, Coleman, who is going into sixth grade, and Abba

Congratulations, sweetheart! We're so proud of you.

Saturday was a busy one on Pentoga Road. Neighbor Mike called early to borrow the high pressure washer. Within minutes, the boy was busy cleaning his deck.

I checked on the progress of the stump that I'd set on fire last night. It burned deeply into the core, but there's still plenty of wood left for more fires.

Sargie was up early saying she wanted to finish mowing the lawn. While she was doing that, I returned to the garden and resumed weeding.

I promise. This is the last peony picture. They're at their peak and will soon be finished blooming.

 The garden is looking good, almost too good. Other than a few insect problems, SO FAR, it's the best garden I've had in several years. 

As any gardener will tell you, it ain't over until it's over. Rain, drought, heat, cold, insects... all could dramatically change the growing season in short order.

Macrea asked if we'd like to come over for a swim and visit. He recently purchased an above ground pool and since the day was warm, we figured why not?!

Mel was babysitting for her niece, Braelyn. It didn't take long for Sargie to hold and cuddle the little girl.

Braelyn was born prematurely three months ago and weighed only two pounds. I'm happy to say that she now weighs in at seven pounds and is doing well.

Mom also enjoyed her time with Braelyn.

Of course, Hambone and I, later Mommy and Daddy, spent some time in the pool after enjoying pizza for lunch.

The water was warm and we enjoyed swimming, playing, and splashing.

The afternoon was drawing to a close. With lots of hugs, kisses, and I love you's, we headed back to Pentoga Road.

We weren't far from home when Yooper Brother Mark called and asked if we wanted to go for a boat ride. He didn't have to ask twice.

Sheri and Sargie

 With Captain Mark at the helm, we took our time and cruised around the shoreline looking at the camps and beautiful houses.

Mark, Mom, and me

 The sun was getting low in the west by the time we loaded the pontoon boat onto the trailer and headed for home.



Sargie works on Sunday from noon to five. I'm going to finish mowing the trails and we'll be able to call that job finished for the week. No doubt, Mom will supervise. She does that well.

It's time to think about heading to bed. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Grandma's supervising Friday's activities from the back deck

June 22, 2018 - Friday evening

69 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

We just finished a fantastic summertime-type meal of brat patties, Sargie's macaroni salad, and fresh asparagus from the garden. If Mom or Sargie would carry me up the stairs, I could probably go to sleep for the night.

Today's been a busy one. I began by spraying herbicide in several places that had gotten out of control. The rain of this past week has kicked everything into overdrive. The lawn, garden, and of course, the weeds, are growing like crazy.

I don't want to say I panicked, but I pride myself on how the lawn and garden usually look. I could hardly wait until this morning so I could mow and begin weeding.

A new pump and filter was purchased for the garden pond while in Indiana and assembled this morning.The goldfish are doing just fine and the water is clearing up nicely.

I spent most the day trimming the yard, then weeding the garden and flower beds.

I'm feeling much better tonight knowing that the garden is back under control.

Mom enjoyed the first strawberry of the year

After greasing the mower (using the new grease gun) the three of us ran a couple of errands in town. 

Back home, Sargie spent the rest of the afternoon mowing.

She not only mowed the yard around the house, but also the front meadow and much of the main trail.

Meanwhile, I was back in the garden thinning the beets. I saved the tops and we'll have boiled beet greens one of these nights with our supper.

Beet greens taste much like boiled spinach and we find them delicious.

By afternoon's end, much of the garden had been weeded. 

The mailman brought a deflated kickball in today's mail. I wasn't sure what Sargie had ordered, especially after she plastered it on my head.

I'm not sure who laughed harder, Mom or Sargie.

Mississippi Brother Garry had mentioned last week that he was trying to burn an unwanted stump by filling it with lighted charcoal and letting it burn all night. If it works in Mississippi, it ought to work in the UP.




The last I checked, it was smoking and slowly eating its way through the remains of the rotten spruce tree.



I'd like to finish mowing the meadows and trails Saturday morning. I've heard some talk about  going over to Hambone's house sometime during the day. He's been so excited to see Grandma Hedy and even mentioned that maybe he could come over and they could sleep together. 

Ah Hambone.

It's time to get this uploaded and think about enjoying a late evening bowl of ice cream.

A Japanese Iris

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Look who we found in Indiana?
It's Mom! 

June 22, 2018 - Friday

46 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Mom was standing by the curb at her senior complex, waiting for us Wednesday afternoon. I'd called when we reached Terre Haute and she was going to make sure we were properly greeted.

Ah, it was good to see Mommy. We had a good conversation before enjoying dinner with "the girls" in the dining room.

Darn it, I missed getting a picture of Phyllis, one of Mom's friends, but Marian, a great friend and wonderful lady, sat with us at our table.

Sweetheart's all, I enjoyed the conversations, but most of all, the hugs and kisses. Golly, I love those ladies. They took such good care of me when Mom was so sick last year. Best of all, they love and take care of each other.

We left around 8 Thursday morning and drove home in heavy rain almost all day. The worst area was around Madison, Wisconsin, where we sat dead still over an hour and a half in a construction area. The usual nine to ten hour drive turned into a twelve hour stop and start journey.

Earlier in the week...

I had a wonderful birthday on Tuesday. 

Sargie gave me an Amazon gift card plus two great gifts, a new pocket camera to replace the old one that is about worn out and an electric grease gun.

Grandma Sargie used some wrapping paper left over from Hambone's birthday. I don't think he'll mind.

Sargie said she was always watching me carry around an old fashioned grease gun to lube whatever piece of machinery I was using at the time. Unfortunately, I usually managed to get as much on me as the machinery I was greasing. I didn't know there was such a thing as an electric grease gun, but it's going to be really nice. Since we left early Wednesday morning for Indiana, I haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. I will!

Sargie and I were busy on Tuesday. We cleaned Mom's car inside and out and got rid of all the winter's grime and made it road ready.



I spent time finishing the porch railings.



I could have used a larger deck railing, but decided to go with the smaller one...  just something different. I also reinforced the steps so Mom can go bounding up and down unfettered.



We left at 5:15 Wednesday morning and made great time all the way to Indiana. Construction was heavy, but traffic moved right along.

The courthouse in Terre Haute, Indiana

After eating supper with Mom and her friends, Sargie and I made a quick trip to the mall and Sam's Club for household supplies.



Needless to say, we slept well Wednesday night.

Driving home Thursday, we broke out of the heavy rain just two hours south of Pentoga Road last night. The farms in northern Wisconsin made picture perfect sights.



Mom and I were up fairly early this morning and have enjoyed our coffee and gab session. Since Sargie's vacation is winding down, I told her to sleep as late as she can. No doubt, she'll be coming down the stairs before too long.

I'm heading out to the garden pretty shortly. The pond needs attending and the weeds are growing like.... weeds. Later today, I'll begin mowing the lawn. With all the rain that's fallen in the past week (five and a half inches) it too is growing out of control.

More peonies framed by asparagus ferns for Aunt Joanne. They grow all around the yard and garden.

Mom has her iPad in hand loaded with a good book and her favorite solitaire game. 

It's time to move along and get this day started.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...