November 18, 2018 - Sunday evening
19 degrees/cloudy/calm winds
Pentoga Road

It's been a lazy day on Pentoga Road. I thought I'd write tonight so I can ride a few miles down the road with Sargie in the morning on her way to work before walking back. 

It was a pleasant hike to Pentoga Village and back this morning. The temperature was in the single numbers, but the sun was bright and the wind fairly calm.



I started a fire in the wood furnace before Sargie and I left for town late in the morning. We made a stop by the deli and purchased chicken and ham, then enjoyed a leisurely ride around the countryside. 

Seems all but the biggest lakes are frozen over.



I assumed there'd only be a skim of ice, but after heaving several large rocks towards the middle, none broke through the surface. It appears the ice is a solid inch thick.



Back home, I carried in wood then spent quite a while in the shop working on the Thanksgiving piece. All but one word and a bit of interior trim are finished. 

Sargie and I spent this evening like we usually do this time of year, by the wood stove.

She closes Monday evening. After my walk, I'll be returning to the shop and will hopefully finish sawing before beginning sanding. The next step after that will be staining the piece, then painting a background and mounting it.

Up to four inches of snow are forecast to fall beginning late tonight into tomorrow. I guess it's true, winter really has arrived. No doubt I'll be shoveling and plowing the white stuff before day's end.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

A hollyhock from last summer

It's a race with the clock to see if the Thanksgiving piece will be finished by Thursday

November 18, 2018 - Sunday morning

0 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

After several days of flirting with the big zero mark, the mercury officially hit it this morning. It's pretty out there, but as Dad used to say, "It's just a bit nippy."

Jambo just called on his way home to Marquette and said our local lake is finally frozen over. Assuming we don't have a big warm up, we could be ice fishing in the next week to ten days. Personally, I'm in no hurry.

Saturday began with the usual walk. The four and a half miles went by quickly.

I thought there might be deer hunters crawling all over each other and so I wore plenty of blaze orange as a precautionary measure. I saw only one vehicle parked during the entire distance. All the manly-men (and women) hunters must have been sleeping in Saturday morning.

I lit a fire in the wood furnace before heading up the hill for a quick visit with Jambo. Seems the bucks have disappeared with the camp recording zero kills. Though the boys have all gone home, there's still plenty of time left for someone to bring home the meat.

The rest of the day was spent in the shop, mostly working on the Thanksgiving piece. 

I'm hoping, no I'm praying, that it will be finished by Thursday. The letters will be cut out today, then there's the teeny inside trim to cut. After all that, the inside sanding begins. Also, there's a couple of places where I made mistakes or the wood broke through that will need repair. It's going to be a race to the finish line.

I laminated more pieces onto the pig before coming in last night. There are still two more to go before I can begin carving by hand. As long as it's done by Christmas, I'm not in any big hurry to get the piggy bank finished. 

Sargie was home early last night. I'd made a pot of potato soup for supper and with full bellies and knowing she didn't have to work today, we were happy to sit by the wood stove and watch tv.

So that's about all the news from this end. I'm going to strap on my hikers, don my mittens and heavy clothes, and go for a walk in the next few minutes. I'm planning on spending part of the day in the shop and will let Sargie dictate what the rest will bring. 

Time to get hiking.

After all, man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Can you see me now? How 'bout now? Now?

Middle School typing class 

 November 17, 2018 - Saturday morning
23 degrees/cloudy/calm winds
Pentoga Road

Had I not written Friday morning, I'd have probably skipped today. After two days of substitute teaching, theres not a lot to write about.

Both Thursday and Friday went well in the classroom. The kiddies were well behaved and I only had to flash my Mean Mr. P face once.

I had to laugh, it was in 7th grade English. A girl was talking and everyone was quiet except her. The poor Chatty Kathy was clueless that she was the recipient of the now-famous look.

The class would look at her, then me, then back to her. Suddenly, one concerned boy who couldn't take it any longer said in a rather loud voice, "Sarah, be quiet! Mr. P is giving you that look."

I think what he really meant was, "Quick, run and save yourself while there's still time."

Ah, despite the wrinkles and old man face that have developed in my senior years, even after twenty years of not being active in the public school classroom, I still have the look. 

I have to brag a bit. At one time, many many years ago, I had one of the largest marching bands in Maine, around one hundred-forty members strong. It was just me and them. I was able quiet all my charges without saying a word. All it took was the look. 

I've always been known for my classroom management skills, even taught that subject for years at the university level. Dad had the look. Grandma, a long time one-room schoolhouse teacher, also had the look. It's a family thing.

I arrived home last night, carried in wood, got a fire started, then didn't move off the couch. Sargie walked through the door shortly after and we both collapsed in front of the wood stove. Another week gone by!

She opens today, but has tomorrow off. I'm going for my walk first thing then head to the shop for the day. Thanksgiving will soon be here and the piece I've been working on is at least a day, maybe two, away from being finished.

Oh, I didn't get to see the guys at the deer camp last night, but as of yesterday morning, no one had had any success. I have the feeling there may be more eating, gabbing, and taking naps, going on across the road than actual hunting. I'll find out today.

Time to get the day started.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

No longer called typing, "keyboard" instruction is all done digitally. It must work. The students have remarkable skills.

A night at deer camp.
Jambo, Terry, George

I figured I'd better write tonight as I'll be out of here bright and early Thursday morning in the name of education. Tomorrow, I'll be Florence, Wisconsin's newest middle school language arts teacher, a subject I actually know something about.

I was just looking at the picture above. Boy, talk about change. I well remember when deer camp meant eating steak, fried potatoes, drinking copious amounts of beer, and trying to peer through a haze of cigarette smoke while playing penny poker around an old, castoff, kitchen table. 

We'd laugh, play cards, but mostly we'd party into the wee hours of the morning, all in the name of deer hunting.

It wasn't much fun to get up an hour or two later. Every day at deer camp I swore that night would be different, that I'd go to bed early and get a good night's sleep. It never happened. Thankfully, deer camp only came once a year. My body couldn't have taken any more than that.

Times have changed. It appears my generation has grown up.

Tonight we had a Greek delicacy followed by our choice of zucchini or molasses bread, coffee, and I enjoyed a can of my favorite ginger ale. I don't want to say my generation is getting old, but deer camp has sure changed over the past forty years.

The best part of tonight's deer camp? Pure friendship. We may not have partied into the wee hours of the morning, but we made some wonderful memories. 

Deer camp has never been better.

Today was a busy, but good, one. I began with the usual four and a half mile stroll. With the sun bright and a diminished wind, there were deer everywhere, including the large buck pictured below. 

I wonder if anyone's told him tomorrow's the opening day of deer season? Though it's difficult to see in the picture, the buck had a huge rack, one that any hunter would be happy to hang on his wall.

Once home, I started a fire in the wood furnace then took off for town. The auto parts store had the parts I needed, so they were dropped off at Mechanic Dave's on my way home. I received a text from him a short while ago saying the Kia is finished and ready to go. I know that will make Sargie happy as its gas mileage is double that of the Blazer.

The rest of the day was spent in the shop, mostly working on the Thanksgiving scroll saw piece and later, the pig.

I slowed everything way down and so far, have managed to side step any fatal errors.

It's amazing how many different type of blades are used on just one piece. Seems I'm continually switching one out for another, depending on the type of cut needed.

I grew tired of sawing, so it was onto the pig. The last middle piece was glued earlier. It was time to sand the interior, the part that will hold the money.

The oscillating sander is a perfect machine for inside sanding jobs. It works two ways by going round and up and down simultaneously. 

The last pig chore of the afternoon was to glue one of the two outer side pieces onto the the blank. I'll soon be ready to glue the rest then begin the actual carving.

Neighbor Mike called early this evening saying supper was ready. Since Sargie had to close and wouldn't be home until late, he didn't have to tell me twice.

We had a great meal. George, originally from Greece, a retired educator, and quite the chef, made Greek Lasagna. It was absolutely delicious.

George, being the thoughtful guy that he is, sent some home for Sargie as she really likes his cooking. She's in for a treat as soon as she walks through the door.

As mentioned previously, Sargie's off tomorrow, but I'll be teaching school. Though I'd much rather be at home with her, I am grateful for the work. Between the mechanic's costs, new tires, needing to order a tank of fuel oil, the trips to Milwaukee, and the upcoming holidays, the timing for substitute teaching is near perfect.

Sargie just called and is on her way home. It's time to warm up some of George's Greek culinary magic and fix her supper.

Wednesday night's sunset

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

 Ivy's either making a snow angel or she's all done in after making a snowman.
It appears northern Maine has had a significant amount of snow already this fall.

Hey, it worked for me during my band director days!
Thanks to my friend and former life long band parent, Eileen, for sending this.

November 14, 2018 - Wednesday

12 degrees/calm winds/partly cloudy

Pentoga Road

Once again, I'm up way too early. I don't know, seems I can hardly keep my eyes open past nine each evening, but anytime after four AM becomes fair game to rise and shine. I wish Sargie and I could get on the same time clock. She disdains the early morning hours.  

I've always been an early riser. Mom is fond of telling the story how, when I was small, I wakened in the wee hours of the morning and wandered into their bedroom in search of someone to talk with. Failing to achieve a conversation, I was happy to serenade each.  Neither Mom or Dad were too keen on entertaining a four year old chatterbox so they surrounded my bed with toys and books with the hope I'd entertain myself. 

It must have worked. Over sixty years later, I'm still alive and kicking. 

I don't know what it is. I lie in bed each morning staring up at the ceiling, thinking how I'm wasting the day by remaining between the sheets. I've always deemed sleep as a necessity, not recreational. 

I usually start my in-bed day with a pillow prayer, giving thanks for the day before and praying that I don't make too many bonehead moves during the waking hours ahead. I move from there to planning out the day, what I'd like to do and what chores need to be done.

Then I get to thinking and thinking, then thinking some more. It's dangerous to ponder any subject that much. I'm simply not all that bright. 

My mind seizes on one teeny, tiny, minuscule, thought and refuses to let go. It becomes an obsession and whatever I'm obsessing about grows and gets bigger like a piece of tough beef steak that one's chewed on forever and still can't swallow.

Pulling the blankets up and punching myself in the face in an attempt to knock myself unconscious isn't the answer, so here it is, barely past 6 AM and I've been up for an hour and a half. 

Tuesday began with a very chilly morning walk. The temperature was hovering around 12 degrees and the wind was blowing.

Even with my delicate cheeks turning rosy red, walking felt good and the four and a half miles were completed no worse for the wear.

I journeyed to town to run some errands only to find the wheel bearings that were supposed to be in yesterday were never ordered. The man at the auto parts store apologized and promised they'd have them first thing this morning.

My next stop was to settle a bill for work done on the Blazer, but found I owed nothing. The fuel pump was still under warrantee and covered the labor as well as the pump.

Happy that I still had some money left in my pocket, but fairly disgusted that my trip to town was for naught, I returned home to what I thought would be a warm shop. Seemed the fire in the wood furnace never really took off and the shop was ice cold.

It was too chilly to do any careful sawing or turning. I've been wanting to improve on the dust collecting system for the scroll saw, so I took the table off and did some experimenting. 



So far, so good.

The fire finally took off in the wood furnace and after alternating working then blowing on my hands for an hour, wonderful, beautiful, heat poured into the shop. I was set to begin sawing the Thanksgiving piece.

What was that? I was looking on the internet for some additional Thanksgiving ideas when I spotted plans to make a wooden piggy bank.

Who doesn't love a piggy bank? 

Matter of fact, I've wanted to get a miniature pet pig for sometime. We'd name him something original, like... Porky... and he'd be our friend. I would teach him tricks, write about our adventures together, and he could serve as our watch pig.

Unfortunately, Sargie doesn't have the same urge to acquire a mini Porky. She's even gone as far as to say a rather emphatic, "NO!" 

I'm not seeing a lot of wiggle room in her response. 

I digressed. Meanwhile, back to the shop...

I replaced any ideas of Turkey Day for those spent in the hog lot of life. That piggy bank would be mine. Oh yes, by all that is holy, I will make that piggy bank.

First, I had to cut out a jillion pieces, four of them shaped like a pig.

Note the hollow interior. That's where all the millions of dollars will be deposited.

Then came the gluing and clamping process. It will take several days to get Porky laminated to the point where I can begin to shape and carve some features into him.



We spent a quiet evening last night on Pentoga Road. With the wind blowing and the temperature dropping, the house seemed chilly. Sargie and I were happy to sit near the the wood stove.

Sargie closes the Vision Center tonight. I'm going for my usual walk then will start a fire in the wood furnace. Hopefully, it will take this time. While it's warming the shop, I'll make one more drive to town in an effort to purchase the wheel bearings needed for Sargie's Kia. 

Mike and the boys will be coming to the camp sometime today in anticipation of tomorrow's opening of deer season. When I'm not working in the shop, I hope to catch up with the camp news, sip some coffee, and listen to a few stories.

I've agreed to substitute teach on Thursday and Friday. Tomorrow I'll be the middle school language arts teacher and Friday, the high school business teacher. Certainly it's not the best way to spend the opening of deer season, but definitely more profitable.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

I don't care how you say it, it's cold outside... and in the house too!

November 13, 2018 - Tuesday

13 degrees/cloudy skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I noticed the house seemed a bit nippier than usual when I rose from bed a while ago. No wonder. The mercury is dipping closer and closer to the zero degree mark with each passing day.

Worry not, we're not freezing inside. A fire is blazing in the wood stove and the temperature in the house is quickly approaching 75 degrees. 

I almost didn't write this morning as Monday was a lazy one. Sargie was off and we quickly agreed that it would be a shame to waste the opportunity to be downright slovenly. That was us yesterday.

My morning began with a stroll to Pentoga Village and back. With deer season beginning on Thursday, I saw all kinds of town people cruising up and down Pentoga Road in search of a place to hunt. Since we're surrounded by hundreds of acres of public land, there's no shortage of space.

Back home, Sargie and I had a quick breakfast before we headed to town to run an errand or two and get her Coke. 

Coming home, we noticed the lakes are getting sluggish and the water thicker in preparation of turning to ice.

Look closely and you'll see ice hanging from the lower branches

Only the wind is keeping the lake at the end of the road from freezing.

We noticed one of the larger ponds nearby is almost completely frozen over. Ice fishing season is just around the corner.

So the day went. I installed a new battery on the red four-wheeler before plowing a couple of inches of light fluffy snow from the drive. Otherwise, it was an afternoon spent covered with a blanket in front of the television while looking up holiday recipes and watching Youtube turning videos.

It's an exciting life we lead on a lazy afternoon.

Sargie's back to work today and opens the Vision Center this morning.  I'll ride partway with her and walk the five miles back home. A fire will be started in the wood furnace before I leave so hopefully, the shop will be warm by the time I return. Todays goal is to carve a wooden bank that actually looks like a pig. 

Yeah, we'll see how that one turns out.

Meanwhile, it's time to pack Sargie's lunch and get breakfast on the table.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

It must be winter. All the docks have been pulled from the area lakes.

With the temperatures so warm and the grass so green, Sargie spent most of Sunday catching nice-sized bass.

November 12, 2018 - Monday morning

21 degrees/cloudy/snow showers/breezy

Pentoga Road

Yeah, well, neither Sargie or I went fishing yesterday. In fact, all it will take is one night of calm air, accompanied by single digit temperatures, to seal the lake with a covering of ice. It very well could be next May before we see a liquid surface again.

So why the picture? It's not easy coming up with new daily photos. With that in mind, I've decided to occasionally select a few random snap shots from the past.

We currently have both feet firmly planted in an early winter mode. Everything outside our windows appears to be black or white or gray. So, why not upload a picture with an expanded pallet of colors?

Boom, for a few short moments, it's summer again.

Sunday came and went in the blink of an eye. Macrea, Grady, and Sargie, all left within a few minutes of each other, but not before Macrea treated us to some wonderful omelets. 

I passed the secret of omelet making to Macrea. I learned it from my oldest son, Josh, who taught me many many years ago while he was a cadet at the US Coast Guard Academy. Now, it will be up to Macrea to ensure the highly guarded, treasured, family culinary heirloom is passed along to Grady when he's old enough to responsibly make omelets.

We don't take our omelets lightly in this family.

With the house once again quiet and only myself to keep company with, I fired up the wood furnace and made my way to the shop. Most the time was spent preparing wood and scroll saw patterns, making each ready to saw.

I worked until kickoff time for the Green Bay game then came back in the house. The rest is history. 

There was a fire crackling in the wood stove, a hot cup of tea by my side, a warm and fuzzy blankie tucked under my chin, and the game playing in the background.

I awakened shortly before halftime to see the Packers were ahead. It was tough, but I managed to stay awake throughout the second half and coach them onto victory.

Sargie was home early and we had a quiet evening spent in front of the television set.

Today. Hmm, what does today have in store? 

Sargie's off today. Like any wise husband who's graduated from the college of hard husbandly knocks, I'll leave our daily activities up to her. I need to get back into the walking mode, so while she's sleeping, I'm going to strap on the hikers, don the heavy clothes, and stroll to Pentoga Village and back. Afterwards, the sky's the limit.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Niece, Aubrey (middle) in last spring's dance recital