It appears the buds of the popple (aspen) trees are about to burst open in downtown Pentoga Village.

April 24, 2019 - Wednesday

33 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I just discovered that yesterday's writing wasn't uploaded. I was running short of time Tuesday morning and seems I forgot to push the button. Oh well, it'll appear at the bottom of today's blathering.

As much as I keep saying I'm finished with substitute teaching for the year, I find myself back in one classroom or the other in Florence. Yesterday was spent with the fourth grade and I enjoyed every minute of my Bobkitty time. The students are as polite as they can be and the day flew by.

Back home, I trekked to Pentoga Village. Even with the possibility of snow in the forecast for later this coming weekend, it appears winter is definitely on the wane.

For the most part, the ground is bare and seems to be drying nicely.

Even Lake Pentoga has quit overflowing its banks and the river that's been running alongside the garden has disappeared.

What I like best are the swollen buds on many of the bushes and trees. Yup, spring's in the air.

Sargie was home early last night and we had our usual quiet evening spent in front of the television. 

Today's one that I've looked forward to, yet dreaded, for a long time. We're going to insulate the foundation under the porch and replace the lattice on the front. The old has been destroyed by the ice and snow that fell from the roof.

The last time I worked with lattice, it consisted of thin wooden strips, all stapled together. Now, it is made from vinyl and assuming one likes white, doesn't have to be painted. Since it is flexible, the four by eight pieces are easy to transport. 

As for insulating, normally, applying a specialized foam board to the part of a foundation showing above ground level would be a walk in the park. Unfortunately, we have a front porch that is five feet wide and thirty five feet long in the way.



The boards of the porch are attached with long, barbed, decking nails which make removing the boards in one piece extremely difficult. 



Still, I'm going to try. If prying isn't successful, I'll have to crawl underneath and in some places work with only an inch or two of free space over my head.

Sargie's off today and will be assisting, mostly cutting the foam from above and sliding it to me underneath. Best case scenario, we'll get this baby done in an hour or two and feel mighty good about it. Worst case? Well, come back tomorrow and I'm sure you'll be able to read all about it.

It's time to strap on the hikers and do a quick five miles; you know, get into a pregame mental state of mind for the rest of the day.

A woodpecker pecked this tree in half

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Oh yeah, since we have to remove the timbers around the closest flower bed to replace the lattice, there's also a bit of snow in the way

April 23, 2019 - Tuesday

37 degrees/clouds/windy
Pentoga Road

No pictures this morning. Matter, of fact, there's little time. Regardless of my oath to swear off teaching for the year, I'm back to Florence Elementary for a day with the fourth grade Bobkitties. Might as well. It's too wet to do anything outside.

With rain falling intermittently throughout the day, Monday was a slow one. I took my early morning walk and was caught in a downpour. Thankfully, I didn't melt.

Sargie and I went to Iron Mountain later in the morning where we purchased the lattice to go around the bottom of the front porch. As of now, I'm planning on insulating the foundation and putting on the lattice work tomorrow. Sargie's off and she said she'd help by sliding whatever is needed to me from on top. 

We stopped by Tom and Melinda's on the way home and picked up the red four wheeler. Tom had serviced it for the season and it's now ready for another year summertime activity.

The rest of the day was spent inside, mostly watching tv or gabbing. 

Last night was productive. I booked reservations and camping spots in Pictured Rocks National Park for a four day/three night, forty-two mile hike in June for Macrea and me. Having shed fifty pounds, the boy's anxious to try out his new body and put a few miles under his feet. I'm looking forward to the stroll along Lake Superior and our time together.

Sargie's working today, but is off tomorrow. The same can be said for me. Well... I may not be subbing on Wednesday, but not working? 

C'mon. We all know that a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Andy and Ivy

April 22, 2019 - Monday morning

41 degrees/cloudy/breezy

Pentoga Road

Amazing. Easter's come and gone for another year and now our sights are set firmly on summer. I know as we grow older, time seems to fly faster and faster, but it's flying way too fast. Won't be long and we'll be wondering where the summer went, but let's not talk about that right now.

Easter was a very laid back affair on Pentoga Road. Recovering from the celebration and gluttony of Saturday's gathering, I went for my usual morning walk. I feel as though I'm getting my summer hiking legs (and lungs) and later realized that I couldn't recall walking up the very steep hill coming out of Pentoga Village. In year's past, I've had to stop to catch my breath before reaching the top.

Sargie and I made our way to Rhinelander later in the morning and spent the afternoon shopping at Menards Lumber, a large home supply store.

I purchased a single hung, factory second, window for the garden house at a significant discount.

It will be mounted in the middle with a window that was previously in the living room on each side.

Other than household items and other goodies too numerous to mention, we shopped for potential roofing for the garden house.

I'm uncertain what the color of the roofing will be as the picking and choosing falls into Sargie's area of responsibility.

My mama didn't have no dummy.

Back home, Sargie busied herself making trail mix from ten different bags of goodies.

As most may know, commercial trail mix is very costly. We found a special that featured ten bags of all the right ingredients for ten dollars. It was Sargie who suggested we purchase those and make our own. Her mama didn't have no dummy either!

The heavy rain that was forecast had yet to begin so Sargie and I made our way to the orchard where we dug two sand cherry bushes to transplant elsewhere.

They were just sticks when I put them in the ground several years ago, but have grown substantially since and were crowding everything around them out. 

We transplanted the bushes by the wood sheds and storage area and hope they'll make a nice hedge in that area.



Poor Jambo. Today's the opening of turkey season and I know he's sitting out in a wet field, covered in camouflage, chirping, in hopes that a big ol' Tom turkey will come strutting towards him.

A few minutes ago, I was scared out of my wits when a huge Tom turkey, chasing a feathered harem, let go with a resounding gobble on the other side of the outside wall, just a few feet from where I'm sitting. All I had to shoot him with was my camera.



Sargie's off today. I'm going for a quick walk before we head over to Tom and Melinda's to pick up the four wheeler and trailer. I think from there we'll head onto Iron Mountain so I can purchase some lattice to go around the bottom of the front porch. Sometime this week, I want to crawl under and insulate the foundation before attaching the new lattice and be able to call that job finished.

We received .7 of an inch of rain overnight, but so far, Lake Pentoga hasn't risen. In fact, it shrank a bit overnight. More rain is forecast for today and the flood warning is still in effect, but so far so good.

Speaking of rain, I better get to walking before the overhead floodgates open again.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

He has Risen! 

April 21, 2019 - Easter Sunday Morning

44 degrees/cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Happy Easter to all. It's a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

I'm not a regular church goer, don't pretend to be, and I try hard not to wear my beliefs on my sleeve. I find those who have to remind everyone that they are Christians are often those who should probably take a good, long, look in a mirror.

That being said, I find that Easter Sunday is the one day of the year that I feel almost guilty for not regularly attending church. I miss a good old fashioned sunrise service, the choir singing The Holy City, the true joy of celebration, even the colors of the day. 

My very good friend and baby brother, the Reverend Dr. Pat Sheahan, a Presbyterian cleric, would be disappointed if he didn't hear me say at least once today, "God bless Baby Jesus." 

Amen and Amen.

We learned yesterday of the passing of a good friend of Mom's. Phyllis lived in the same community as Mom and was not only Mom's buddy, but also mine. A retired librarian, Phyllis and I occasionally exchanged emails and when visiting Mom, we always sat at the same table in the dining room and caught up on life. We're all going to miss Phyllis.

The world's loss is Heaven's gain.

Proceeding onward...

Luke sent a great picture of Abba and Coleman. The family is spending some time playing tourists in Boston this Easter weekend.

My oldest grandbabies are growing up so fast. I'm looking forward to the day when Sargie is finished working so we can make occasional trips to Maine and spoil them just a bit before they are all grown up.

As most know, I enjoy playing in my shop while fashioning one thing or the other. When it comes to true craftsmanship however, I look up to Mississippi Brother Garry. He recently made this yarn bowl for his sister, Ruthie. 

I see some of Garry's work and realize what a true amateur I am. (I'm also wondering if eating Ritz crackers with a slice of cheese might be his secret to success?)

Well, lookie what ol' Yooper Brother Mark drug home! The boy sold his old side-by-side and bought himself a brand, spankin' new one. 

I'm told this one has all the amenities including roll up windows, a heated cab, radio, windshield wipers, and even comes with air conditioning!

I don't see Mark going out "muddin'" or hauling too much fire wood in his new baby.

Saturday was the big Milligan Easter Celebration hosted by nephew Garth and his lovely wife, Courtney, in Iron Mountain. 

Ol' Hambone, complete with tie and vest, had just found an Easter egg.

We talked and laughed, ate, enjoyed watching the little ones hunt Easter eggs, and all appreciated the most perfect day. With a high of seventy degrees, the sun was bright and there wasn't a hint of wind.

Grandma Sargie's helping to direct traffic

The gathering broke up later in the afternoon. With full bellies and smiles, we made our way back to Pentoga Road.

I was so full of ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, and other goodies that I decided to walk around outside to ease some of the fullness.

The best surprise of the day was discovering that the thornless blackberries in the orchard made it through the cold and snowy winter months.

The nursery sent the wrong order a year ago, thornless blackberries that are meant to grow in a warmer Zone 5 or above. Pentoga Road lies in a much colder Zone 3 and even flirts with an occasional Zone 2, the coldest growing conditions possible. 

Frustrated, there was little doubt that left to winter over without any assistance, the three berry bushes would freeze and die. I decided to take nature in hand and covered each with copious amounts of dead leaves last fall, two to three feet deep.

I was so happy to uncover the plants last night and see that not only had they lived, but a couple even had leaves. 

Hey, the way the weather's been, we'll take our victories when we can get them, even if they come in very small doses.

I shouldn't brag. The water is just beginning to recede from the garden and I was trying to be optimistic until this popped up on my computer screen:

Yeah, well, as I said, we'll take our victories when we can get them.

Jambo and Germaine are down for the weekend and we enjoyed a wonderful walk and visit last evening with our good friends. I'm not sure who's looking forward to the coming summer months more, Jambo or me.

Sargie and I are taking off for Rhinelander later today. It's become an Easter tradition that we enjoy a leisurely drive into Wisconsin and do a bit of shopping at the local Menard's Lumber. Windows are on sale this weekend and I'd like to find two or three inexpensive barn windows for the back wall of the garden house.

It's time to strap on those hikers and put a few miles beneath my feet before the rain starts. I'm certain there's an extra inch of mashed potatoes, gravy, and ham, around my middle that wasn't there before yesterday's meal.

So, from both Sargie and me, we wish all a Happy Easter. 

Hambone, Uncle Cale, and Grandma Sargie

As always, remember...

... that a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Little Lincoln will tell you that the very best Easter meals come in a bottle!

Westley, Emerson, Bennett
Glad to see Wes takes after his daddy

April 20, 2019 - Saturday morning

33 degrees/sunny/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Greetings from the shores of Lake Pentoga!

The water continues to rise and we can now do some serious river kayaking as well as paddling to the back of our property.

I'm seriously considering opening a duck B&B, a place where our feathered aquatic friends can pause overnight on their way north. 

I don't mind them swimming across the lake, but I'm resentful when they feel obligated to leave their residue on the drive or in the yard.

I took the following picture a few minutes ago and have a notion to go outside and tell the boy to clean up after himself. I don't appreciate stepping in duck droppings on my way to and from the mailbox.

Friday was filled with nonstop action on and off Pentoga Road. In fact, when I finally did come inside later in the afternoon, I plopped in my recliner and fell sound asleep.

The day began with a beautiful five mile walk. I know the theme keeps being repeated, but there's water everywhere that make the woods eerily beautiful.

I continue to be amazed at the amount of water running alongside and through the garden. It's now surrounded on two sides. The floor of the greenhouse is flooded and there's a stream flowing between the rows of the raised beds in the garden.

Back on dry land, I spent some time finishing the Easter gift. The base was cut, sanded, stained, and the figures attached, after which, several coats of poly were applied.

It was too nice of a day to spend in the shop. I lay out the 2x4's for the side wall of the garden shed on the barn floor.

Identical to the other wall that was constructed last week, this one went together much faster. I didn't have to convert centimeters to inches and feet or attempt to translate the plans. I simply took the measurements from the other wall and began building.

Three of the four walls are framed. Sargie and I will be going to Rhinelander tomorrow where I'll purchase several inexpensive windows for the back wall and depending on the price, I may include a small one on each side.

It was time to free the goldfish from the fifty gallon tote in the basement to the outside pond.

I lost four this winter, four more than died last year. It's one of the reasons I'm digging the garden pond larger and much deeper. Hopefully, with the aid of a bubbler, they'll be able to overwinter outside in the future.

It took a couple of trips, but the fish were soon relocated to the existing pond for the time being. They'll be moved again once the ground dries out and the excavation begins for their new home.



Fixing the windmill came next. The tail had broken off during one of this winter's storms.

Not wanting to carry the entire windmill to the barn, I performed some garden surgery and removed what was needed where it was.

It was a delicate procedure to weld the tail to the shaft. I don't have a welding table and the metal is light, cheap, and soft. 

I've always said that when it comes to welding, I could burn a hole in a Sherman tank. I experimented and finally got the right settings. The final result wasn't pretty, but effective.

A bit of grinding, some primer, and a dab of spray paint, and the fix was good as new.

Oh oh, when I took the shaft from the housing, the bearings fell out in a million pieces. Seems the winter was rougher on the windmill than originally thought.

I wanted to put it back together and get the thing out of the way.

What to do... what to do. In the end, I pulled a Little House on the Prairie. 

Lacking ball bearings, the pioneers packed the hubs on their covered wagons with rags and axle grease. Why wouldn't it work on a windmill?

I found an old rag and tore it into strips.

I then completely covered each strip with grease and began packing the housing.

Pa would have slapped me on the back and little Laura would have hugged me and told me it works just swell.

I'll replace the packed hubs with regular bearings later this summer, but for now, the windmill is fixed and happily whirling back in the garden.

We enjoyed the best of times last night with Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri while stuffing our bellies with fried fish. 

A full tummy after a hard day of projects meant I slept like a baby last night.

Sargie and I will be off to Iron Mountain for the annual Mighty Milligan Easter Celebration at nephew Garth and Courtney's, but first, I'm going to strap on the hikers and put in a quick three miles. As I keep saying during these beautiful days of spring, it's too nice to stay inside.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The frost heaves are hard on the drive.
It's an ongoing project to keep the pavement patched.