Sunrise over Pentoga Village on Friday morning

August 21, 2021 - Saturday morning

67 degrees/partly cloudy/calm winds

Pentoga Rad

My congratulations go out to Yooper Brother Mark this morning for being inducted into the third phase of The Order of the Arrow - Vigil Honor, in the Boy Scouts. His solitary vigil over a camp fire began last evening with induction ceremonies to be held at a large scout camp north of here this afternoon.

Mark's been active in scouting for many years with this being yet, another achievement in the long list of community organizations for which he's volunteered.

Congratulations buddy. We're proud of you.

Mark arrived at first light Friday morning and we trekked to the Brule River and back.

Walking through the early morning fog and haze made the countryside seem surreal and the sunrise, well, the sunrise was beautiful in a mystical sort of way. 

Upon our arrival home, I immediately headed to the woods with my power saw in hand. I had one maple tree left to cut, but managed to find another that had tumbled to the ground on its own. Both trees were sawed and made ready to haul to the barn.

 

It didn't take a rocket scientist to determine why the second maple had died. Woodpeckers had riddled the base all round stopping any nutrients that might have been supplied from the roots.

I forwent the opportunity to haul the several loads of sawed wood. With sweat dripping down my forehead and into my eyes, I'd had enough. Time to head to the house.

Other than a ride later in the day, that was about it. Sargie noticed something odd on the back of a road sign while exiting the small community of Alpha, seven miles from here.

Hornets have built quite the condo. I'm surprised there hasn't been a tourist come along and try to take it as a souvenir. I'd pay good money to see that.

Other than measure for a wooden form in which to pour concrete as a base for our large garden umbrella and feed the giant pumpkin, that was it for the day's outside activities. It's just too hot to do anything else.

I spent no small amount of time sitting on the living room floor loading my new Granite Gear 60 L backpack. There was room for all my hiking gear with some left over. The fit is great as it rides on my hips rather than my shoulders. Chalk that one off the AT list.

Total pack weight, including an allowance for food, came in around 23 pounds. I'd still like to trim three pounds off that total, but since I'm carrying the heavier winter clothing and equipment to begin, I'm not certain what else can be eliminated. I may have to be satisfied with as is.

Today's pumpkin report: The bulging baby has almost outgrown the board on which it's sitting. I've not measured the pumpkin or done the arithmetic (there's a formula) but, consisting of mostly water and Miracle Grow, I'm certain it weighs in excess of a hundred pounds.

The rest of the garden? It's doing well, but how we need that million dollar rain Dad used to talk about.

Okay, I'd like to get some of the firewood hauled in this morning before it gets too hot. We'll be heading to Pat and Debbie's at the base of Milligan Mountain later this afternoon for a 5K stroll around their property. The $10 entry fee goes to a charity, but really, it's a great excuse for a family gathering. We'll hope the temperature cools off or I've got a feeling there'll be more gathering and less walking. 

Time to head out the door for my morning walk. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

In Pentoga Village

 I thought this mama was going to let Yooper Brother Mark walk right up and scratch her behind the ears.

What? You mean you've never seen a guy sit in a pond in his underwear installing a new pump while being nibbled to death by baby goldfish? Give me a break.

August 20, 2021 - Friday morning

60 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I rolled over and watched as the numbers on the end table clock changed to 3:45 AM. Close enough to four. Might as well get up.

Yooper Brother Mark and I agreed last night that we'd walk before the heat of the day set in this morning. He's to be here by sunrise. Sounds good to me.

Thursday was a mixed bag of tricks. I set out for my walk and had just crested the first big hill when I saw the county was oiling the road from there on to Pentoga Village. They'd done the section in front of our house last month.

Not wanting to get my expensive trail runners (shoes) covered with hot oil and tar, I turned around and descended the steep hill, then went back up, then down, then up. 

You get the idea. 

I put in my usual four miles ascending and descending the steep hill eight times before coming back home. 

Happy? You bet I am. Though I was breathing hard and sweating like a pig, the hill could have been climbed eight or ten more times. I've increased my regimen in preparation for next year's AT attempt and the body is responding. 

I headed to the woods upon my arrival home and hauled in two more loads of wood. Two hours later, both were split and stacked undercover. I'll spare you yet another firewood picture, although I have to say the woods were beautiful.

 

Speaking of woods, the leaves are beginning to don their fall colors. Patches of red and orange are popping up everywhere and a few leaves are even drifting to the ground.

It seems awfully early for the leaves to be turning, but not unusual. I hope this isn't a sign of an early and difficult winter ahead. Only time will tell.

Sargie had purchased new boards to be used as trim in the downstairs bathroom. After she primed and painted each, it came my turn to cut and install them.

Setting up for the job was simple and thankfully, the small battery operated DeWalt miter saw Sargie had given me a while back works like a charm. It cuts cleanly with accurate angles.

The problem lay in the size of the downstairs bathroom. I often found myself on my knees, bending over, trying to snake my way around to the back of the stool or behind the door.

In the end, the trim was installed, but most importantly, it passed the Sargie final inspection.

The day was hot and humid. Without air conditioning, we lay low in the relative coolness of the living room. With the heavily insulated windows closed and the overhead fan turning, the temperature remains five to ten degrees cooler than that on the other side of the walls.

It was Sargie who pointed out a hornet that was raiding the hummingbird feeder. The flying bullet would sip nectar then spend his time chasing all the hummers away from what he considered his private table fare. Not on my watch.

Armed with a can of insect spray, I lowered the feeder and lay in wait of the marauding nectar stealer.

Careful not to get any spray on the feeder, I blasted the hornet as he angrily buzzed around my head. Hopefully, he learned that nothing messes with my hummingbirds. They may be piggies, but they're MY piggies.

The day ended with me stripping down and wading into the pond. The shadows were growing long and it was a good time to install the new pump.

Other than wrestling with one fitting, all went well. I'll order a new impeller for the old pump this fall and after installing that, will have a spare.

Wait a minute, I'm having a deep thought. 

There must have been five hundred baby goldfish nibbling at my legs as I installed the pump. Sargie told me there are upscale spas that charge a pretty penny for people to sit in a pool of water and have fish nibble the dead skin from their bodies.

Hmm, work with me here. 

Maple Valley Spa? Are we onto something? Only one problem. Who's going to chip the hole in the ice for our winter customers?

Guess it wouldn't work. Never mind.

Time was spent yesterday corresponding with my hiking partner, Pokealong. It's recently dawned on both of us that we're on the six month countdown for starting the trail. He writes. I write. He responds. I respond. We talk of backpacks, equipment, food, clothing, and even when we'll meet to begin our journey. Hiking fever is increasing almost daily.

Speaking of which, my new backpack is due to arrive today. The fever just went up another degree.

Before ending, I want to congratulate my good friends, Bob "The Love Doctor" and his beautiful bride, Jan, on the birth of their newest and only grandson. I don't know the baby's name, but as his father, Evan, a commercial fisherman plying his trade in the waters around Sitka, Alaska, would say, "He's a keeper!"

New mom, Lauren, is, for lack of a better word, a  "whaleologist," and conducts extensive research concerning humpback whales.

Funny, I sat next to Lauren many years ago on an Alaska Airlines flight when, as a young student, she first came to Sitka. She didn't seem to know a lot about the area and was full of questions. If memory serves me correctly, what I most remember is that 1) she was a beautiful, bright, and extremely intelligent young woman with a personality to match, and 2) she played the violin. Why would I remember that?

At any rate, Lauren is now a well-known and respected scientist. Evan, Bob and Jan's youngest son, owns his own boat and is a successful commercial fisherman.

Congratulations kids! The Love legacy continues!

Okay, time to wrap this up. Yooper Brother Mark will be here shortly and there are barges to tote and bales to lift. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Successfully installed, the new pump is circulating 5,000 gallons of water per hour through the underwater gravel filters

 

August 19, 2021 - Thursday morning
57 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

You guessed it. For the umpteenth day in a row, it's all about firewood. Tired of reading about it? Hey, quit your complaining. At least you aren't the one sawing and hauling it in.

Naw, just teasing, but I am tiring of putting up next winter's heat, writing about it, then looking at the pictures, but that's been my life these past couple of weeks.

I arrived home from my morning walk on Wednesday and headed straight to the woods. The previously fallen tree took every bit of my saw blade. Actually, sawing wasn't so bad. It was maneuvering the small Ford tractor so the trunk could be lifted enough to saw without pinching the blade and/or hitting the ground that took the time and effort.

 

Someday, when I grow up, I'm going to get a big boy tractor, one with enough strength to lift more than a few hundred pounds.

OK, that probably won't happen, but both the tractor and the guy who owns it worked hard sawing the trunk into workable pieces.

Finished by 9 AM, I headed to the house and directly into the shower. I was a dripping mess.

Sargie's been wanting new trim for the downstair's bathroom and I'd decided to purchase a new pump for the pond. The old one is growing weaker, no doubt a worn impeller, and I've wanted a spare. The fish and plant life in that artificial pond all depend on the oxygen and circulation provided by the pump, 24/7, 365 days a year.

Time for a drive to Iron Mountain.

Our trip to the big city was productive and after picking up a pizza, we were soon on our way home.

Sargie decided to paint the trim late yesterday afternoon. With the temperatures cooling, she set up saw horses in the shade and began.

I followed the girl out the door and began working on the trailer filled with wood that had been hauled in earlier in the day.

I thought I'd just do a bit while my bride was busy, but in the end, the entire trailer was worked up.

I haven't officially measured how many cords of hardwood we have for this coming winter, but guessing, I'd say around five. The portable garage has multiple ricks plus there are two and a half rows, somewhere between one-and-a-half to two cords, in the east wood shed.

With half of yesterday's large tree left to haul in, plus the final maple still lying on the ground, we should be in great shape to heat this coming winter with plenty left over for emergencies.

After feeding the ravenous giant pumpkin and the parliament (look it up) of goldfish, Sargie and I headed to the house for cool showers and a quiet evening.

(Sorry Miss Jody. There are some words that HAVE to be misused. It's in written in the Ornery Little Boy Handbook. Worry not, it used to drive Mom crazy too.)

Speaking of the pumpkin, it's weight gain can be measured in pounds-per-day now. The blossom end is becoming indented and unable to hold up under its own weight, the top side is beginning to flatten, typical of giant pumpkins.

If we can pry another three to four weeks of summer from Mother Nature before our first frost, we could end up with a pumpkin that weighs several hundred pounds. There are so many variables and things that can go wrong, it's a wait and see game. Meanwhile, I keep force feeding it twice a day. It's time consuming and fairly expensive, but it's fun.

It's what old guys do when they are retired.

OK, it's daylight and time to get to walking. On today's agenda? Yeah, well, you guessed it. More firewood, at least initially. I think Sargie would like the trim installed and I may get that new pond pump hooked into the filtering system of the pond. 

That'll be enough for one day.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Gateway to the West?

Naw, it's just the power company in Florence hanging a banner to advertise the upcoming Florence County Fair

August 18, 2021 - Wednesday morning

56 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Woods and baby. Woods and baby. Woods and baby. 

There, that about sums up yesterday's activities.

Don't think I'm complaining, I'm not. Other than hiking and gardening, working with wood, either to be used for heat or crafting something or the other in the shop, it makes no difference. I love handling wood.

And the baby? You look at the pictures of Cheeks and tell me how anyone wouldn't love hanging out with the most beautiful baby on Pentoga Road. 

As I age and the more I am with our grandbabies in the Midwest, I've come to realize how much I've missed by not living close to the other nine on the East Coast. It's the miles, lots and lots of miles. They're busy, we're getting older, and time waits for no one. 

I just hope they know how much I love them. 

It appears Grandma Sargie took most of the pictures yesterday and I didn't get any of her. Though it appears Cheeks was with me throughout the day, that's not necessarily the case. She and Grandma Sargie were pretty much glued at the hip, no pun intended.

I did load Cheeks into the stroller bright and early Tuesday morning. Taking off for an hour long walk to Pentoga Village together ensured Sargie could take a leisurely shower.

The girl baby and I talked for all of fifty yards or so before she became eerily quiet. I stopped the stroller and walked to the front. 

Just as I thought.

Some company she was as she slept the entire four miles. 

I was happy that I could push the stroller up and down the two large hills between here and Pentoga Village without stopping. In fact, total time spent walking was about the same as when I'm not pushing a stroller and baby in front of me.

We made a quick dash to town later in the morning to retrieve my large power saw along with three professionally sharpened, but very used, chains. I should be good to go for the rest of the cutting season.

After hauling in a load a wood, I managed to get it split and stacked before the daytime temperatures got too hot.

The rest of the day was spent indoors or somewhere out of the sun. 

Macrea called later in the afternoon saying he'd worked out a strategy for the next two weeks regarding daycare. Cheeks was off to her aunt's last night for a day or two then somewhere else after that. I do know we'll meet again next Sunday evening when we'll have her again for a couple of days at the beginning of next week. 

Perfect.

I ordered my new pack yesterday. Thanks Andy! It's to arrive on Friday and no doubt, I'll be taking it for a test drive shortly thereafter.

It's getting to be daylight. I've fed the hummingbirds and only have this to edit before heading out the door for my morning walk... without a stroller.

I hope to get the second to the last tree cut into pieces this morning before it gets too hot. With only two more hard maples left, I should soon be finished processing this coming winter's firewood in the next few days.

With a high of 87 forecast for today, I imagine Sargie and I will lay low this afternoon until the cooler air of evening moves in.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Look who showed up on our doorstep Monday morning

August 17, 2021 - Tuesday morning
54 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

The phone rang shortly after 7 yesterday morning. It was Cheeks asking if she could come visit for a while. I guess one of the daycare workers where she stays every day has Covid and the place is shut down for a couple of weeks.

Well, of course it was okay. Grandma Sargie hopped in the car and met Daddy halfway to Iron Mountain and the rest is history.

Making hay while the sun shone, well, before it actually peeked over the horizon, I went for a quick four mile walk.

Grandma arrived home with a sleeping girl in the car seat, so we took the opportunity to deliver my large power saw to the fix it man in Iron River. The rest of my day was spent in the woods, cutting up a maple tree that had been dropped early last spring.

Using the smaller Stihl chainsaw, it took longer than usual to cut the long trunk into pieces, but where there's a will (and patience) there's a way.

One nearby small dead cherry tree had a decent burl that had formed in years past, so I cut that and brought it in for Garry and I to play with when they are visiting next month.

Sargie was busy making supper comprised of every fresh vegetable known to mankind (or what was ready to pick in the garden). Those, along with brats that were cut into pieces, made the best summertime meal.

Meanwhile, Cheeks and I worked up wood. We were careful to save the heavy bark from the ash tree I'd worked up a couple of days ago. It makes the best kindling and fire starter.

Cheeks was a busy girl yesterday. While Pawpaw was in the woods sawing, she and Grandma Sargie stacked the wood that I'd sawed the previous day.

The girl wasn't slow in giving advice about how I should be handling the heavy pieces of maple. 

Typical.

We must have tired the mini munchkin out yesterday as she went to bed last night at 8:30 and just now woke up... all without having to be fed during the night. All three of us got a good night's sleep.

On today's agenda: Cheeks just reminded me that there's still wood to haul to the barn. No doubt, she'll be there supervising along with Grandma Sargie. Otherwise, well, we'll hang out and chill.

Yeah, sure.

It's what we do on Pentoga Road... occasionally.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Lawn Enforcement Officer Sargie Ready for Duty!

August 16, 2021 - Monday morning
56 degrees/clear skies/calm winds
Pentoga Road

There, I'm back. I had to pause long enough from my writing to mix a batch of sugar water and fill the hummingbird feeder. It's not even daylight and the little piggies were actually pecking at the living room window, telling me the feeder was empty. 

I'm looking forward to Miss Jody and Mississippi Brother Garry's visit next month when we can pack and send all these hummingbirds south with them.

Hambone has several butterfly nets that he's given permission for Grandma Sargie and Miss Jody to use. Their job will be to catch the mini birds and put them in cages while Garry and I are busy elsewhere doing man stuff.  

In all seriousness, we've discovered over the years that once the hummers leave Pentoga Road in the fall, thousands arrive in southern Mississippi two to three weeks later. It'll be Garry and Jody's turn to feed the wandering herd.

I also fed the giant pumpkin a bit ago while I was wandering around in the predawn hours. It's as hungry as the hummingbirds and growing pounds per day.

Five gallons of Miracle Grow twice a day along with the occasional twenty pound bag of dehydrated cow manure on the side?

I feel almost as guilty force feeding the pumpkin as bicyclist Lance Armstrong should have during his seven year doping run of the Tour de France. 

We kept busy on Sunday. The day ended up being much warmer than we've experienced this past week, but the humidity remained low which made the 84 degree temperature seem almost pleasant.

I moved the wood splitter outside by the east wood shed and began pecking away at the large pieces of ash that have been under cover for the past month.

Stringy and heavy are the best ways to describe the wood. I was originally going to rent a large hydraulic splitter, but decided to try my smaller electric one. It worked quite well and between that and using a 12 pound splitting mall along with the occasional wedge, the processed pile gradually grew larger.

It was well into the afternoon before the job was finished. That pile alone should supply us with three to four weeks of warm, comfortable, heat this coming winter.

Sargie wasn't idle by any definition of the word. The Queen of the Lawn and Everything Beautiful hopped on the mower and spent a goodly part of the day manicuring the grass, leaving no blade out of place.

Mowing by the storage container, Sargie asked if the snowmobile that's been under a tarp this summer might be moved. 

What? To start the mighty Tundra in August, to disturb its well-earned rest from a winter of toil and spring of hauling maple sap? Why, that's like waking a mama bear from winter hibernation in early March.

Still, sometime's a guy has to take one for the team.

The snowmobile was a bit drowsy, but started on the third pull. Turning it towards the front meadow, I zoomed away in a cloud of two-stroke oil, made a large circle in the grass, and eventually returned the beast to a new resting place in the woods where it will, no doubt, anxiously be waiting for next winter's first snowfall.

I mowed the front ditch last night before pulling the lawn sweeper around the yard. Job done for another week or two.

I need to go to town early this morning to take my large chain saw to the repair shop. I was pulling the rope starter yesterday afternoon when the recoil forgot to coil. I'll have Dan fix that plus give it a good going over. Twelve years old, it's never had a tune up other than my yearly maintenance and shade tree mechanics. 

I'll use the smaller Stihl power saw today as I move my fire wood operations over to the south woods. With just four or five hard maples left to saw into chunks and haul in, I hope to have this year's firewood processed and stacked by week's end.

At least that's the plan for now.

Hey, it's almost daylight. Time to get a move on.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

A wandering clowder of wild turkeys crossing the side yard

Clowder? As Mom used to say, "Look it up."