That Afternoon Sky

7:24

It’s a bright, blue-sky morning. The lake is calm, the geese are honking, and at 22º it’s too cold to paddle, and I’ve got yoga at 9:30. 

Monday began gray and overcast, but by afternoon, the sky was blog-worthy. I woke early, had my coffee, read the papers, and wrote the blog—all before Evie woke. Lucky her. I made it to pickleball by 9:30, played a bit better, and got to know some of the regulars. I even had one of those rare, ridiculous moments—a winner hit through my legs, to everyone’s amazement, especially my own. I played four games, won one or two, and was good and tired by the end.

When I got home, Evie was busy with a few things but volunteered to make lunch: tuna melts on brioche buns. Yum. Our afternoons don’t vary much. We tend to stay active in the mornings and ease into the day later on.  By wine time, we were both admiring the shifting colors of the late afternoon sky.

Sun On Long Point At 7:00

Late Afternoon Sky

After a nacho appetizer, we had leftover chicken cacciatore for dinner, then watched a couple of Colbert episodes and Landman. Evie headed upstairs, and I finished my series, Blood Coast. I also wrapped up my novel, The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits. It follows a former college basketball player turned lawyer trying to make sense of his life on a road trip. Along the way, he stops at outdoor basketball courts, meets the players, and begins to imagine turning the journey into a book. Eventually, he ends up in Los Angeles, staying with his son while facing a health issue. During his journey, he meets a friend in Denver, a just-fired NBA executive and a former NBA player in LA, and both are contemplating suing the NBA for discriminating against white players.  Interesting, 

Amazing Clouds

Dusk

Out of curiosity, I looked up Markovits and learned he played basketball at Yale, studied at Oxford, and later played professionally in Germany before becoming an English teacher and writer. He even wrote a book about his time in Germany, Playing Days, which I promptly ordered from Amazon. He’s about twenty years younger than I am, but we seem to share many similar experiences. Evie thinks I should write to him. We’ll see.

"Now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent, Democrat Party! Thank you for your attention to this matter." President DJT

Windy And A Choppy Lake

7:43

8:43

It's 8:30, and I've been up for over an hour. The lake is moving quickly to the south, and everything is gray — sky and water alike.

Yesterday turned out to be a good day, largely because it began with a good morning paddle. I was up early, looked out at the calm lake, and decided to take the kayak out. I was on the water for forty-five minutes — my usual route south to Sandy Bottom, then back along Woodlawn. It's too early in the season for herons or ospreys, at least I haven't spotted any yet. Buffleheads, mallards, and geese are another story. When I returned, I had breakfast — a banana — finished up the blog, and settled in with another cup of coffee and the morning news.

Thunder Bridge

Brick Walk

By 10:30, I was ready to get moving, so I set out on my usual Sunday outing: a walk around the Chautauqua Institution. This time of year, it's at its least attractive, with little color and the lingering debris of winter, but it was a pleasant walk — not too cold — and I had the place to myself. I was home by 11:30. Evie was deep into cleaning the upstairs bathroom, and I pitched in with a few things, including changing the sheets.

Bestor Plaza

Brick Walk To Thunder Bridge

By 12:15, I was settled on the couch with scrambled eggs and toast, watching the first March Madness game of the day — Purdue and Miami. It was the first of many. In between games, I read from my novel, The Rest of Our Lives, which I'm really enjoying, and slipped upstairs for a brief nap. The afternoon drifted pleasantly between the couch and sharing the TV room with Evie, until wine time arrived.

By 6:00, our eggplant pasta was ready, served alongside a salad. We loved it — there's really nothing like eggplant. After dinner, we watched about twenty minutes of Scenes from a Marriage before switching to a couple of episodes of Landman, Season 2. Evie then headed up to bed, and I watched a few more basketball games before following her up to read. I think I've had my fill of March Madness — at least until Thursday, when it all starts again.

Trump’s social media account blamed Israel for the strike on Iran's South Pars gas field and said the U.S. hadn’t been informed about it ahead of time, but Barak Ravid of Axios reported that both Israeli officials and an official from the U.S. Defense Department said the strike was coordinated with and approved by the Trump administration. The Wall Street Journal reporters added that Trump approved the strike to put pressure on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Kayak Morning And Yesterday Afternoon

7:56

8:59

It's 9:15, and we're both up, sitting in the living room listening to the news — always depressing — on a 46°, partly cloudy morning. I was up just before 8:00, made coffee, put on my life jacket and boots, grabbed my paddle, and headed out for a forty-five-minute kayak ride down to Sandy Bottom and back. I was the only one on the lake, apart from a few buffleheads.

Kayak Morning

Squabbling Ducks

Looking South

Paddling North

Sun And Clouds

Saturday was another day of leisure — too many of them lately, as far as I'm concerned. We had our coffee and stretched out the morning for an hour or two before realizing I needed to gather the trash and take it to the Transfer Center. Evie got busy cleaning out the fridge while I bagged everything up, and off I went. Surprisingly, I had the place to myself for about two minutes before a couple of other cars pulled in. I was home by 11:30 and figured out how to inflate a low tire on the Outback — just plug the air compressor into the Kia's 12-volt outlet, and voilà, problem solved. Saved myself a trip to the garage.

March Madness tipped off at noon, so I had a bowl of Rao's soup while Evie made me a couple of toasted cheese sandwiches on brioche buns. I settled in for the first game of the day — Michigan vs. St. Louis — which Michigan dominated. I actually dozed off during it and woke up near the end. That was enough basketball for a while, so I moved into the living room to read.

Around 4:00, the lake had calmed down, and Evie suggested it might be worth a paddle. Good call — I went out for forty minutes, my second time on the water this year, and it was lovely: no wind, a shifting sky, and a couple of fishing boats out for company. I was back by 5:30, right on time for a glass of wine. Evie had put the chicken cacciatore in the oven earlier and made rice alongside it, so dinner was on the table by 6:30.

Kayak Afternoon

Buffleheads Are Back

Northern Sky

Woodlawn

Afterward, we watched another episode of Paradise and were frequently puzzled by its back-and-forth between past and present — unclear what the jumping around was meant to accomplish. After Evie went to bed, I drifted between a couple of basketball games depending on the score. By 10:00, I'd had enough and headed up to read and sleep.

“Robert Mueller just died,” Trump wrote,  “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

A Boring Spring Morning

8:00

8:56

It's 33°, and the snow has mostly melted. The sky and lake are what I like to call Chautauqua gray — not a hint of color. It's windy as well, the lake surface ruffled. We have no plans for the day other than the weekly trip to the Transfer Station.

Yesterday was a day of recovery from my Thursday night NCAA extravaganza. Since I hadn't gotten home until 1:00 a.m., I slept in until 8:30 — rare for me. Evie was already up, enjoying her coffee. I joined her, and we sat around listening to the news until 10:30, neither of us wanting to do much. Finally, needing a few things for dinner, I drove into Lakewood, stopping for coffee before heading to Wegmans, always busy. I was home by noon, ready to settle in for some March Madness. For lunch, Evie made BLTs, and I watched the first part of the Santa Clara/Kentucky game, which Kentucky won in overtime.

I was tired most of the day and had little motivation to do anything beyond sitting around watching TV or reading. I'd had enough basketball by 1:30, so I went upstairs to read and ended up taking a good nap. I needed it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent between more basketball and reading, though the highlight was a Zoom call with our grandson Nick and his family. It was 87° in Kansas City, and Rhys, our great-grandson, was outside playing in his baby pool. He loves the water and shows little fear of getting his head wet — it was wonderful watching him play.

Happy Hour Sky

Lake Fog At 5:10

As usual, we had our wine time until 6:15, when Evie prepped dinner: cod fillets, a salad, and French fries. It was a great meal, and afterward we watched another episode of The Pitt, followed by a few episodes of ER, just for fun. After Evie went up to bed, I stayed down to watch more basketball, switching between games. At various points during the day and evening, I'd had my choice of four games. By 10:00, I'd had enough and headed up to read. I finished my thriller, El Dorado Drive, and started The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2025.

"The economics of war are being turned upside down. A Shahed-type drone often costs around $35,000. A Patriot interceptor costs about $4 million, which would buy over 100 drones. This is the new arithmetic of conflict: the attacker spends thousands, the defender spends millions, and even successful defense can become a form of attrition."  Fareed Zakaria

Whadda Night

8:50

It's 9:10, and I've been up since 8:30. Another overcast sky — what else — 42° with rain forecast through much of the afternoon. I have no plans today, just recovering from my wild night in Buffalo.

Yesterday was Thursday, which meant we were both up by 7:00 for a long day. By 8:00, I had my coffee, was dressed, and was having breakfast in Bemus Point with the guys. On the way home, I gassed up the Kia and finished the blog. Evie read it, published it, and drove to Lakewood for her kindergarten class.

I decided to skip yoga and basically wasted the morning reading and watching TV until lunch, when I caught one of the first NCAA tournament games. At 12:30, I drove to Jamestown for a teeth cleaning — nearly an hour in the chair listening to my chatty hygienist. I was home by 2:15, and Evie was back from school. I squeezed in a short nap, since I was leaving for Buffalo at 4:45 to catch two evening NCAA basketball games at KeyBank Center, where I was meeting my friend Jack. I stopped in Westfield for a McDonald's burger, fries, and root beer, then made the hour-and-a-half drive to Buffalo. I lucked out finding a parking spot for $30, about a 15-minute walk from the arena.

Outside The Center, Between Games

Waiting To Go Through Metal Detectors

Security Everywhere

Chaos Once Inside

I was supposed to meet Jack in front of a  Southern Tier Brewery, but the afternoon game he'd attended had just ended, and the crowd was pouring out. I tried calling him for 15 minutes with no luck before we finally connected. We then met up with his brother-in-law and friend and walked 20 minutes to his parked car for a quick dinner before heading to the arena — where we found a line stretching a quarter mile to get in. Tip-off was pushed back, but we still missed the first eight minutes, held up by metal detectors, mobile ticket scanning, and a long walk halfway around the arena to our nosebleed seats. What a travesty.

View From Our Seats

Jumbo Tron

We watched Michigan, the number-one seed, hold off Howard after a tight first half, then stayed for just the second half of St. Louis's win over Georgia. The place was sold out, and I was surprised to see beer on sale — when I attended the same tournament eight years ago, no alcohol was served at college games. The four of us left at halftime of the second game, along with what felt like thousands of other fans. On the way out, the escalator was running up only. Of course. Once we found our way out, we walked 15 minutes to a nearly empty parking garage and had an easy, if long, drive home with almost no traffic. Jack lives out in the boonies, so we wound through 20 minutes of hilly farm country, past the Chautauqua Gorge, before reaching his farm. I dropped him off at 12:30 and was home by 1:00. What a night!

At least 36 January 6 th rioters pardoned by Trump have been arrested, charged, or convicted of new crimes since the attack.

Gray Sky, Gray Lake And 30º

Grandson Nick, And Great Grandson, Tommy

7:13

9:38

It's 7:30; the lake lies open and calm—a gray mass—and the temperature is 30°. Snow still fills the front yard, stubborn and unmelted, though warmer weather is on the way over the next week.

Yesterday was a good day. No snow, despite temperatures in the teens through most of the morning. I had my coffee, wrote the blog, and went back and forth about pickleball before deciding to go. Most of the players are the same faces each morning, and I'm getting to know them, which is nice. I played a bit better than usual — my teammate and I won two games and lost two, so it wasn't a bad morning at all. I can see a little progress. I was home by 11:30 without needing to stop anywhere.

Evie was on the couch, reading on her phone and listening to Michael Smerconish as usual, with the only interruption being a Trump interview. Lunch was leftover chicken curry with rice, quite filling. I caught the beginning of the second season of Blood Coast.

After lunch, as usual, I read and napped while Evie watched her show and got a few things done. Neither of us was particularly productive. I showered at 4:30, and by 5:45, we were picking up Ron and Linda for the 25-minute drive to the Stockton Hotel for dinner.

The place was busy, but we were lucky to snag seats at the bar and quickly ordered Labatt's drafts and a Bud Light for Evie. The draw on Wednesdays is their meatloaf special — mashed potatoes and two sides. The three of us ordered it; Evie just wanted a basket of cut fries and a couple of bites of my meatloaf. The dinners were great. Nothing quite like mashed potatoes and gravy.

We were home after 8:00. Since Evie had school on Thursday, she headed up to bed, and I watched my show until 9:15 when the Miami/SMU game came on. I watched the first half and a few minutes into the second before it became clear Miami might pull it off — which they did, 89–79. A great win for the MAC.

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance—WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”  Trump

A Chilly 12º And Partly Cloudy

7:36

7:48

8:15

It's 8:15, and I've been up for an hour, marveling at the 12° morning and the lake, frozen once again into scattered floes. The shoreline in front of us is iced over for about 20 feet, then open water — and it's like that across the entire lake. Today looks like it will stay cold, but no snow is predicted. Thank the weather gods.

Woodlawn Road

Winter Wonderland

Yesterday could have been a nightmare, but we both made it to our destinations despite falling snow and snow-covered roads. I'd gone to bed worried, having shoveled about five inches the night before — so when I looked outside in the morning and saw we'd gotten another 8–10 inches since Monday evening, my heart sank a little. After coffee and writing the blog, I headed outside and spent half an hour clearing the parking area and the car. It was heavy, wet snow, so my battery-powered snow shovel was useless; I ended up pushing the snow around by hand and eventually got the area cleared — though by the time I finished, another inch had already fallen.

I left for yoga at 9:05. It was snowing fairly hard for the first ten minutes, then it began to clear as I approached Lakewood. The roads had been plowed but were covered again by the relentless snowfall, so I took my time and kept a good distance from other vehicles. I texted Evie to do the same. Yoga was hard, but my five hardy practitioners made it through. After class, the sun was out, so I stopped for a coffee, then drove to Jamestown to drop off my taxes at my accountant's office. It began to snow again briefly as I headed back to Lakewood for a stop at Wegmans. It was Senior Tuesday — 5% off — and because of the snow, the store was refreshingly uncrowded, so I got in and out quickly and was home by noon.

When I pulled into our parking area, another four or five inches had fallen, so I got out the shovels again. This time, my battery-powered shovel managed a rough first pass, and I followed up with the push shovel to finish the job.

I was exhausted by the time I came inside. I rested for 20 minutes before heating up some chicken soup and a chicken pot pie for lunch, then watched Blood Coast, a series set in Marseille, France. I was desperate for a nap, so I went upstairs and fell asleep reading, waking after about an hour. By then, Evie was home, having lunch and watching TV. I lounged on the couch until 4:30, when I went back outside for the third time and shoveled another three or four inches — hoping, finally, that would be it.

Evie had her Zoom call with her sisters at 5:00, and I watched the first half of Caitlin Clark and the U.S. Women's basketball team play Spain. We had our happy hour after her call, and around 6:15, Evie made us BLTs for dinner. We watched another episode of Colbert and Landman. Evie went to bed, and I finished out Blood Coast, then caught some more basketball before heading up myself.