Sunny Early, Cloudy Now

Evie's Window Box

7:05

8:45

Storming At 9:26

It's 8:45, and the sky just clouded up. I was up at 7:00 to a seemingly sunny morning. I was out kayaking by 7:15, and the sky was still sunny, although a huge cloud bank briefly hid it. The wind was 10 mph from the south, so I paddled down to Sandy Bottom and back, giving myself an easy return to Woodlawn. I spotted both an osprey and a heron — a good morning for birding.

Kayak Morning

Brief Cloud Bank

Sun's Back Out

In 

Osprey

Up Close

Taking Off

Heron 

Same Guy

Yesterday was kind of a blah day. Early on I was still not feeling up to snuff, but by the afternoon I was getting back to almost normal. I did get a good hour-long paddle in, came home, and wrote the blog, then had a banana for breakfast. After breakfast I wanted to get something done, so I took the cover off my boat, drove it for about 15 minutes to make sure it was running fine, then brought it back and put the cover on. By the time I was done, I was tired out, so I went upstairs, read, and even napped for half an hour. While I was busy, Evie was starting the onerous task of packing for our trip to Topsail, NC.

I was hungry but still took it easy — chicken broth, toast, and crackers. I finished the third season of Dark Winds and tried to find something else to watch, to no avail. I think I'm just getting tired of the same old cop/spy series — none of them very original these days. By 1:30 I was back upstairs reading and napping until 3:00. The rest of the afternoon went slowly, with nothing to do but sit in the side yard, enjoy the sunshine and the view, and read my book.

Evie had a Zoom call with her sisters at 5:00, and I watched some of the news and read. By 6:30, Evie had made dinner: chicken thighs with mushrooms and rice. It tasted good, though I didn't go back for seconds. We started Lucky, a new series on Apple TV — watched two episodes and aren't sure we'll continue, since there are too many silly coincidences. When Evie went up to bed, I struggled to find something to watch, started a couple of series, and ended up back with The Good Doctor, an old standby.

The world has a more favorable attitude toward China than the United States. I wonder why?

Partly Cloudy And Pleasantly Cool

5:51

6:24

8:14

It's 8:20, and I have been up since 5:30, alas. It was a chilly 53º when I woke, and 62º now. I was too tired to get on the lake right away and have been fighting a bad stomach, so I had my coffee, then made myself get out there at 7:00. Interestingly, I ran into two kayakers at Long Point, another, Kurt, who stays at Pine Hill, near the reeds. It was a good morning to be out, with air quality quite low, even though I did not feel great. 

Early Morning Kayakers

Kayak Morning

Juvenile  Eagle

Eagle

Osprey

Sunday was spent waiting for the World Cup game at 3:00. I did, however, fill up my morning so the time went quickly. I was up early and out on the lake by 6:50. I had a good paddle, then came home and wrote the blog and had my usual granola and yogurt breakfast, topped with peaches. Evie was up when I returned, and we published the blog earlier than usual. I wanted to get some exercise and since I had just had my bike tuned up, I decided to go for a ride. So I drove to Mayville, dropped a portable bed off at Ron and Linds, and parked my car at Mayville Park. I rode Webb's Trail, then Sea Lion Drive, my usual route. It's rarely if ever, busy, but there's always a bike or two along Mayville's path. Rarely do I pass anyone on Webb's Trail. I stopped at the Lighthouse to pick up a pound of breakfast sausage, then headed home.

Webb's Trail

For some reason, my stomach started bothering me, so I skipped breakfast and read and napped until 2:00. I then watched an hour of the five hour lead into the World Cup. The game was a bit of a bore, especially for someone like me who is used to basketball, where there is constant scoring. Spain dominated, holding the ball 65% of the time and outshooting Argentina, 20-2. That gives you some idea as to how much Spain dominated Argentina, yet the score was 0-0 until the 106th minute when Spain finally scored. The game did get more exciting during the last 20 minutes as Argentina finally had to change strategy and try to score. This will probably be my last soccer game to watch until the next World Cup in four years.

Around 6:00, I tried to eat something, and Evie made me eggs and toast. We ended up watching the last episode of Department Q, then some home improvement shows before Evie went up to bed and I finished Season Three of Dark Winds.

Windy, Partly Cloudy, And Cooler

6:22

7:58

It's 8:44, and I've been up since 6:20. I was out on the lake by 6:40 for an hour on a decent morning; the air quality index was moderate, 77, much better than the previous day's 500 and 370. Because of the wind, I only went as far as Wells Bay and was rewarded with great shots of both a mature and a juvenile eagle.

Kayak Morning

Bald Eagle

Juvenile Eagle

Same Guy

Saturday was marred by high air quality at times, especially in the morning, so I only stayed out on the lake for half an hour. As the day progressed, it got better and better, reaching 41 late afternoon. After my paddle, writing the blog, and breakfast, my neighbor Jim came over and helped me put a roof rack on my Kia. Without him, I'd still be trying to figure out how to attach it — it took us at least half an hour to work out the complicated attachment system. By 10:30, we were done, and Evie had finished gathering the trash for me, so I drove off to the Transfer Station around 11:00, then into Lakewood to pick up my bike, which was getting a tune-up. That was it for me for the day.

While I was out dropping off the trash and picking up my bike, Evie made a pot of Indian cauliflower and potato soup, another one of our favorites. So I had that for lunch along with a toasted cheese sandwich topped with jam, and I was happy. I watched my show until 1:30, then went upstairs to read and hopefully nap. 

Darkening Sky

Storm Clouds Gather

Because of the air quality, we both stayed inside with the windows shut and the air conditioner on until 4:15, when a storm moved in, pelting the lake and yard, then settling into gradual light rain for at least half an hour. The rain brought a much-needed half-inch for the flowers, bushes, and trees. While it rained, I sat out on the front porch and enjoyed watching it storm, since we hadn't had one in quite a while, and it caused little damage in our area.

Wow

Storming

Heavy Winds And Rain

By 6:00, we were both showered and ready to go out to eat at the Rod and Gun Club in Lakewood. We picked up our neighbors, Jim and Barb, drove to the club, parked in a very crowded lot, and found a table in the bar while we waited to be called into the dining room for dinner. So we sat around for 15 minutes, enjoying beers and pretzel bits in a very noisy bar. 

Dining Out At The Lakewood Rod And Gun Club

We welcomed sitting down in the dining room, since it was much quieter. We ordered more beers, and after perusing the menu, Evie ordered prime rib, I had a steak, and Barb and Jim got a fish and shrimp dish. It was fun talking with them as usual, and we all enjoyed our meals, though Evie could only eat half her prime rib, so we took it home. We dropped Jim and Barb off at 9:00, and Evie got ready for bed. I watched a couple of episodes of Dark Winds before heading up to bed and reading some.

Smoke Dominates Chautauqua County

9:04

Tina And Jim

It's 8:45, and I've been up since 7:00. I wasn't sure whether to go kayaking because I woke up coughing during the night, probably from some irritation after working outside yesterday afternoon. My weather app said to stay in, and so did ChatGPT. The air quality was 258 on my weather app, but when I checked AirNow.gov, it was under 200. So I decided to go for a short paddle.

Kayak Morning

Into The Storm

Great Blue

Same Guy

Great Blue

Just as I cleared the dock, it started to pour. It lasted maybe three or four minutes, then let up, so I paddled down to the reeds and back even though I was soaked. I was able to photograph a heron perched on a neighbor's dock. I felt fine after my paddle, but I'll limit my time working outdoors today.

Friday morning was a bit of a bore because I was up early and had to be in Jamestown for an MRI at 8:30. That meant no kayaking, no coffee, nothing until after the MRI. My drive to Jamestown was through heavy fog and smoke, so I took it easy. Once I got to UPMC, everything moved quickly, and I was out by 9:20. MRIs aren't much fun—mostly just loud, with endless clanging and a radio station turned up too high.

The Labyrinth Press Coffee Shop 

Afterward, I decided to get breakfast, so I stopped at one of our favorite vegetarian restaurants and coffee shops, The Labyrinth Press Co. I enjoyed a coffee and a wrap, then relaxed until 10:00, when Lifted Dispensary opened, and I picked up some sleep gummies for Evie.

I was home by 11:00, helped out a bit in the kitchen, and read until lunchtime, when Evie made me a BLT while I watched Dark Winds. Since I'd been up since 5:30, I wanted to take a good nap, but as usual it was short, and I ended up reading most of the time instead.

Later, I came downstairs wanting to do something productive, so I cleaned the garage, taking everything out, sweeping it, and putting a few things away in the attic. While I worked, Evie mowed the garden area, and afterward we both relaxed on the front porch.

Around 5:00, Evie started putting dinner together, and I was still feeling antsy. I went out intending to mow just the side yard but ended up mowing the whole yard, which took about 45 minutes. By the time I finished, dinner was ready: a salad with sea trout and fried rice. We watched a couple more episodes of Department Q and have just one left. After Evie went upstairs to bed, I watched another episode of Sugar before calling it a night myself.

This morning I found out Caitlin Clark had the game of her life, scoring 45 points and adding 10 assists while setting a WNBA record. I didn't realize the Fever was playing, so I missed it.

Fog Or Smoke Or Both

6:17

7:07

It's another heavy gray lake morning, and I can hardly see the Bemus coastline. It's early, 6:30, and I'm up because I'm having an MRI in Jamestown this morning and have to be there by 8:30. I decided against kayaking — the lake wasn't very inviting, and besides the fog and smoke, there was a heavy dew, and all the canvas boat covers were soaked. I was surprised by the cool morning, 60º, but shocked by the hazardous Air Quality Index of 500, worse than yesterday. So it may not be fog this morning but smoke.

Thursday started out well, with an early morning paddle. I was home by 7:20 and wrote most of the blog before driving to the Ashville General Store for breakfast. I ordered the usual, a couple of egg bunwiches with meat and cheese, and a coffee. Usually, there are old guys like us, up early, sitting around a table enjoying breakfast out. I was home by 9:15 and finished up the blog before driving off to yoga at 9:40. Yin class is always easy if you don't mind holding a position for three or four minutes. It gets kind of boring and often uncomfortable, but I usually persevere. After class, I stopped for coffee — there was a long line, so I skipped it and drove to Walmart to pick up a few things. The one thing I needed for Evie was heavy cream, and would you believe, Walmart didn't have it, just lots of cartons of half-and-half and light cream. So I had to drive to Wegmans to pick it up.

I was home by 12:15, and Evie had been busy finishing a couple of trays of pastitsio for our vacation. Once they cooled, we put them in the freezer, and I helped clean up the kitchen. For lunch, I had the leftover mushroom pasta and watched my show, Dark Winds, before taking a brief nap. Because of the heat and smoke, I avoided going outside and stayed in and read, but by 4:30, I wanted to get some watering done, so I spent a good twenty minutes watering the garden and some of the trees. They needed it.

We had our happy hour starting at 5:00, and Evie already had dinner mostly done: Salisbury steak, gravy, and mashed potatoes. We listened to the news and couldn't wait to NOT watch Trump's address to the nation at 9:00. I loved the fact that only Fox carried it, and that Trump called for NBC and ABC to lose their licenses for not carrying his speech. What a baby. Dinner was great, and we watched a couple more episodes of Department Q, although it's getting too complicated. Once Evie went to bed, I watched Dark Winds until I went up to bed at 10:00.

It's Smoke, Not Fog: Air Quality Alert

6:21

7:00

It's 7:00 on a smoky, smelly morning, the result of fires in Canada. The air quality index is 152, as high as I have ever seen it. I did get in a half-hour on the lake and was lucky to see a heron and the sun, partially obscured by smoke. Fact from today's podcast: Washington, D.C. is basically an occupied city with 5,100 National Guard roaming the streets. 

Kayak Morning

Long Point

The Sun, The Sun

Mallards

Great Blue

Same Guy

The smoke slid in yesterday, late morning, making it uncomfortable to do anything outside, along with the 86° temperature. Fortunately, I was able to get in a good paddle before it arrived. I was back by 8:30, had a second cup of coffee with Evie as I finished the blog, and Evie chose the photos.

Because of the heat and because my bike is in the shop getting a tune-up, I stayed home and got a few things done. None was a big deal—mostly putting things away in the garage attic, something I should have done weeks ago. I also did a bit of weeding before the sun and heat arrived and carried deadfall and weeds up the hill to the woodpile. And that was about it for my day. Oh, yeah, I did a bit of watering and took the photos you can see here of the flowers in our garden, especially the hydrangeas along the side of the house.

Gooseneck

Geranium

Hydragea Bush

While I was putzing around, Evie was making the meat sauce for a couple of pans of pastitsio, which we'll be taking on our vacation to Topsail in ten days. She'll finish it this morning, freeze it, and pull it out when we leave.

I had lunch around 12:30 and began watching the fourth season of Dark Winds, loosely based on Tony Hillerman's novels, which I remember reading in the 1980s and 1990s. After lunch, I briefly napped, read some, and helped Evie clean up the kitchen before 3:00, when the World Cup game began.

The game was surprising because I expected a better showing from England. They did start out strong, scoring first. From then on, though, they stopped playing aggressively, sat back, and played defense, rarely crossing the center line. That allowed Argentina to spend the rest of the game firing at the goal, and eventually they scored twice to win 2–1. I don't know whether it was strategy or just what we so rarely understand in athletics: momentum. I also thought Argentina was the more skilled team, dominating possession 64% to 36%.

Afternoon Smoke

We ended up having BLTs for dinner, and they were great. Nothing beats bacon, tomato, toast, and mayo for lunch or dinner. We watched a couple more episodes of Department Q, and then, when Evie went to bed, I watched the Indiana Fever lose at home to Golden State, which surprised me. Caitlin Clark did not have a good game, and I'm beginning to lose interest in watching her because she continues to complain about every foul. What a baby.

I had seen enough and went to bed to read before turning out the light at 10:15.