Quiet Morning, Empty Lake

7:03

7:04

8:31

 It's 8:40, Evie's up, and I just returned from an hour and ten-minute paddle on a calm lake. Lake traffic was minimal as we begin the slide into fall and winter. Weekdays will be quiet, weekends will heat up some but nothing like the summer. 

Kayak Morning

Paddleboarding

Osprey

Labor Day was mostly uneventful in our neighborhood as many headed home. We were having Ron and Linda over for dinner, but much of the preparation was already done, so we both had a leisurely day. I wanted to get in some activity, so around 10:30, I drove to Mayville Park and rode two sections of Webb's Trail and Sea Lion Drive for a good hour of biking. It was still cool enough, so it was a pleasure to be out riding. Interestingly, the first two legs of the trail took 16 minutes, but the return, a slight downhill, took eleven minutes. I enjoyed the return. 

Biking Webb's Trail

When I returned, Evie had finished making Nora Ephron's peach pie,  a favorite, and was sitting in the side yard, sunning and reading. I heated up the leftover pasta and a bowl of corn chowder for lunch so I was happy. The afternoon seemed to go slowly because neither of us had much to do other than Facetime with our granddaughter, Marisa, and her kittens, in Austin, and sit around and wait for 5:00 when Linda and Ron arrived. 

Muffin

We had planned a cruise, but the wind picked up so we sat on our front porch with a beer, cheese, and pretzel appetizer, and drinks. It was a perfect evening for porching it, a slight breeze to keep us cool. Around 6;15, Ron and I went out and grilled the marinated butterflied leg of lamb. We struggled with three different thermometers to get the temperature right, brought it in, and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving it. Despite the thermometer, the lamb was raw and had a gristly texture. Thank goodness Evie made a delicious ratatouille, rice, and a salad. Linda and Ron were nice about the lamb, saying it was 'fine,' but I couldn't eat it, the only honest one. What a disaster. Dessert, however, was fabulous, the Nora Ephron peach pie. Around 8:45, Ron and Linda bid us adieu, and Evie, tired from the day, went up to bed. and I cleaned up the kitchen, watched another episode of Fauda, and went up to bed to read and sleep around 10:00. 

Another Labor Day

Sauerkraut Sunday Morning

Sauerkraut Boys

7:34

It's just after 9:00, and Evie's working in the kitchen. I've just returned from a 70-minute paddle on another fine Chautauqua morning, with no wind, lots of sun, and a bevy of cormorants. I listened to a podcast called China Watch, and the most interesting tidbit was that a hospital in China uses virtual AI-powered robots to serve as doctors that can diagnose, treat, and monitor patients. 

Kayak Morning

Cormorants

Bald Eagle On The Pines

Sunday was a different day, although it started out the same, with an hour of paddling. I returned home at 8:25 and realized I was supposed to head to Tommy's to help with the making of sauerkraut at 9:00. I hurriedly wrote the blog and was picked up by my neighbor Jim at 8:50. We made it by 9:05, and Tom and two buddies were ready to go. We had two hundred pounds of cabbage, and Jim and his friend cut the core out of the cabbage and halved it. Then either Axel or I would get a tray of cabbage and put it through the meat slicer, put the sliced cabbage in a pot, and then take it to Tom, who pressed it into crocks with salt. This is the second year for Jim and me, the 40th or 50th for Tom, who grew up making it with his Dad. It took close to two hours to fill up five crocks and clean up. It was a fun way to fill a Sunday morning.

Tom Pressing The Sliced Cabbage In A Crock

Tom And Julie's Camp Sign

I was home by 11:30, and Evie was making eggplant pasta for our dinner and ratatouille for today's dinner, so she was busy. Around 12:30, she made me a couple of fried eggs on toast and I watched another episode of Fauda. By the time I was finished with lunch, Evie was finished in the kitchen and out in the side yard reading. I cleaned up the kitchen, then read and took my usual nap before joining her out on the dock, admiring the clouds until it became too windy and we returned to the porch. 

Clouds

Blue Sky And Clouds

We had our wine at 5:00 as the lake traffic dwindled and then had the eggplant pasta and garlic bread for dinner, one of my favorite meals. We watched a home improvement show and another series, but neither grabbed our interest. Evie went up to bed early, at 8:15 and I cleaned up the kitchen before watching another episode of Fauda and I was happy to go to bed and read because I am really enjoying my book Descent. It's very well written by Tim Johnson.

Lots Of Fog And Sunshine

7:02

It's 8:30 and I just returned from a good long paddle, across to Long Point and back. A few fishing boats but nothing like a usual Labor Day. It looks like another great day, temperatures in th 60s and lots of sun, perfect for enjoying the outdoors. I am to leave at 8:40 because five of us are making sauerkraut, at my friend Tom's house. Five us will cut, slice, and press in crocks two hundred pounds of cabbage. We did 400 pounds last year so this should go much quicker.

Kayak Morning

Heron

Osprey

Heron

Saturday began as usual with a long paddle. After that, I was in a hurry to gather trash so I was off to the  Transfer Station by 10:00. After that, I drove to Lakewood, shopped at a very busy Wegmans, then stopped for wine and looked around the Tractor Supply for new socks. I ended up buying six pair of Dickies socks from Amazon for thirteen bucks. 

I was home by noon and had the leftover ziti for lunch and wasted much of the afternoon watching the Ohio State/Texas game before and after a nap since I taped it. Evie enjoyed the sun outside reading until she came in and made appetizers for our dinner last night. We both took showers and got ready to go out to dinner at Fred and Judy's home in the Chautauqua Institution. 

Dinner At Fred And Judys

We arrived at 6:00 and met their good friends Subagh and Linda, also residents of the CI. We enjoyed appetizers on their lovely back porch, catching up on everyone's lives, much of which was about grandchildren, of course. We then had a great salmon dinner, with roasted potatoes, salad from Subagh and Linda's garden, and Linda's homemade bread. Dessert was peach pie a la mode. We left around 9:15 with a vow to get together like this next year. It was a lovely night. 

A Quiet Labor Day Saturday Morning

Our Son Tom And His Wife Mary Celebrating Their 30th Wedding Anniversary

7:21

8:35

It's just about 9:00, and I was out kayaking for just about an hour. I listened to a podcast of an interview with Indian writer Arundhati Roy, one of my favorite writers. When the podcast finished, I was shocked by the quiet of the morning. Maybe I ought to listen to the quiet more instead of a podcast. You know, commune with nature.

Kayak Morning

Steam Rising Over Long Point

North

Osprey In Woodlawn Tree

Heron Along Long Point Shore

Mallards Breakfasting

Crow

Heron Above The Reeds

Victoria Osprey

Friday was surprisingly windy most of the day so I skipped kayaking because of it and the waves. I had a long, boring morning, which I spent with coffee, reading a couple of newspapers, and listening to a podcast. By 9:45, I was ready to go and tied my bike to the Outback, then drove to Lakewood and parked my car behind Crosby's. I then rode into Lakewood's Main street and continued down to Celoron and the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel. I took a couple of photos of the two Lucille Ball bronze statues in Celeron Park, one admired, the other made fun of. I  then rode back to my car, and I was biking for an hour so I was happy with my morning. 

Celeron

Chautauqua Harbor Hotel In Celeron

Lucy

When I returned home, Evie was excited because her new iPhone 16 was arriving in the next hour or two. I heated up the leftover ziti for lunch and watched another episode of Fauda before getting back to my book and taking a decent nap. Neither of us did much the rest of the afternoon. Evie had some trouble transferring the info from her old phone to her new one, so she called Apple, and they were helpful. 

We enjoyed a glass of wine at 5:00 as usual, and the winds had died down and the lake had hardly a ripple or a boat, despite it being a Friday late afternoon. For dinner, we had BLT's and corn and watched a new series, The Truth About The Henry Quebert Affair. It kept our interest and we watched three episodes before Evie went up to bed and I watched another Fauda.

 

Striking Clouds, Some Blue And Windy

7:43

8:25

It's 8:30, and I have been up for over an hour, sitting here enjoying a coffee, perusing the internet, and listening to a podcast about the firing and resignations of CDC vaccine officials. What a farce, but expected with RFK in charge, another one of Trump's charlatans. 

Thursday was typical until late afternoon, when we enjoyed a gentle rain for an hour or two. The day, however, began with a short paddle because I was having breakfast at the Ashville Country Store with a friend. I was home by 9:15, in time to finish up the blog and drive to Yin Yoga in Lakewood. I walked into an almost standing-room-only class, but finally found a spot for my mat. Class was energizing, lasting 70 minutes. I was home just before noon, and Evie was ready to mow the lawn, so I moved the chairs and tables, making it easier to mow.  Lunch was zapping a Marie Callender's chicken pot pie in the microwave for six minutes. I began the fourth and final season of Fauda and enjoyed my lunch. 

I am into my book, Descend, so I couldn't wait to read and fall asleep, which I did for 15 minutes. I then read until I noticed that the front yard was still uncut because Evie was on the phone with my sister Ellen, and it was supposed to rain. So I hurried out and mowed the front yard, cutting it, and finished just before it started to rain. 

Gentle Rain

We were able to enjoy a class of wine and a hummus appetizer for a good hour as it rained, pelting the lake with its drops. It's been a while since we have been able to enjoy a rainfall. Dinner was the leftover ziti and a salad, and we were at a loss as to what to watch and channel surfed until Evie went up to bed, and I watched another episode of Fauda, then read, and fell asleep. 

 

Another Autumn Like Morning

6:53

It's 7:45 and I just returned from a short paddle, down to Sandy Bottom and back. I have to leave for breakfast in a few minutes, but I wanted to start the blog. I was out for just over half an hour and saw hardly any waterfowl. It's 9:15 and I just returned from breakfast in Asheville. We had a good laugh as we walked back to our cars, because we hadn't mentioned Trump once - a miracle. 

Kayak Morning

Northern Gray

Heron Along Dock

Yesterday was a pretty good day, starting with a long paddle and lots of birds to photograph. I took the usual route, came home and finished up the blog and had breakfast before leaving for yoga at 9:40. The class was not as strenuous as last week, and we did some interesting stretches. Tara's classes are always different, which makes them fun. When I got home, a pack of three dogs, and later I was told there were six roaming our neighborhood. They looked healthy, but I wasn't sure whether they were domesticated or feral, so I stayed away from them. Later, I found out my neighbor had called the North Harmony office to report them. 

Dogs

Evie had been busy putting together our dinner because we were having guests. She made me a couple of cheese sandwiches for lunch, and I watched my show, then read some and napped as usual. Around 2:30, we watched the last episode of our series, The Resident, and will now have to find something new to watch in the evening.

Dinner With Jerry And Jane

We were having our friends, Jerry and Jane, for dinner at 6:00. At 5:00, I was about to take a shower and get cleaned up when I saw their car parking in our driveway. I yelled to Evie that they had arrived and ran upstairs and quickly got dressed. When they came in, we had a good laugh and assured them it was no problem because we were ready for them. We sat on the front porch with wine and a shrimp appetizer and caught up in their life in the Villages in Florida. They both are doing well, and it was fun to see them since we have known them both since the 1980s. Dinner was baked ziti and a salad, and for dessert, we had a peach crisp with ice cream, a great way to end a meal. They left around 8:30, and Evie was exhausted and went up to bed while I cleaned up the kitchen and then watched the last episode of Season Three of Fauda. 

It's Cold Outside

7:31

8:46

It's 8:54 and I just returned from an hour on the lake, my usual route along Woodlawn, over to Long Point, across to the Powerboat Club, and home.  It was a chilly 49º out when I woke so I put on an extra layer of clothes, a tee shirt under a long sleeve shirt, and was fine. 

Kayak Morning

North

Cormorant

Hawk

Juvenile Osprey

Osprey

Yesterday started out to be a good day, but then it fell apart on my drive to ride my bike. First, however, I had a great paddle, lots of sightings of waterfowl. I returned home, had another cup of coffee, and finished my breakfast. Evie helped me with the blog. Because we had run out of peaches, I decided to go for a ride on the Jamestown Riverwalk, which was close to Peterson's Farm, where we get our peaches. So I got in the Outback and was heading over to the start of the walk when all sorts of lights went on in my Subaru. The kind that says stop driving, danger, oil problems. Well, I was on the highway so I kept going, got off at the first exit, and fortunately, the Subaru dealer was a couple of miles away. I drove in and talked to the guy, who said they would diagnose the problem with their computer, but it would cost me $175. I didn't have much choice, so he said they could get to it in an hour. It took close to two hours, and it was a simple speed sensor that caused all the electrical problems. They didn't have one in stock, so I will have to wait a week to get it fixed, but meanwhile, the car was safe to drive.

Walking Jamestown's Riverwalk

On my way home, I stopped at both Tops and Peterson's to pick up items for Evie and didn't get home until 1:00. I had a chicken wrap for lunch and the leftovers, mashed potatoes and gravy from Tuesday night's dinner. I watched my show and then tried to nap to no avail, so I read much of the afternoon until Evie had a Zoom call with her sisters, when I watched another episode of Fauda. After the Zoom call, we enjoyed a happy hour before Evie grilled a couple of juicy Lucy hamburgers and we had thosse for dinner along with sweet corn. We watched a couple of episodes of The Resident and have one to go. Once Evie went up to bed I watched my show and then went up to bed to read. Not so good a day.