Gray On Gray

7:11

It's 9:00, and I've been up for a couple of hours, including an hour of kayaking on an overcast, 46° morning. My kayak friends Tina and Jim are back, so it was great catching up with them. I also missed a heron shot, but took some wonderful photos of an osprey — the first of the year.

Kayak Morning

Tina And Jim

First Sighting Of An Osprey

Friday was a busy day for both of us, which was fine; at least we didn't sit around the house all day. I was up early, had my coffee, then squeezed in a brief paddle between rain showers. Twenty minutes on the water, but the sky actually turned blue, and the sun came out, so it was worth every minute. Evie slept in, so we didn't get the blog published until late.

We then talked with Beth and Marisa about what they wanted shared regarding Rami's passing on my Facebook page. Getting the photos they sent us published turned into a minor ordeal — we thought we'd gotten them up on Facebook, but had to try again, and it finally posted. That ate up much of our morning.

Around noon, I checked the mail and found that my cardiologist had sent orders for a Basic Metabolic Panel. I decided to just get it done, drove to Jamestown, and was pleasantly surprised to get in and out quickly at UPMC Chautauqua. I was home by 1:30, just as Evie was heading to Westfield for a doctor's appointment for a nagging cough. Since I'd been up so early, I went upstairs, read for a bit, and soon drifted off for a much-needed nap. Evie got back around 3:30 with a prescription for an antibiotic. We both frittered away the rest of the afternoon, though I did get out for a walk and chatted with our neighbor Jeff about the mess the sewer crew has made of our roads and yards.

We had our wine around 5:00, and by 6:30 we'd settled on fried potatoes and eggs for dinner — easy, quick, and exactly right. We watched an episode of Friends and Neighbors on Apple TV, and when Evie headed up to bed, I stayed up to watch the Knicks easily dispatch the 76ers, then called it a night.

Early Morning Sun And Rain

7:02

7:55

8:26

It's 8:30, and I've been up for a couple of hours. I came downstairs at 6:30, hoping to have my coffee and then head out for a paddle. The sky was gray and drizzling. I checked the weather map and saw there might be a gap between the rain, and sure enough, when I looked outside, the sky had cleared. I quickly grabbed my paddle, jumped in the kayak, and headed down to Sandy Bottom under blue skies and sun. When I turned around, the northern sky over Woodlawn was dark and threatening, so I paddled back fast — and just as I reached our house, the rain started. I pulled the kayak in. Thirty-five minutes on the water, perfect timing. I just returned from a walk around Woodlawn and saw a heron standing on our road. When I went to photograph him, he flew off, alas. 

Kayak Morning South

Sun Breaking Through The Clouds

Threatening Northern Sky

Woodlawn

Thursday was a nerve-racking day, mostly in the afternoon when we were making travel reservations. The morning, though, was great. I drove to the Ashville Country Store at 8:00 and had breakfast with Tom — Jack was under the weather. I was home by 9:15, the lake was inviting, blue skies and sun, so I went out for a good forty-minute paddle. When I got back, Evie helped me finish and publish the blog. My doctor had wanted another EKG — he wasn't happy with the one from last week — so I drove to UPMC Chautauqua, to the Heart and Vascular section, and was taken care of quickly. I'd expected a long wait and was pleasantly surprised. I then stopped at Aldi's, picked up a few things for dinner, and was home around noon.

Evie made salmon patties for lunch, and I watched another episode of The Good Doctor — when I have nothing else on, I always come back to it. I'd been up since 5:30 and was hoping for a good nap, but only managed half an hour.

Then the afternoon began. We needed to figure out where to stay in Dallas next weekend, along with Tom and Jill, and how to get there — American Airlines, obviously. First came the process of signing up as AAdvantage members, which was not easy. Once that was done, we tried to book a flight on Thursday to Dallas, but it was sold out. We went back and forth between Wednesday and Friday, talked with the kids, and settled on Friday. Reservations made. Next came lodging — Airbnb or Hampton Inn — and after a lot of discussion, we went with the Hampton Inn, four nights. Tom took care of the rental car, but he booked it for the wrong week, so I called him, he canceled it, and started over. On top of all of this, I was trying to write an obituary for my son-in-law — my daughter had asked me for my help — and I finally got that finished and sent off. Through it all, we were constantly texting and talking with Beth, Tom, and Jill, trying to get everything sorted.

By 6:30, it was done. Thank God. Dinner was Wegmans chicken with sauce, pasta, and a salad. We watched an episode of The Great English Baking Show, and then Evie went to bed. I then tried to watch the Cavs on TV but for some reason, not one station was available, at least that's what Spectrum said. So I watched the Cavs lose on my computer and then went up to bed.

36º And Sunny

6:31

7:23

It's just 7:00 as I sit here, the sun filling the living room with its light. I hardly noticed until this morning how far the sun has moved — from rising over Tom's Point to, this morning, rising over Long Point — on its journey along the horizon from southeast in winter to northeast in June. It's 9:56 and I had breakfast at the Ashville Country Store at 8:00 and was out on the lake for a 40-minute paddle at 9:15. A busy morning

Kayak Morning

Paddling North

I was up way too early yesterday and had too much coffee, waiting for Evie to get up around 8:30. Since we'll be traveling by air to Dallas next week, I signed up with both American Airlines and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, since we'll be needing a car in Dallas. For some reason they make it very difficult, and it took me a good hour to get signed up with both. Now I just have to remember the usernames and passwords. They also seem to be asking for something I don't quite understand — a passkey. My grandsons will help explain it to me next week.

Once that was done, I wasted much of the morning reading or on my computer. Around 11:30 I drove to Hogan's because I wanted a sub sandwich for lunch — we didn't have much in the refrigerator. I ate it, watched my show, and was napping by 1:30, tired out from getting up at 5:30.

At 2:45 I headed to the KIA dealer in Erie. For some reason I entered "KIA Express" into the GPS, which took me off the highway onto back roads to what used to be KIA Express. The real KIA dealer was still ten miles away, and I found myself at a motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle showroom called Polaris. The guy was really nice and volunteered to change the oil and rotate the tires, so I sat around for half an hour, paid about half of what it would have cost at the KIA dealer, and drove home on back roads — a lovely drive, the hills and valleys mostly green.

When I got home, I relaxed and got ready for dinner. Evie was showered and ready by 5:45, so we picked up Ron and Linda and drove a couple of miles to the Lake View bar and restaurant in Mayville. It caters to bikers and snowmobilers, so it was practically empty when we arrived. We ordered beers, burgers, fries, and onion rings and caught up on the past month. They head East on Tuesday and we fly West on Thursday, so we won't be seeing them again for close to a month. We left around 8:00, dropped them off, and were home by 8:15. Evie was ready for bed. I, of course, stayed up until 10:00 watching the Knicks/76ers game — won by the Knicks, though it was close.

I'm still struggling to find a book to read. It seems like every book I download, I realize I've already read it when I begin it. 

Rain And More Rain

An Inventive Barber Shop

7:55

I have been up since 6:00, watching the gray sky lighten. It started raining yesterday evening and continued most of the night — two inches total — and it looks like it will keep up for much of the day. No kayaking for me. I spent the first hour signing up with American Airlines and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, since we will probably be using both next week.

Yesterday was a long day, probably because there wasn't much we had to do. I did get in a good paddle to start things off. Evie was up when I returned, and we put together a blog honoring our son-in-law, Rami, who passed away on May 4th. I had a couple of phone calls to make, and both, surprisingly, were pleasant. We then sat around and made a list for Wegmans, and by 10:45 I was off. I stopped for coffee and talked with Dave, the honorary mayor, for about 15 minutes before heading over. It was 5% Tuesday, so the place was busy, but I maneuvered easily around the retirees and found a checkout line that moved quickly. There was a gal in front of me that I knew, and we traded hellos — but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how I knew her. It drove me crazy until it finally hit me on the way home. Pickleball player.

When I got back, Evie was talking with our daughter Beth. It looks like there will be a celebration of Rami's life on Saturday, May 16th, so we will probably fly out late next week and stay for a week or two. At least that's the plan for now. I heated up a chicken pot pie for lunch and started another series. The Night Agent. I watched the first season, skipped the second, and am jumping into the third.

I also started another book in the Gray Man series, Agent in Place. So far, I'm into it. I took a brief nap but had too much on my mind to really sleep. Neither of us did much the rest of the afternoon, other than try to sort out our plans for getting to Dallas next week. We think we've settled on flying, though that could easily change.

Five o'clock and wine time couldn't come soon enough. Dinner was baked potatoes and catfish, and we watched a couple of Hometowns and then the Cavs game. Evie lost interest pretty quickly and headed up to bed. I stuck with it to the end, which I probably shouldn't have — 19 turnovers, and they deserved to lose. I was happy to get back to my book.

Ramiro Albarran: June 17, 1966 - May 4th, 2026

 

Ramiro And Tin Tin: 4/13/26

Monday brought heartbreaking news for our family. Our son-in-law, Ramiro Albarran, passed away peacefully in Dallas, surrounded by those he loved most, after an extraordinary five-year fight against cancer — one he faced with unwavering hope and remarkable courage until the very end.

Ramiro lived for his family. His devotion to his wife Beth and their children — Tyler, Mitchell, and Marisa — was at the center of everything he did. He will leave an immeasurable void in all of our hearts.

Evie and I were deeply grateful to spend two and a half weeks with him this past April. Even then, through the pain and the weight of years of treatment, he continued to work and stay active right up until the day he was hospitalized. That was simply who he was — determined, dignified, and inspiring to everyone around him. A truly amazing man.

He will be profoundly missed.

A Bit Warmer This Morning

8:50

It's 9:10, and we're both up, enjoying a sunny morning. I was out the door by 7:30 for a fifty-minute paddle down to Wells Bay and back — easy going, light winds. I spotted my first heron of the season on the shoreline, but he lifted off before I could get the camera on him. What struck me as odd was paddling to the soundtrack of a lawn mower and a weed whacker. Summer is coming, albeit slowly.

Kayak Morning

North

Sunshine And Clouds

Sunday turned out to be a pleasant day all around. When I got back from the paddle, Evie and I had a leisurely morning, half-listening to various pundits trying to make sense of Trump and his loyalists. By 10:30, I was ready to move again, so I headed over to walk the Chautauqua Institution — my usual Sunday jaunt. Forty-five minutes, and like everywhere else right now, the ground is beginning to turn green, with a touch of color from the Redbud trees — what we always called Judas Trees back in Istanbul.

Thunder Bridge

When I returned, Evie was deep in a long call with our daughter Jill. By 1:30, I was enjoying an omelet — feta and tomatoes — and my series. I read for a bit afterward, though I'm growing restless with the book. A nap followed, and I woke to the sound of the lawn mower; Evie had gone out and started in on the grass. She'd had enough after a while, so I took over and finished it up — burning through both batteries, which concerned me. Last week I cut the entire yard on one.

Happy hour at 5:00, watching the lake. A pair of Canadian geese paddled by, trailed by six or seven babies. Dinner was a salmon salad, one of my favorite ways to eat salmon. We watched the final episode of Doc, then drifted into some HGTV before Evie headed up to bed. I stayed up for the Cavs, who pulled out a game-seven win over the Toronto Raptors, then closed the night with another episode of An Unsuitable Job for a Woman.

I couldn't stop laughing at the creativity of the following meme. Make sure to pay attention to all the details.