A Harbinger Of Winter

7:10

7:43

8:28

8:46

I woke this morning to a hint of winter: 37º, strong winds, and a rough lake. I was up at 6:30, greeted by darkness and streaks of light on the horizon. When I stepped outside, I could hear the wind howling, with gusts reaching 26 mph. I’m glad I don’t feel up to kayaking anyway. Between our colds and coughing, Evie and I are both sad to be missing the annual clambake at my sister Linda and brother-in-law Rich’s house in Euclid, Ohio, on Lake Erie. It’s a family tradition that began back in the 1950s, and they have kept it going. It’s only 7:49 as I finish writing this. What am I going to do for the next fourteen hours?

Friday was another day of doing very little, hoping to feel better. It’s strange to look back on a day when I haven’t kayaked, ridden my bike, gone to yoga, or even gone shopping. What did I do with most of the day? I’m trying to remember.

I was up at 6:45 and spent an inordinate amount of time on my computer, reading the newspapers, surfing Reels, and listening to podcasts until Evie got up. We then finished the blog and published it. Having accomplished one thing, I didn’t feel like my usual breakfast of yogurt and granola, so I made toast with peanut butter and banana instead. A little variety, at least.

The rest of the morning, I read in the living room or sat at my computer while Evie puttered around the kitchen. But like me, she soon lost her mojo and returned to the couch. Around 12:30, I had lunch: the leftover ramen soup Evie had made and the sub sandwich I’d bought a couple of days earlier. When I finished, I was ready for a nap, so I went upstairs to read and doze off. Evie, unfortunately, is rarely able to nap, so she watched some TV and then began selecting photographs from my computer for a photo book for our great-grandson Rhys' visit.  She did the same for all our grandchildren, too.

The afternoon dragged for both of us. There isn’t much you can do when you feel tired and achy, so we waited until 5:00, when we could enjoy our usual glass of wine and listen to the news, most of it about the horrific shooting of children in Oregon.

Evie put together dinner: a curry with mushrooms, chicken, and tomatoes. We watched our usual evening television until she went up to bed. I started a series called Unfamiliar, only to realize before long that I’d watched it before. Still, I stuck with it until it was time to head upstairs to bed.

Overcast And Occasional Showers

Evie's Photo of Autumn On Chautauqua Lake

7:15

7:40

8:46 And Raining

It’s 8:19, and I’ve been up for about two hours, wasting time on my computer. I rarely watch Reels on Facebook, but for some reason I sat through “30 Facts About Alaska” and learned quite a bit. Right now I wish I had the mojo to go kayaking. Fortunately, it’s starting to rain, which quashes any hope of getting out on the water. I hate sitting around doing nothing. It's almost 9:00, Evie's up, and it's raining hard outside as leaves fall from our maples. 

Yesterday, Thursday, was exactly that. I skipped breakfast in Bemus, kayaking, and yoga, my usual Thursday routine. Instead, Evie and I sat around listening to Michael Smerconish, getting up only now and then for something to drink. I had slept just over four hours Wednesday night and woke with a cold, so by 10:30 I was tired enough to head upstairs, read, and try to nap. Evie, thankfully, is on the mend, with less coughing and aching.

I came downstairs around noon to find that Evie had made me chicken and ramen soup for lunch. It tasted wonderful. I watched something on TV, though I can’t remember what. By 2:00 I was back upstairs, still worn out, and actually napped for close to an hour while Evie did laundry and watched TV.

When I came back down, I finally accomplished something: I took out the trash and charged the car, which took all of five minutes. Then I read until 5:00, when Evie joined me, and we each had a glass of wine while listening to the terrible news that a teenager had shot his way through locked doors at an Oregon elementary school, killing three children and a teacher. According to ChatGPT, “There have been hundreds of school shootings in the United States — and potentially thousands, depending on how ‘school shooting’ is defined.”

Dusk

Around 7:00, we had dinner, BLTs and chips, and watched some TV until 8:00, when Evie went up to bed. I turned on Thursday Night Football on Prime and watched most of the first half before I’d had enough and switched to Berlin ER on Apple TV. All in all, a boring day.

Feeling Lousy

7:15

It’s just 6:00, and I’ve been up since 5:00, again. Yesterday I began to develop a cold, and I woke this morning with a sore throat, aching body, and a headache, though no fever. So I’ve joined Evie in the feeling-lousy club. It’s been a long time since I was sick, and I’m feeling sorry for myself. I even skipped breakfast in Bemus and kayaking. 

Leaf Strewn Trail

Wednesday turned out to be a pretty good day until dinner time. I got in a good paddle, out on the lake by 7:30 and back by 8:30, in time to write the blog and have breakfast. Evie slept in, lucky gal, and by 9:30 we had published the blog and talked about our day. Her cold had gotten worse, coughing so much her stomach muscles were sore. so all she wanted to do was hunker down on a couch or bed. I don’t blame her. I felt a little off but made myself “do something.” I tied my bike to the Outback and drove to Klingingsmith Plumbing first to talk about the heating system project they’ll be working on next week. Then I stopped at Chautauqua Ironworks to price a couple of aluminum horses for my dock. Finally, I parked in Mayville and rode two legs of Webb’s Trail, then down Sea Lion Drive and back to my car. I was out for around 50 minutes and felt good that I had done something. On my way home, I stopped at the Lighthouse and picked up a chicken salad sub with all the fixings. Just before lunch, I looked outside, and an osprey was either eating or catching a fish along our neighbor's shore. It was a surprise because I thought all the ospreys had migrated south, making me wonder if this one was injured. 

Grabbing A Fish

Alert And Ready To Fly

I've Never Seen An Osprey Floating

Taking Off

It was almost 1:00 when I got home, and I was hungry, and I ate half the sub with some chips and watched another episode of Neagley before going upstairs to read, hoping to nap.  Around 3:00, I moved my cars onto the new asphalt parking area after letting it sit for five days. Around 5:00, despite both feeling bad, we enjoyed a glass of wine and watched the leaves fall, covering the front yard once again. Why do I even mulch? Earlier, I had driven over to Bemus to pick up a pepperoni pizza, so that was our dinner, easy and decent. We watched a show until Evie went up to bed, leaving me to watch the final three episodes of Neagley before heading up to read and hopefully sleep.

A Reminder Of Summer

7:03

View As I Sit On My Front Porch, Writing The Blog

It’s 6:30, and I’ve been up for an hour, sitting outside on our front porch for some reason. It just started to rain a little, but I doubt it will last long. I want to be out on the lake by 7:30, so it had better stop by then. It’s 6:53 as I finish this, and it’s still raining. Well, the rain stopped by 7:30 and I was out paddling on a calm, empty lake for close to an hour. I paddled over to Long Point, across to Bootey Bay, and home, on an overcast, 58º paddle.

Long Point

Bootey Bay

Northern Sky

Mallards

Great Blue Heron

Yesterday was a bizarre day, with daytime temperatures rising to the 80s. It was an anomaly, because today’s high will be in the mid-60s, back to normal. I got in a good paddle before it warmed up, on a quiet, empty lake. I was back home by 8:30, in time to finish the blog, have breakfast, and head to yoga class by 9:10. It had been a week or two since I’d been to yoga, and yesterday’s class was fairly rigorous, but I hung in there. It felt good to push myself. After class, I stopped for coffee and talked with both Dave and Bob, friends and regulars.

When I returned, Evie was on the couch, coughing occasionally and feeling lousy from her cold. She had gotten a few things done but had no energy and wanted to go back upstairs to bed. I helped her get comfortable, then made my lunch: a couple of pork chop sandwiches on brioche rolls, with mayo and tomatoes. Yum. I’m into a new Prime series featuring Jack Reacher’s cohort, Neagley. She is one tough woman, a female Reacher. We both stayed inside, avoiding the sun and heat. I tried to nap, but it looks like those days are over, so I read a good part of the afternoon, watching the wind knock the leaves off the tree branches.

A Summer Afternoon In October

Ready To Mulch

I waited until 4:30 to mulch the leaves, and because it was so warm, I wore shorts and no shirt, taking a time-out after 20 minutes to have some water and check my phone. I finished up just after 5:00, in time to have a glass of wine with Evie and listen to the news. Evie mustered up enough energy to make home fries and eggs for dinner. We watched SNL for a while, but Evie was tired and uncomfortable and went up to bed around 7:30. I watched about ten minutes of the Cavs game on Peacock, then returned to my series, Neagley, watching two episodes until 10:00, when I went upstairs to read and sleep.

Fact:

A Picturesque Morning Sky

Zinnias!

7:06

7:13

8:24

It’s 7:05, and I was up at 6:30. The sky has some orange in it this morning, adding a little color to the gray. Today is going to be a warm one. It’s already 61º and should get up to 78º later in the day. It may be the last really warm day of the fall.

Kayak Morning

Eastern Sky

Bald Eagle

Prancing Heron

Monday began with a 50-minute paddle and a photo of one heron. I was up too early, of course, and waited until 7:30, sunrise, to kayak. When I returned, Evie was up, and we planned our day. She had to get a blood test in Jamestown, so she left around 10:30. We put together a short list, but basically I was returning five packages from Amazon at Michaels. T.J. Maxx is next door, so I stopped in and ended up buying a $65.00 shirt (right) for $17.00. Just what I need: another shirt.

Hiking Victoria/Woodlawn Woods

I returned home around 11:00 and wanted to get in some activity, so I walked our woods for a half hour just as the sun came out. I got back just as Evie drove in. She had stopped at Wegmans, so I helped her bring in the groceries.  For lunch, I had the last of the chicken enchiladas, and I started watching a new film called Animals with Ben Affleck. I watched it on and off during the day, after my nap and before my doctor’s appointment. Unfortunately, it became clear Evie was coming down with a cold or the flu. She had a bad cough and felt increasingly achy.

After my doctor’s appointment at 4:00 in Jamestown, I stopped at Tops on the way home  and picked up some goodies for dessert. Evie had managed to prep our dinner, pork chops and baked potatoes, and was able to talk with her sisters on a Zoom call at 5:00. We ate around 6:30 and watched some TV, but Evie felt worse and went up to bed earlier than usual, and without dinner.  I watched the lead-up to the Bills/Rams game, then the first half, before heading up myself. I woke this morning to a surprise: the Bills won a thriller in overtime, and I missed it all.

Mostly Gray , Overcast And 57º

Evie, Sister Jean, And Parents, Early 1950s

7:14

8:34

Well, it’s 7:18, and we were both up around 6:00 after bad nights. It ruins the morning, and sometimes the day, if you don’t get a decent amount of sleep. I just returned from kayaking forty-five minutes, on a gray, light drizzle morning. For the second day, just as I was about to shoot an eagle, he flew off, frightened, I suppose, by me. 

Kayak Morning

Sandy Bottom

Great Blue On Victoria Dock

Sunday was another football Sunday, although the Bills will play tonight.  Because of the heavy winds, I didn’t get to kayak and spent a long morning on the couch reading the New York Times and the Washington Post. The news these days is mostly depressing, thanks to Drumpt. I had plenty of time to write the blog, have breakfast, and plan the day. I needed gas, and my tires on the Outback were low, so I drove to Mayville, put air in the tires, and bought 30 bucks’ worth of gas, then stopped at Tops Market for a few things for dinner. That was the extent of my doing anything during the day.

I was home around 11:30, did some reading, and tidied up the living room.  At 2:45, Evie made me scrambled eggs and a bagel. I watched some football, but I had little interest in either team, so I went upstairs, read, and took a decent nap. While I was napping, Amazon dropped off our new Dyson 10 vacuum cleaner. When I came downstairs, it took the two of us to figure out how to put it together, me being so handy! We tried it out, and it certainly seems to vacuum thoroughly. I went out for a short walk, came in, and took a much-needed shower before 5:00. We had our wine with melted cheese and Tostitos as the sun came out, highlighting Long Point and Tom's Point. 

t

Tom's Point

5:34 PM

We had no worries about dinner, since there were enough leftover chicken enchiladas for both of us. We watched some news and the first episode of DOC before Evie went up to bed. I watched more football, and when I had enough, I turned to Berlin ER before getting back to my book and falling asleep.

It was not the best of Sundays, with no kayaking, biking, or walking, just some shopping and lying around reading or on my computer.

Windy And Gray Skies

7:25

It’s 8:00, and I’ve been up for an hour, wishing the wind would die down so I could kayak. It didn’t, so I’ve been sitting here reading the newspapers, surfing the net, and watching the sky lighten, the leaves fall, and the flags ripple in 13 mph winds with gusts up to 28 mph.

Saturday was typical: an early paddle, avoiding the duck hunters’ blinds, then writing and publishing the blog and having breakfast, all before 9:30. We got a few things done around the house and gathered the trash, so I was off to the Transfer Station by 10:00. Then I checked the three spots where we usually buy corn. All three were closed, so I doubt I can bring corn to the Euclid clambake next Saturday. I was near the Goose Creek Valley Greenway Preserve, so I stopped to check it out. Once again, I hope to have a happy hour there some late afternoon, overlooking the creek.

An Out-of-the-Way Preserve

Viewing Platform

Creek

I was home by 12:15 and heated up the leftover ramen for lunch. I watched some college football and struggled to find a series to watch. I’m beginning to get into my book, Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke. I read all his books back in the ’80s, following Dave Robicheaux, a detective and investigator in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. I fell asleep reading, as usual, and when I woke, I wanted to get moving, so I attached the bike to the Outback and drove to the Chautauqua Institution. It felt good to be back on my bike, and the CI is an easy ride. I was out for 40 minutes, and it was busy, with walkers and a wedding party in front of the Athenaeum. 

Thunder Bridge In Autumn

CI's Brick Walk

I was home by 3:45 and relaxed with Evie in the living room. By 4:20, though, I got antsy and went out to cut down the seven-foot-tall Zebra grass by the side of the house, filling a couple of garbage pails and hauling them up the hill to the woodpile. I was done at 5:00, just in time for a glass of wine with Evie on the front porch.

When I was at Sam’s Club in Erie, I picked up our dinner: chicken enchiladas. They looked good, and all we had to do was heat them. They turned out to be pretty good, so next time we’re at Sam’s, we’ll get more. We watched some TV, and when Evie went up to bed, I started three different series, disliked all three, and went up to bed to read.