Gentle Rain (Docks In)

 

7:27

It's 8:45 and for once, overcast, no brilliant sunrise,  or blue skies, nada. I did get in a paddle for forty minutes, and just as I was ready to turn around and head back home from Sandy Bottom, it started to drizzle, although it was so light, I hardly got wet.

Kayak Morning

Heron On The Dock

Monday was a busy day for both of us. I went on a long paddle, photographed a couple of herons, and came home around 9:00. I then wrote the blog with Evie and had breakfast.  I had my annual urology appointment at 10:45, so I was in no hurry to get going. By 10:15, I was on my way, arrived at 10:45. I urinated in a cup, then was called back, and had my usual appointment, this time with a female PA. Interesting. I was out in ten minutes and on my way home, with a stop at Wegmans, of course. It's hard to drive by it without stopping for something.

Fall Mulching

I was home around 12:30, and Evie was sitting on the front porch, relaxing after having started mowing the lawn. She volunteered to make me tuna melts for lunch, and I ate them while watching my show. Just as I was about to go upstairs and read and nap, the guys arrived to take our dock out of the lake and store it in our front yard. So I went out to make sure they did everything correctly, and they were great, very helpful, and hardworking. By 2:10, they were done and on their way to take in another Woodlawn dock Evie then continued mowing and also had spent much of the morning doing wash, so she was pretty tired by the time she was done, around 4:30. We sat on the front porch, enjoying a glass of wine, until 6:30, admired the colors, the Tiki Bar and sail boat that cruised by, perhaps for the last time this fall.

Late Afternoon Colors

Tiki Boat

Dinner was the leftover pasta, mushrooms, and sausage, along with a great salad and rolls. We watched a couple of episodes of All Saints, the last one shocking, so much so that we decided to leave it until tomorrow night. Evie, then, went up to bed and I watched the first half of the Chiefs/Jaguars game before joining her.. 

Moon Rising Over Bemus at 6:45 pm

Moon Risen at 8:36 pm

A Cosmos Morning

 

Cosmos In Evie's Garden

7:37

8:48

It's 9:00 and another sunny morning, the high may be up to 80º. I was up at 7:30, paddled for 50 minutes down to Sandy Bottom and back, spying probably the same two herons I see every morning. I couldn't help but notice the cosmos in our backyard, so amazing even this time of the year.

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun

Heron On Boatlift

Heron #2

Heron On A Dock

Yesterday began with a long paddle, and I was feeling good. I came home and Evie and I had our coffee and planned our day, which included our friends, Ron and Linda, coming over for dinner. We started alternating dinners at each other's home each Sunday during Covid and have continued whenever possible. Evie needed a couple of things for dinner, which we forgot to get on Saturday, so I was off to a very busy Wegmans around 10:30. It always surprises me how busy Wegmans is on Sundays. I was in and out quickly, despite the lines at the checkout, and was home by 11:15. I wanted to get a few things done before breakfast, such as cleaning the porches, while Evie prepped a few things for dinner.

For lunch, I had a couple of Swiss cheese and ham sandwiches with two fried eggs, a change from an omelet, and watched the first quarter of an NFL game. None of the games during the afternoon were of much interest, although I watched some of each. I also took a good nap and spent much of the afternoon reading. Evie was able to relax and enjoy some sun in the side yard after prepping a few things. 

Sunday Dinners

Linda and Ron arrived at 6:00, bearing a couple of bottles of wine. We immediately filled out glasses, toasted our gathering, and adjourned to the porch to enjoy the late afternoon, our libations, and sliced baguette toasts, with cream cheese and tomatoes, a bruschetta. Yum. We had not seen each other in close to two weeks, so we had a lot to catch up on, especially my four days in the hospital. Boring. Around 7:15, we sat down to a good old-fashioned American dinner, meatloaf with ketchup or gravy, scalloped potatoes, sweet and sour green beans, and a salad. We loved it. For dessert, Evie served rice pudding with raspberries and blueberries, a perfect end to our dinner. All four of us were tired so they left around 8:50, vowing to get together at their house next weekend. Once they were gone, Evie put away the leftovers, and I did up the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher. She went up to bed, but I watched the first half of the boring Bills game before going to bed. 

A Bright, Sunny Morning

7:37

8:38

It's 8:50 and we are both enjoying the sunshine and our coffee, as the reflection on the lake dazzles. I was out paddling for an hour, along Woodlawn, across to Long Point, back to Sandy Bottom, and home. Starting out, I was overwhelmed by hundreds of seagulls nesting on boat lifts along Woodlawn.  I was surprised to see three or four boats out fishing when I first started to kayak. And of course, they were anchored in spots where I might see some herons, or maybe it's just my imagination. 

Sea Gulls

Kayak Morning

Victoria Heron

Above The Reeds

Yesterday was a different Saturday, at least the morning was. It started as most do with my hour on the lake kayaking. I came home around 9:00 and finished the blog, then had breakfast, which included coconut yogurt and a banana. For the next hour, we got organized, gathered the trash, showered, and got ready to stop at the Transfer Station before driving to Lakewood's Fall Fest. Evie helped me drop off the trash, and we parked in front of my friend Tom's house, not far from Main Street. We spent over an hour meandering down the streets, stopping at booths, talking with the merchants, and even sat down on Ryder's Cup porch and listened to a well-known local band called Osborne Nash. We ran into neighbors, a couple of my coffee buddies, and Evie ended up buying a cool knit hat. By 12:45, we were on our way to Wegmans to do some major shopping. Evie went one way and I went the other, so we were quicker than usual.  On our way home, we realized that we had forgotten a couple of items that we needed for dinner last night and tonight. We are losing it.

Lakewood Fall Fest

Osborne Nash

Bob, Coffee Buddy, and Wood Carver with Evie

When we got home, we put away the groceries, and Evie made me a great ham and Swiss cheese sandwich. I watched a few minutes of college football, then my show, Spooks.  While I was eating, Evie put together our dinner, a pasta sauce with sausage and mushrooms. She then went out to sit on the dock and enjoy the sunshine. I, of course, went up and read some, napped,  then went out on the dock and joined Evie. We were out there until the shadows threatened to reach the dock, and it began to cool. 

We had our usual wine time at 5:00 until 6:30 when Evie made a salad, boiled the pasta, and served our meal. We watched another couple of episodes of All Saints; Evie then went up to bed, and I watched some of the Ohio State football game before another episode of Spooks.

While paddling, I listened to a conservative professor from Princeton being interviewed. He argues that we are no longer in the Age of Reason or Faith but rather the Age of Feeling. We no longer pay attention to reason or morality but to how we feel; our emotions dominate, thus the political chaos, anger, and even hate between the right and left. 

Almost Feeling Groovy

7:43

9:00

It's 9:15, and Evie just came downstairs to join me for a coffee. I was up at 7:30 and kayaked for over an hour, along Woodlawn. across to Long Point, back to Sandy Bottom and home. I was able to shoot three different herons but that was it. The lake is quiet for the most part, with a few fishing boats out. 

Kayak Morning

North

Into The Sun

Breakfast Along Long Point

In The Reeds

Got An Itch

Hanging Out On A Victoria Tree

Same Guy

Friday was another perfect day on the lake, lots of sun, high in the mid 70s. Who could ask for better weather? I was up at my usual time, around 7:30 and kayaked for an hour, down to the Power Boat Club and back. When I returned, we talked about getting some things done around the house. Around 10:30, we went upstairs and began reorganizing our attic, something we often have to do because we just throw things in there until we can't move and then organize it again. We also pulled the two window air conditioners out of the back bedrooms, and the one downstairs in our TV room. It felt good to have that done, something we have to do each spring and fall. We left the attic in good order, ready to become a mess in the next couple of months. 

The Woods

The Lake, The Lake

We were done by 11:30, and I still had some energy, so I decided to check if the path around Victoria/Woodlawn was still overgrown, as I was worried about ticks. Well, to my delight, our neighbor, Jim, had cleared the path around Victoria, making it an easy walk through the woods. Now I can take a half-hour walk, anytime I want, through fall, winter, and spring. I was home just this afternoon, and Evie made me a cheese sandwich, and I made some ramen to go with it and watched another episode of Spooks, Season Seven. For second time in the series, the main MI5 character is killed off and someone new takes over. 

As usual, I went upstairs, read, napped, and then came downstairs. Evie suggested we go out on the dock and read, as it seemed warm enough. So we were out there for a good hour, enjoying the sun and view, until the wind picked up and we came back inside. Around 5:00, it was time for wine, and we were able to sit out on our front porch and enjoy an appetizer of crackers with cream cheese and red pepper jelly. Dinner was a picnic, hot dogs, coleslaw, and baked beans, just what I wanted, and we watched a couple of episodes of All Saints until Evie went up to bed, and I watched an episode of Spooks and joined her. Our routine does not change, nor our viewing habits. 

Sunny Mornings Are Getting Boring

7:36

8:52

I shouldn't complain about the weather, I know, since it's been amazing the past week or two, but I would like to see some rain. I was up at 7:30, made the coffee, gathered my stuff, and went out for a paddle, down to the Power Boat Club and back, and was out for over an hour. The ospreys have migrated, the herons are still sticking around as are the turkey vultures.

Kayak Morning

Woodlawn Turkey Vultures

Heron On Joe's Boat Cover

Yesterday was another fine day, and I kept busy through lunch. The day began with the usual coffee, but by 7:50, I was off to breakfast in Bemus at the Lake Life Cafe. I ordered a protein shake for the first time because I am not supposed to eat when wearing my retainer. If I don't wear it, I can eat but look like a Halloween pumpkin. I was home by 9:10, finished up the blog, and by 9:40, Evie was off to kindergarten, and I was off to Yin Yoga. It was good to get back to yoga, but I have to admit, I left class sore, with a backache, making me wonder if I should drop the class, or if I just exercised some muscles that I haven't used in a couple of weeks. 

A Leisurely Afternoon Paddle

I was home just before noon, and the lake was so inviting that I went out and paddled for a half hour, down to Sandy Bottom and back, on a lovely, windy afternoon. It felt enervating to just be out there enjoying the water. I then made my lunch, the leftover haddock, on a bun with mayo and hot sauce, and watched my show. My book has lost its appeal because he's inserted another novel within the novel, and I don't much like it because it stereotypes black culture, intentionally, as a contrast to the type of books the main character writes. Confusing, right? So I easily napped and woke, came downstairs, and Evie was home from school.  We talked about her day, which was more hectic than usual because of a fire drill and one little guy who refuses to follow directions.

The rest of the afternoon I spent reading, either out on the dock or inside on the couch until wine time. We listened to the news, talked about school, our great-grandchildren, until Evie went in and heated up our dinner, chicken in gravy with stuffing and mashed potatoes. We ate watching our usual show, All Saints, until 8:30, our usual routine. Then, I watched some NFL but got bored and returned to my show, Spooks, and watched the last episode of Season Six, and was tempted to watch the first episode of Season Seven but went up to bed instead to read.

45º , Sunny With Partly Cloudy Skies

Rhys, Tommy, And The Grandparents

9:47

9:10

It's 7:35 and Evie and I have been up for ten minutes. I have to be on my way to breakfast in Bemus in 15 minutes so I won't be kayaking this morning.  Later, at 9:30, I will drive to yoga and Evie to her kindergarten, her second day with a new class. It's 9:15 and I am home from breakfast and finishing up the blog, trying to find a place to sit where the reflection of the sun is not blinding me.

Yesterday was the best because I kayaked for an hour the first time in ten days. I then had a leisurely coffee and breakfast with Evie before driving into Jamestown, to Riverwalk, to get my blood drawn for a PSA test. I thought I had the request with me, but I had to call my doctor's office to get them to fax it over, so it took longer than I thought, about a half hour, which is not bad. It's teaching me patience. I stopped at both Wegmans and Sav-A-Lot on the way home to pick up our dinners and was home just after noon. 

Lunch was easy, the last of the leftover shrimp stir fry and my show. I was anxious to get back to my book, Erasure, so I went upstairs and read and took a nice nap for at least half an hour. Evie was watching her show and doing laundry, so I read for a bit, then decided to get a few more things done. I put the buoys up in the attic and took my wheelbarrow out to the dock, bringing in our benches. All that's left on the dock are a couple of Adirondack chairs, and it's ready to be taken out. 

Evie prepared our dinner around 4:30, some nice Icelandic haddock filets, and we settled down with our wine at 5:00 and some sushi from Wegmans for an appetizer. We had the fish, with homemade tartar sauce, coleslaw, and baked potatoes, and watched a couple more episodes of our series, All Saints. I think we are on episode thirty-two, and we still enjoy it. Evie went up to bed at her usual time and I watched another episode of Spooks, and I am almost finished with the sixth of ten seasons. So I have a way to go to finish the series. It was a really good day.

What An Amazing Morning

6:47

It's 7:05 and I have been up for half an hour, enjoying a coffee, waiting for the sun to rise so I can kayak. How lucky we are to see the sun rise each morning, watch it move back and forth, depending on the season. Not a boat on the lake, a light wind, and it should be a perfect morning for me to get back out on the lake. It's just about 9:00, and Evie and I are sitting here as I finish up the blog. I was out on the water kayaking just as the sun rose at 7:15. It was a gorgeous morning, sun, clear skies, empty lake, and moi. I paddled for an hour down to Sandy Bottom, then back along Woodlawn, spotting a couple of herons and a fake owl. 

Kayaking As The Sun Rises

Autumn Colors

Northern Cloudless Sky

Into The Sun

Yesterday turned out to be an expensive but busy day. We were both up early because Evie was starting kindergarten and usually arrives at 10:00. I was also taking my car in to get the battery checked or to see why it loses its charge. So, after coffee and Evie showered and got dressed, I went out to jump-start my Outback. But, just for the heck of it, I thought I would try to start it, and it started —a miracle. I tried it twice on Monday and nothing happened. I told Evie the good or bad news and drove off to a new garage, Swansons, since my usual garage was closed for the week. The guys were great, checked my battery, said I needed a new one, and best of all, they could do it immediately, so Evie did not have to pick me up. The best part of my experience was their dog, a huge, black, Newfoundland dog, let free to roam, and he immediately came to me to be petted, rubbed, then lay on his back for more affection. 

Heron Among The Mallards

Fake Owl

Heron In Woodlawn Trees

After they put in my new battery (300 bucks), I needed a coffee, so I stopped at Ryder's Cup and talked with Bob, one of the regulars. I didn't feel like shopping, so I came home to an empty house. I soon was bored and decided to get to work, so I put on my bathing suit, took the kayak, and pulled seven buoys, attached to a cement block, out of the water, and brought them to shore. It took me maybe half an hour at the most, and it's something I have to do each fall. By the time I was done, I was ready for lunch and heated up the leftover stir-fry and watched my show, Spooks. It was 1:30 by the time I was finishing, so I went upstairs hoping to take a nap, but I slept for only a few minutes. I had finished my book, The Nickel Boys, about black kids living in a reform school in Florida, and it was hard to read, the way they were treated by the white, racist trustees. I started a new novel, the much-recommended Erasure by Percival Everett, and I like it. 

Around 3:00, I went back outside and cut the rope holding the cement blocks to the buoys and hid the blocks in the bushes. I then filled a wheelbarrow up with water, added some bleach, and spent a half an hour scrubbing the mold off of the buoys, then let them dry on a bench. Evie was relaxing on the front porch so I joined her, read some until she had her Zoom call with her sisters. By then, I was ready to do something else, so I fired up our Honda and raked and mulched leaves around our garage and road. By 5:45, I was sitting on the front porch with Evie and a glass of wine as the day began to ebb. Around 6:30, Evie made a salad and heated up the leftover Salisbury steak and potatoes for dinner. Like Sunday, we both loved it and watched a couple of episodes of All Saints, the last episode bringing us both to tears. Evie went up to bed at 8:30, and I watched some news, depressing, as it was all about Trump's talk to the military, so I switched to Spooks, then went up to bed to read and sleep.

Evie was home around 2:00 and regaled me with her first day, being welcomed back by her teacher as well as other teachers from last year. The kids are all new, although she did get hugs from her students from last year. It was a good start to the year. 

I don't much like to talk about politics on the blog, but Trump scared me. If anyone who voted for Trump watched his speech to the military yesterday and would still vote for him, they ought to ask why they support him. Not only does he ramble, often incoherently, but he also seems possibly insane, and certainly vindictive, but he basically called the Democrats the 'enemy within' and considered sending military troops into liberal cities to control them.  We should all be afraid.