More Snow, More Shoveling

6:33

7:01

Early Birds

Fresh snow blankets everything this morning. It’s 7:15, and I’ve already been up for an hour, calculating how long it will take to clear the driveway and car. The snowplow passed a few minutes ago, neatly clearing the road while leaving its customary foot-high berm across the end of the driveway.

Evie didn’t feel well last night, so she’s sleeping in. I’ll head out at 8:00 with the battery-powered shovel to clear the driveway and brush off the car before leaving for yoga at 9:10.

Mondays always feel slightly unmoored — no yoga, no school for Evie. Yesterday, though, I slept nearly eight hours, a rare luxury. The rhythm of the morning rarely changes. I photograph the lake each hour, drink my coffee while scrolling Facebook, then read The New York Times and The Washington Post. After that, I write the blog. If Evie is still asleep, I upload the photos and leave the final edit and publishing for her. Then breakfast, and the familiar question: what to do with the day?

Woodlawn Creek And Road

Mailboxes

Yesterday’s answer was obvious. Three to five inches of snow had fallen. I cleared the driveway with the battery-powered shovel, cleaned off the car, and finished with the regular shovel to neaten things up. Twenty-five minutes of work, followed by a 25-minute walk through the neighborhood — cold air, quiet streets, the muffled stillness that follows snowfall. It's 8:45, and I was out shoveling for 25 minutes, and now I have 25 minutes to eat my breakfast before I head to yoga. 

Perfectly Sculpted Evergreen

Woods

By 11:30, I was finally inside for good. After a short rest, we wrestled with the water filter — an awkward job requiring us to squeeze between the furnace and the washer and dryer. Success. Lunch was the last of the lentil soup, along with a toasted tomato-and-cheese sandwich Evie made for me.

In the afternoon, I started a Dutch series, The Golden Hour, which I’m enjoying. I also moved between two books — Paper Girl and The Hallmarked Man, the latest Cormoran Strike novel by J. K. Rowling. Despite the good night’s sleep, I drifted off for a solid nap.

6:15 PM

By midafternoon, we settled into the living room, reading or scrolling and listening to the news. At five, I poured us each a glass of wine. We’d planned on a rack of lamb with roasted potatoes, but Evie began feeling nauseous again, so we postponed it. Dinner became fried eggs over potatoes instead — simple and comforting.

We watched Hometown and Stephen Colbert before Evie went to bed. I caught a few minutes of the Kansas–Houston game, then returned to The Golden Hour, ending the day as it began — quietly.

Snow Falling On A Monday Morning

7:38

8:34

As I look out our front window at 8:30, I can hardly make out Long Point because of the falling snow. At the moment it's 29°, but by tomorrow morning the temperature will be back in the single digits. Winter is back!

Sunday was a typical Sunday, except there was no football to watch, which certainly opened up the day. We had our usual Sunday morning coffee and relaxation — not much different from any other day of the week when you're retired. By 9:30, the blog was published, breakfast was eaten, and I was beginning to get bored, so I texted Jim, my neighbor, wondering if he was up for a hike. He was, so by 10:15, we were driving off in his truck with his dog Ripley to walk a section of the Fred Cusimano Westside Overland Trail outside of Panama, New York, that is. Evie and I have walked it many times over the last 15 years and love it because of the hemlocks. 

Ripley Leads

An Easy Trail To Follow

We Rarely See Birds

We parked the truck, let Ripley out, and off he went, following the trail north. It's well marked, unlike our last hike at the Bentley Nature Preserve a couple of weeks ago. We walked out for half an hour, crossing a couple of creeks, then turned back along a bumpy, uneven trail that was hard on our feet. I was glad I had my poles and crampons. Ripley is good at returning to Jim when he whistles, except when he sees or scents a deer — then he's off. Fortunately, Ripley wears a device on his collar that Jim can use to alert him, and he returns.

Into The Hemlocks

Love The Verticals Along The Path

We were home around noon, and I quickly shoveled a couple of inches of snow off the driveway before heading into the warm house, ready for lunch. I heated up some lentil soup in the microwave and made toast with peanut butter and jelly. I watched my show, then read for a while before taking a short nap. We both lazed away the rest of the afternoon reading and watching TV — after all, it was Sunday.

Snowless And Green At 4:15

By 6:00, we were showered and ready to drive to Linda and Ron's for dinner. We arrived bearing gifts, a bottle of wine and a pack of Slovenian sausages. As always, our evening began with delicious breaded artichoke with mayo. A wonderful soup with gnocchi, followed by homemade bread. Dessert was fruit dipped in chocolate. The highlight of the evening, however, was Ron gleefully recounting what happened after we left our five-course Italian dinner at Adriaccio's restaurant last week. We had left at the end of the meal, and they stayed to pay for Ron's beer and an extra glass of wine, not included in the meal. Instead of a check for maybe twenty or thirty dollars, the bill came to two hundred and forty. The forty dollars we had paid online was merely to hold the reservation — dinner was actually ninety dollars a person, plus tip. 

Ron, of course, demanded we pay immediately, but Linda interceded and is allowing us to pay in installments, so I gave Linda a twenty and will pay the rest over the next few months. Needless to say, we all had a good laugh. We were home by 9:00, passing only one car on the ride home. Evie went up to bed, and I watched some TV before growing anxious to get to bed and read my book, Paper Girl.

Another Sunday Dinner

A Snowy Sunday Morning

8:04

8:54

It's later than usual as I start this, because I slept in until 8:00 — a miracle. When I came downstairs, I was surprised to find our front yard covered with an inch of snow. At the moment, it's 8:30, and a wet, light snow is falling on a 29° morning.

Ice Fishermen Returning With Their Sled

Saturday was a day of rest, especially for Evie, who embraced the leisure wholeheartedly. I tend to get antsy after a while and feel the need to do something. The day started as usual — up at 7:00, read, enjoyed a couple of cups of coffee, wrote the blog — all before Evie woke at 9:00. I then had my healthy breakfast while Evie had her coffee, finished reading the blog, and published it. Knowing she wanted to listen to Michael Smerconish on CNN, I put off the trip to the Transfer Station and, instead, strapped on my crampons and went for a walk in the woods and out on the lake. It was easy going at first, but the wet ground eventually caused my crampons to collect clods of dirt, making each step heavier and more awkward. I could usually knock them off and carry on, but it was annoying. I walked the last couple of hundred yards on the lake itself, where I ran into two fishermen who were just leaving with a few walleyes and mostly pan fish. The lake was largely frozen, though every so often I'd break through and sink five or six inches.

Melting Snow

Victoria

Woodlawn

Mostly Frozen Lake

When I returned home, Evie had already cleaned out the fridge and gathered the trash, so I brushed the snow off the Kia and drove to the Transfer Station. On a side note, the warning light for the air flaps is no longer coming on — I'm not sure whether the problem fixed itself or the light is simply failing. And so it goes. The Transfer Station was quiet, and I was in and out in five minutes. Back home, I was ready for lunch. Evie had put together some pasta, mushrooms, and sauce on Thursday, so that became my meal, eaten while watching another episode of Alex Rider.

I'm deep into my book, Paper Girl, and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to understand the divide and antipathy felt by many Americans — particularly the disdain that rural America and MAGA hold for liberals. It's eye-opening; I've been underlining one passage after another. A nap found its way into the afternoon as well, which was otherwise spent reading, watching TV, or sitting in the living room debating whether to turn on the Sirius radio and catch the news. Five o'clock finally arrived, and with it a glass or two of wine before dinner. Around 6:15, Evie made BLTs with bacon from Trader Joe's, and I feasted on a couple of sandwiches heavy with bacon, tomatoes, and mayo. Delicious. Since we've had little luck finding a new series to watch, we returned to an old favorite — Catastrophe. We watched three episodes and, even having seen it twice before, enjoyed every bit of it. Once Evie headed up to bed, I caught the last six minutes of the Duke/Michigan game, then finished the final episode of Alex Rider, before heading upstairs and returning to Paper Girl.

Winter's Back?

8:03

9:10

It's later than usual as I start this — 8:40 — and the lake is still frozen, the ice fishermen are still out, it's 29°, and we got a dusting of snow overnight. I didn't get up until 7:50, though I was awake earlier and simply stayed in bed because it felt so good.

Saturday Morning

Huddled Off Long Point

Friday was a downer after the excitement of Thursday's visit to Euclid to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday. He loves to cook, and one of the reasons we love visiting is his breakfasts. After writing the blog and getting packed, we sat down to a "big, beautiful breakfast" of scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage, toast, English muffins, fruit salad, and jam. Yum. We could hardly get up from the table to say our goodbyes and get in the car. It was a great 18-hour visit.

We left around 10:30 and, as usual, stopped at Trader Joe's on Chagrin Blvd., where we spent a couple of hundred dollars on goodies — a case of wine and other things we can't get in Chautauqua. We left with four bags and that case of wine, then drove to the Ohio border, stopping at Luv's for cheap gas and a root beer. We were lucky to have blue skies most of the way, and the rain stopped before we crossed into New York. We were surprised by how much snow had melted — our front yard was bare and green. After about 15 minutes unpacking and putting things away, we both collapsed: me upstairs on the bed, Evie in the TV room.

Neither of us did much for the rest of the afternoon. I finished my spy thriller, then started a much-talked-about book called Paper Girl, set in Urbana, Ohio. So far, so good. The writer returns to her hometown after forty years, and it's a portrait of what has happened to rural America as jobs flowed overseas, raising fortunes elsewhere while leaving communities here behind.

Get Out The Lawnmower

At 5:00, we had our wine as flurries started falling and melting on contact. Dinner was easy: I got out the wok and made Kung Pao Chicken and Veggies, a frozen Trader Joe's package, served over rice. It was so tasty we'd definitely buy it again. We watched another episode of The Pitt and then a Colbert before Evie headed up to bed. I looked for something else to watch, but ended up back on Alex Rider on Prime.

Happy Birthday Doc

Lake Erie

Lake Erie

Happy Birthday 87th Birthday To My Brother In Law

24 Hours Of Fog

7:10

7:46

It's early, 7:00, of course. Breakfast is at 8:00 in Bemus and yoga at 10:00 in Lakewood, so I'd better get busy and finish the blog before heading to Bemus Point. It's foggy out, like yesterday, and 36°. I had a rough night — waking at 2:00, reading for a while, before finally drifting back to sleep around 3:15, according to my Apple Watch.

Long Point Snow And Ice

Trail Of Hemlocks

Yesterday, Wednesday, was a miserable day weather-wise. Up at 7:00, I wasn't sure what to do with myself beyond reading, listening to a podcast, writing the blog, and having breakfast. After getting a few things done, I decided to try hiking out to Long Point and back — a short, manageable trail. I drove over to the park and found mine was the only car in the marina lot. Fortunately, Evie had reminded me to bring my crampons in case it was icy. It was — and then some. The trails were snow-covered with occasional drifts a foot high. I took my time, poles in hand, and navigated without much fear of falling. At the tip, I came across a couple of Amish men fishing beside their tents. On the way back, I was surprised to see a young girl jogging in shorts on the snowy trail, while I was bundled in three layers with my hood up. I assumed she was a cross-country runner from Maple Grove, the local girls' cross-country powerhouse.

Shorts And Running Shoes

Renovation Of The Seldom Used Bathhouse

Bemus Bay From Long Point

When I got home, Evie was putting the finishing touches on the dinner we're bringing to my sister's — we'll be spending the night in Euclid. For lunch, I had lentil soup and a toasted cheese sandwich with Wegman's all-fruit jam, then watched another episode of  Alex Rider.

Neither of us did much the rest of the afternoon, as usual. I was happy to be inside with my book while fog and drizzle filled the air. We had our wine at 5:00 and dinner at 6:30 — leftover Shenandoah chicken and a salad. We watched another documentary, then started a new Netflix series called How to Get Rich From Belfast. It's as wild as its title suggests, but we may give it another episode. After Evie went to bed, I was watching TV when I kept hearing strange noises outside. I checked outside twice before realizing it was thunder and lightning. There's something genuinely strange about sitting in the middle of winter, listening to thunder while rain pours and lightning flashes outside. 

On February 13 and 14, President Donald J. Trump’s representatives filed three applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to trademark his name for future use on an airport. As trademark lawyer Josh Gerben of Gerben IP noted, the application also covers merchandise branded “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” and “DJT,” including “clothing, handbags, luggage, jewelry, watches, and tie clips.”

After a Florida state lawmaker proposed putting Trump’s name on the Palm Beach International Airport, Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents today reported that the Florida legislature is currently pushing through measures to change the name of that airport to the “Donald J. Trump International Airport.” The amount of money proposed in Florida’s budget to make the change is $2,750,000, but Garcia notes this is likely a placeholder: the budget request is for $5.5 million.

A Rainy Day In February

7:04

8:14

I’ve been sitting here for the past hour, listening to the rain. The snow is melting, and our green lawn is beginning to reemerge on this almost-toasty 39º morning. In other words, it’s an ugly winter day. I am wondering where to go for a walk today because of the rain, melting snow, and ice. 

Tuesday felt a little different because Evie’s kindergarten was on break for the week. No children for her, but I still had yoga at 9:30. Fortunately, I’d had a decent night’s sleep, so I woke at 6:00 with some energy. Three quiet hours gave me time to read the newspapers, write the blog, and eat breakfast before Evie got up at 9:00. Ten of us showed up for a rigorous class, and Courtney congratulated us on our hard work. On the way home, I stopped at Wegmans to pick up a prescription—something we seem to do a couple of times a week. 

I was home by 11:30 to find Evie busy in the kitchen, making lentil soup, my granola, and dinner. The counters were covered, and the kitchen was a mess. I jumped in to help tidy up before heating my lunch—leftover Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes. I finished my series, Unfamiliar, and began searching for something new to watch. The rest of the afternoon slipped by as it usually does: a brief nap, some reading, and a little television.  We were lucky because of the blue skies most of the day, perhaps the last we will have in a week.

Wow

A Long Point Afternoon

Amish Husband And Wife

At 5:00, Evie had a Zoom call with her sisters while dinner—my mom’s Shenandoah chicken with apples and tomato sauce—baked in the oven. After the call, we relaxed with a glass of wine, admiring the deepening blue of the evening sky. I even took a photo, though it didn’t quite capture the moment.

6:13

The Shenandoah chicken and spaghetti were delicious, and we have enough left for tonight. We’re struggling to find a new show and sampled Tehran on Apple TV+, though I’m not sure we’ll stick with it. We watched a bit of the Olympics before Evie went to bed. I then started a new series—somewhat juvenile-sounding—Alex Rider, based on the young adult novels by Anthony Horowitz. It follows a fourteen-year-old who is recruited by MI6 after his uncle, also a spy, is murdered. I’ve watched a couple of episodes, and it’s not bad, so I’ll continue. By 10:00, I was back in bed with my spy novel, The Seventh Floor.

Last night, in a deep expose of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her advisor Corey Lewandowski, Wall Street Journal reporters Michelle Hackman, Josh Dawsey, and Tarini Parti described a department in chaos. Noem and Lewandowski—who the authors say are having an affair and essentially run the department together—are using DHS for their own aggrandizement with an eye to elevating Noem to the presidency. The reporters detailed the focus on image, the decimation of ICE by firing or demoting 80% of the career field leadership that was in place when they arrived, the apparent steering of contracts to allies, and Noem and Lewandowski's excessive demands, including “a luxury 737 MAX jet, with a private cabin in back, for their travel around the country.” DHS is currently leasing the $70 million plane but is in the process of buying it. When Trump was asked about this relationship, he responded: 'I don't know about that. I mean, I haven't heard that,' Trump answered. 'I'll find out about it. But I have not heard that.'