Wet And Windy

Granny's Kindergarten Class

6:33

8:44

As you can see, Evie returned to her kindergarten class for the last time yesterday — a day of laughs, fun, and tears. It started early for me, too. I was up before the house, waiting until 8:00 to kayak because Evie wanted to be awake by then to get ready for school. I was out forty-five minutes, came back, wrote the blog, and Evie read it before we published. Then I helped her fill goodie bags for her eighteen kids, and by 10:00 she was off.

Kayak Morning

The Sun

Clouds And A Touch Of Blue

Northern Sky

For some reason, I haven't felt like doing yoga or pickleball, and I'm not entirely sure why. Flying to Dallas on Friday probably has something to do with it — I wanted to get things ready before we leave. Around 10:30, the sun came out and started drying the lawn, so I pulled out the battery-powered mower and got the grass cut. I was pleased to find I made it through most of the lawn on a single charge, barely needing the second battery to finish.

It's always a little strange to be alone in the house when Evie's gone. I'm not used to it. By 12:30, I was ready for lunch — I heated up the veggie soup, made a turkey and cheese sandwich, added some chips, and watched my show. Then I went upstairs to read Live by Night by Dennis Lehane, one of the few of his books I hadn't gotten to yet.

Around 3:00, I was in the garage pulling out gardening tools when Evie drove in — happy, but carrying the sadness of a last day. We saved her stories for happy hour. She grabbed something to eat and watched her show while I took the tools out back and spent a good half hour weeding around our two fairly new trees. The mulch, for whatever reason, loves weeds, and it took longer than I expected.

I wrapped up around 5:00. Evie had her Zoom call with her sisters for forty-five minutes, and I read until she was done. Then we talked about her day. The kids had been all over her, of course — she'd been gone a couple of weeks, and they couldn't understand why she hadn't come back sooner. A painful afternoon in some ways.

We'd both been looking forward to dinner: Kentucky Fried Chicken. We loved it, especially the coleslaw. We watched some news, then a great Colbert — he had four fellow late-night hosts on together, which made for a wonderful hour. After Evie went up to bed, I watched the Spurs–Timberwolves game through the third quarter, then headed up myself, confident the Spurs had it.

Another Bright Sunny And Windy Morning

7:14

8:58

It's 7:30, and I've been up for half an hour. No kayaking yet — I'm waiting to wake Evie at 8:00. She's heading to her kindergarten class for the last time this year and has a bag full of goodies for the kids, so I want to make sure she's up and ready. It's 8:00, and Evie just woke so I am going out for a paddle. 

Kayak Morning

Woodlawn

A quick thank-you to the reader who pointed out that the osprey in yesterday's photo was actually enjoying a fish dinner up in the tree. I didn't look closely enough before I published. Should have. Just now, a heron glided by like a 747 and set down somewhere in Victoria.

Yesterday got off to a good start — a solid paddle down to Wells Bay and back, light winds, plenty of sunshine. Evie was up by the time I got in, and we had a relaxed breakfast, enjoyed our coffee, and got the blog out. After that, though, I ran out of gas. No energy, no interest in a bike ride or a hike. I puttered around, helped Evie with a few things, and eventually drifted outside for some light yard work with plenty of breaks built in. I even went upstairs and read for a while — and may have drifted off for a few minutes.

We spray the foundation of the house once a year to keep the bugs at bay, so I went around the perimeter pulling weeds and clearing out any ground cover that had crept up against it. There was more than I expected — took about 15 minutes. I decided to save the spraying for later and headed in for lunch. Evie made me a BLT; I had her soup. While I'd been outside, she'd been deep-cleaning the TV room and bathroom, getting the house ready for our departure on Thursday.

After a good nap, I woke up with some actual energy. Evie had headed to Lakewood to shop, so I got moving. I sprayed the foundation and both porches — hopefully enough to hold off the spiders and ants — then pulled out the weed whacker and went to work along the beds, the lakefront, and around the trees. I edged the brick path, trimmed some branches to give the bushes and trees a bit of shape, and hauled everything up to the woodpile at the top of the road. Done for the day, and happy about it.

Evie got home around 4:00, loaded down with Dollar Store finds for her class. Wine time stretched until 6:30, when we sat down to Mandarin chicken with rice, salad, and broccoli. We watched a couple of episodes of Friends and Neighbors, and after Evie went up to bed, I caught the first three quarters of the Cavs-Pistons game. They looked sharp for once — good energy, hitting their shots. I'm hoping they can carry that into the rest of the series.

A Bright Sunny Spring Morning

6:35

8:39

It's 8:30 and a cool 37° despite the sunshine and calm winds. By 2:00, however, it will climb into the 60s — perfect weather for working in the yard or going for a walk.

Kayak Morning

Woodlawn

North

A Reluctant Osprey

I was out on the lake by 7:00 for my usual hour-long paddle down to Wells Bay and back. Near the end of the outing, an osprey returned to the same tree as the day before. I shot many photos, though none turned out well — he was looking the other way.

Yesterday turned out to be a good day despite the wind. I went out for only a short paddle before coming in early, which left plenty of time to read the newspapers, surf the web, and write the blog while waiting for Evie to wake up. She was up around 8:30, read and published the post, and we listened to CNN for much of the morning. By 10:30, I was ready to get out of the house, and since it was Sunday, I drove to the Chautauqua Institution and walked the grounds for forty-five minutes. The place is beginning to come alive — residents are returning, and the trees are turning green. I was back by 11:30 to find Evie busy with laundry and beginning to prepare for our trip this weekend. I opted for soup and a sandwich at lunch rather than my usual omelet, then watched a little TV and read before heading upstairs to try for a nap.

Thunder Bridge

I may have slept fifteen minutes — maybe not — so I came back downstairs, read a bit more, and eventually decided to tackle the lawn. By 3:00, I fired up the mower and took my time, stopping occasionally before pushing through to the finish. We both love the look of a freshly mowed lawn, especially in spring green. Afterward, I caught some of the Knicks' dismantling of the 76ers until 5:00, when wine time called. It was a beautiful late afternoon — lots of sun and blue sky. For dinner, Evie sautéed mushrooms, baked potatoes, made a salad, and grilled steaks. We watched a couple of episodes of Hometown, and I stayed up for part of the Spurs/Timberwolves game before tiredness won out, and I went up to read.

Parly Cloudy And Windy

7:03

7:47

9:33

It's 8:40 as I begin this, the sun's reflection filling the lake. Still cool at 45º, though we'll climb into the 60s later. I did get in a brief 25-minute paddle, cut short by a northerly wind — 20 minutes out to the campground, five minutes flying home.

A Wavy Kayak Morning

Saturday was typical, opening with a good, long paddle, then writing and finishing up the blog. No hurry to the day. Evie wanted to clean out the pantry, and that became our on-and-off focus through most of the morning. She wasn't quite ready to dive in, so we put together a shopping list first, and I drove off to Wegmans to pick up some goodies — steaks, most importantly, for Mother's Day. By the time I got back, she was already elbow-deep in the pantry, and between the two of us we had it done by noon. I gathered the trash and made my usual Saturday run to the Transfer Station.

Evie had made her veggie soup on Friday, so around 1:00 I helped myself to a bowl, made a ham and cheese sandwich, and settled in for the first half of the Indiana Fever game with Caitlin Clark. I'd seen enough by halftime and switched to a book and a nap. Up by 3:00, I took a walk around the neighborhood, read a bit more, then caught the final quarter of the Cavs' defeat of the Pistons.

Stormy Weather

A Hint Of A Rainbow

We were looking forward to wine time, and by 7:30, it was storming. We love it.  Dinner was another easy one: BLTs with chips, followed by a couple of episodes of Colbert. It's sad knowing he's only two weeks out. After Evie headed up to bed, I watched the first half of the Lakers/Thunder game before calling it a night. I'd had more than enough basketball for one day.

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.