A Three Heron Morning

7:34

9:13

It's later than usual as I start this blog on a beautiful late Spring morning. I woke at 6:00 but went back to sleep a couple of times and didn't get up and make coffee until 7:25. I was out on the lake by 7:40 and paddled north into a light wind and met my kayak friends, Tina and Jim, on the way. It was a striking morning to be on the lake at 63º. As I finish this, I am enjoying my healthy breakfast, cherry pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum

Kayak Morning

A Lake Eyesore (boat garage)

Great Blue # 1

#2

#3

Friday turned out to be a decent day, although I was not looking forward to it. I did get in a paddle before breakfast and the blog. I knew I had a doctor's appointment for a CT scan in Ashtabula at 1:00, which meant I had to leave around 11:15 to get there on time. So I spent the hour before leaving in the front yard picking up deadfall from Thursday's heavy winds. I filled two and a half garbage cans with the deadfall and took it up the hill when I was finished. I was out there for almost an hour and worked up a sweat and a sore back from bending over and picking up everything from branches to twigs to bark.

I was through just before 11:00, so I showered and got ready to drive to the Cleveland Clinic Ashtabula. Unfortunately, I ran into a traffic jam in Erie, so it was a good thing I planned on arriving at least half hour before my appointment. I got there at 12:50, ten minutes before my appointment, and waited maybe 20 minutes before getting called for my scan. It took maybe 15 minutes, and I was back to my car, on my way to the last stop in Ohio to fill up on cheaper gas and get a Whopper meal.

On my way home, I stopped at the northeast exit and bought a cherry pie, cookies, and chocolate milk at Orton's Fruit Market. I was home by 3:00, and Evie and I watched the US soccer team defeat Australia 2-0 before sitting on our front porch and enjoying a glass of wine and the view. Because I had a Whopper at 2:30, I was not very hungry, nor was Evie, so she made us fried bologna sandwiches, with mayo and pickles, her favorite sandwich from her childhood. I suggested watching an old film, from 2005, based on a Richard Russo novel called Empire Falls. We stuck with it for a little over half an hour before one of us admitted we were bored. We then watched a bit of soccer before Evie went up to bed. By then I had had enough soccer and turned to Apple TV and watched an episode of Sugar, with Colin Farrell. I think I am going to like it.

Autumn Looking Dusk, Thursday at 8:44

"The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long But It Moves Toward Justice."

Barack Obama's Library In Chicago

On the frontispiece of his library, are the blazoned following Words: 

You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed. America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”

Rather than writing about my day, I want to talk about President Barack Obama's speech yesterday afternoon, when he opened his library. What a breath of fresh air.

He talked for twenty minutes without once alluding to our present president. Instead, he talked about America — about what it means to people all over the world, a sanctuary of hope and dreams. He emphasized the beauty of American values: our diversity, freedom of speech, openness, truth, empathy, and kindness. No retribution, no whining, no swearing, no vindictiveness. In fact, he honored his two presidential opponents, John McCain and Mitt Romney.

He made the audience feel the audacity of the Declaration of Independence, where its second sentence declares that "all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights — among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Typically, his speech wasn't about him. It was about the country he sees in peril, and the people he loves. That's what he hopes his library embraces and teaches — not a paean to himself, but a living lesson in what we're capable of.

I was struck again by his ability to articulate complexity while still speaking to the common man, not just the intellectual. He remains filled with hope in the American people — that our best side will prevail, and allow us to live again in harmony, peace, and prosperity. No, Pollyanna, though — he knows democracy is hard and never guaranteed. But he believes in us, the American people.

Yes, we can.

Former leaders Angela Merkel from Germany and Justin Trudeau were there along with a musical performance honoring Obama by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Mark Anthony, Jennifer Hudson, and John Legend.

Partly Cloudy And Rain

6:38

9:07

By 7:25 this morning, I was already back from a half-hour paddle down to the reeds and return, and had managed to shoot two herons — one walking the shoreline, the other perched partway up our neighbors' front wall. It's 9:15 as I finish this. Evie was awakened at 8:00 to a torrential rainstorm while I was enjoying coffee in Bemus Point and was unaware of the rain and wind.

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun And Clouds

Great Blue

Great Blue In Bud And Debbie's Yard

Yesterday was one of those days with nothing we had to do, which is a particular kind of gift. We took a slow morning — coffee, the blog, the radio — and let it unspool at its own pace. Around 11:00, I decided to get out on the bike. I drove to Lakewood, parked behind the gas station, and headed down Summit toward Ryder Cup. I thought about stopping for a coffee, but passed. From there, I rode on to Celeron, locked up the bike, and sat for a bit with some water and a long look at the lake. Then I turned around.

Somewhere on the way back, I stopped for water and realized I'd left my bottle on the bench in Celeron — so I rode back to retrieve it. I was out 70 minutes, covered 10 miles, and as has become something of a law of nature, the return leg was straight into the wind.

Biking To Celeron's Harbor Front Hotel

Home by 12:30, I had the leftover pulled pork and macaroni and watched some soccer, hoping to catch Ronaldo finding the net. He didn't oblige. My legs were sore from the ride, so I stretched out with my book — The Water Keeper — and ended up finishing it after a nap. I'd liked it well enough right up to the ending, which seemed to go on long past where it should have stopped.

Late afternoon, I went after the weeds, though I gave myself permission to mix in some recovery time. It went: weed, chaise longue, book, weed, chaise longue. The clouds had been building and threatening all through happy hour, and sure enough, it rained later in the evening.

Dinner was the leftover meatballs with pasta and a salad. Evie had found a movie she wanted to watch — The Debt, the Israeli thriller about tracking down a Nazi war criminal — and it held up well. After she went to bed, I caught some more soccer, then an episode of Law & Order, then headed up and cracked the new novel: I Who Have Never Known Men, a post-apocalyptic story about 39 women held underground by silent armed guards. It has a premise that's hard to put down after the first page.

Usually, we have breakfast in an empty Lake Life Cafe during the winter. Below is what it's like in the summer. 

Lake Life Cafe

Another Day Of Sun And Clouds

8:52

It's 9:00, and both Evie and I are up, enjoying the view and our coffee. I slept in a bit — up at 7:30 instead of my usual time — so I didn't get out on the water until close to 8:00. I was out for 53 minutes, taking my time down to Sandy Bottom and back along Woodlawn to home.

Kayak Morning

Bald Eagle

Same Guy, Staring Me Down

Yesterday was a back-to-normal day. Up early to write the blog, then kayaking, then sorting my boat. By 9:10, I was on my way to yoga, and it was good to see some of the regulars again. Class was hard, but I made it through and left feeling groovy. I stopped for coffee at Ryder's Cup on the way home, and Joyce comped my drink. With kayaking and yoga both checked off, I felt free to relax for the rest of the day.

I had the last of the chicken salad for lunch and watched some of the Turkey/Australia soccer match, which had been played a couple of days earlier — Turkey lost 2-0. From what I saw, Turkey seemed to dominate possession, but dominating means nothing if you don't score. After a nap, I spent a good part of the afternoon reading out on the dock and in the side yard. It felt great to soak up the sun's warmth and just be outside. Around 4:00, Evie cut my hair and beard out in the side yard, and now I am a young boy again. I showered, got cleaned up, and we headed out to celebrate Linda's birthday.

Dinner In Bemus Point

We had planned on eating at a new trattoria in Bemus, but learned they still don't have a liquor license, so we crossed the street to the Ellicottville Brewery instead. Ron and I ordered beers, the gals a bottle of wine. Ron and I went with the Pulled Pork Gouda Mac and Cheese, Linda had a salad, and Evie ordered the fish fry. Everything was decent except for Evie's fish, which was inedible. We left around 8:00, and the four of us had a nightcap on our porch as the evening wound down. Ron and Linda headed home around 9:00, Evie went to bed, and I settled in to watch the first 25 minutes of the Argentina/Algeria game — and was treated to a goal by the 39-year-old great, Lionel Messi. Then up to bed to read.

An Early Morning Sky

6:20

7:51

It's 6:30, and I've been up since 6:00 on another chilly morning — 50º. A boat or two are already out, anchored by the reeds, fishing. Chris is bringing my boat by at 8:00, and I have yoga at 9:30, so I wanted to get in a paddle, park the boat, and write the blog before leaving at 9:10. It's 8:20 and I kayaked for 50 minutes, the usual, over to Long Point and back. Evie's up, and I am finishing the blog and am still waiting for Chris. 

Kayak Morning

Sun Rising Over Long Point

Black Crows: Amish Up Early Fishing

Great Blue Above The Reeds

Yesterday was a good day — a trifecta. It started around 7:45 with a paddle, as usual, returning to write the blog and have breakfast. I wasn't sure what to do with my day, so I read and listened to Michael Smerconish for a good part of the morning. Evie was leaving at noon for a doctor's appointment, so I decided to get some exercise and drove off to bike to the Chautauqua Institution, thinking it would be a good place to ride before it opens officially on June 27th. It's a busy place right now, with builders and lawn crews working frantically before the season begins. I biked around the grounds to the marina and back, which took about forty-five minutes. It's a beautiful place to ride, especially this time of year when so much is in bloom. On my way home, I stopped at the Lighthouse Grocery for a chicken salad sub. I arrived around 12:30, after the rush — at noon, the parking lot is usually packed with workers grabbing lunch.

Thunder Bridge

I was home by 1:00 and enjoyed my sandwich while watching the second half of the Spain vs. Cape Verde World Cup match. Spain supposedly had the best player in the world on the pitch — eighteen-year-old Lamine Yamal — but he'd been nursing an injury and didn't get in until the last twenty minutes. You could see the amazing skill, though. Even so, Spain couldn't find the net despite thirty or forty shots on goal, and it ended 0-0. After the match, I went upstairs to read and napped briefly. 

Woodlawn Trail

When I came back down, Evie was still out, probably having stopped at Wegmans on her way home. For some reason, I felt like a walk, so I took a half hour through Woodlawn/Victoria Woods. Fortunately, our neighbor had mowed a good part of the path, or I'd have been trudging through foot-tall grass. I don't usually walk it much in the summer — too hot — but I enjoy it in the winter.

Amish Fishing

When I returned, Evie was home and had picked up two packages of sushi for happy hour. Yippee. While I read and relaxed, she put together dinner — a recipe I'd found online called Glazed Chile-Garlic Meatballs. 

Amazing Clouds At 5:12 PM

Happy Hour

It was warm enough to enjoy our first glass of wine and the appetizers on the porch, though it cooled off enough that we eventually moved inside. Dinner was around 7:00, followed by more soccer — Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, another 1-1 tie. We tried a couple of shows afterward, but nothing stuck. I can't even remember the names, which tells you everything. I finally went up to read at 10:00. It had been a good day.

Chillin On A Monday Morning

7:37

I'm sitting in my living room, looking out at a gray sky on a 50° morning. I was up at 6:15 and out on the lake by 6:30 for close to an hour, down to Sandy Bottom and back along Woodlawn. The wind made it more arduous to paddle north, so I turned around at Sandy Bottom. It looks like a cool day ahead — highs in the low 60s, no rain.

Kayak Morning

A Slice Of Light To The North

Yesterday morning was sunny, the afternoon stormy, with an inch and a half of needed rain. The day started with a good paddle and a shot of a deer making its way across the lake. Once Evie was up, we published the blog and listened to the various news programs discuss the same breaking news. I think the noise of their voices gives us some sense of comfort?

Around 10:30, I was ready to do something and went out to the lake to set buoys in the water, marking the area in front of our dock where we swim and fish. I attach a rope to a cement block, tie it onto a buoy, take it out in my kayak, and drop it in. I did this six times, making a line of buoys defining our swimming area. It's usually respected — boats go around it — although this morning, someone drove right through, towing one of the buoys over to the Pine Hill dock. So I grabbed it before heading out to kayak and brought it back to its proper place. It took about an hour to get all the buoys set yesterday. I keep forgetting how many small jobs are needed to get our yard and lake ready for summer.

Around 1:00, Evie made me an omelet and a bagel for lunch, and I watched the third quarter of the Knicks game, which felt like forever with commercials, timeouts, and stoppages. I saved the fourth quarter for later. I wish the NBA would ban timeouts in the last three or four minutes and leave the decisions up to the players. Around 1:30, I went upstairs to read and napped briefly, a bit nervous about the forecast of storms and heavy winds.

Around 3:00, the sky was darkening, and I wanted to get a few things done before the rain hit. I used the hedge trimmer to cut back the rhododendrons in our front yard — they were obscuring our view — and got out the lawn edger to trim around the walk.

Threatening Sky

We both sat out on the front porch when the rain began and watched the lake transform from quiet and calm to wild and wavy, with whitecaps as the winds picked up. It rained on and off for maybe an hour, and that was basically it, though other areas received more rain and damaging winds. By wine time, the storm had passed, and we could enjoy the late afternoon without any worry.

Winds, Rain, And White Caps

Dinner was the leftover lamb and eggplant, which Evie doctored up with more tomatoes and spices. We're still struggling to find something to watch — we started a new series but gave up after 15 minutes and went back to The Good Doctor and the last quarter of the Knicks game. I ended the night with another episode of Law & Order before heading up to bed to read.

Deer Crossing

Bambi

Deer Crossing

6:56

8:40

It's 8:35, and I've been up since 7:00 on an overcast, 65° Sunday morning. I was out paddling at 7:15 — the only one on the lake — for close to an hour. It was a good morning for photography: I shot a heron, an osprey, and, unbelievably, a deer crossing in the middle of the lake. I hope he made it back to land.

Kayak Morning

Northern Gray

Gray Sky And Reeds

Saturday turned out to be another sunny, warm day, a perfect late-spring afternoon. I got in a good hour's paddle, across to Tom's Point and back. I was excited to shoot a juvenile eagle, although I thought it was a hawk until Evie looked it up on IBirdPro. When I returned, we both spent a good part of the morning getting a few things done — dishes and laundry — and by 11:00 I was off to the Transfer Station to get rid of the trash. I'm not sure why, but I put off mowing the lawn until the afternoon, the warmest part of the day. I should have done it before lunch. I did get my gas mower working and mowed the garden, which took about five minutes. I'm glad it's working when I need it.

Lunch was at 12:30, a chicken pot pie, and I watched my show, then read upstairs and tried to nap. I'm really liking my new book, The Water Keeper. Around 2:30, I mowed the front yard, then took a break to swap batteries on my mower — it was too hot to cut the lawn all at once. After a brief hiatus, I finished up and charged both batteries, so the mower is ready to go next time. I was tempted to swim but didn't, and instead relaxed in the living room, cooler than the porch, until 5:00, when it had cooled off enough for us to sit on the front porch with a glass of wine. While I was mowing, Evie put together one of her specials: ground lamb, eggplant, and rice.

We watched boats pull in and out next door, often cutting in front of our dock, so I'll be putting out buoys today or tomorrow to keep them at a safe distance. Dinner was at 6:30, and it was great. We'd been talking about the actress Mariska Hargitay, and Evie remembered her on ER briefly, so we went back to Season Four and watched a couple of episodes featuring her character's infatuation with Mark. After Evie went to bed, I watched the first half of the Knicks game. I was a bit bored and tired, so I headed up to bed, hoping the Spurs would win to stretch things out a game or two. The Knicks won, alas — six-foot guard Jalen Brunson was unstoppable, scoring 45 points.