O What A Beautiful Morning (sung by Gordon MacRae of course)

7:01

8:43

It's sunny with a light breeze and partly cloudy skies at 9:00. It's 70º, and I just returned from an hour-and-a-half paddle across the lake to Tom's Point, about a half-hour out, then back along Wells Bay and home. Along the south side of Tom's Point, I spotted two or three herons and got a good photo of a eagle before it flew off. I also ran into my paddling friends Tina and Jim on my way home.

Kayak Morning

Tom's Point's South Side

A Juvenile Bald Eagle

A Great Blue Heron

Yesterday was a busy morning for both of us, with an easy afternoon. Evie was up early and on her way to Westfield Hospital for a test at 8:00. I was up before her and got in a good paddle, returning at 7:30 just as she was getting up.

I wrote the blog and decided it would be a good day for a bike ride despite the forecast of possible rain. So I strapped my bike to the Outback and drove over to Bemus, parking near the bridge. I biked through Bemus, along Lakeside Drive, and around the wooded Long Point State Park. I was out for close to an hour and only hit drizzle on my way back to the car. It felt good to be in the woods again and, as usual, I had the place to myself.

Bemus Point Golf Course

Long Point State Park Trail

Long Point: 1/6/2026

I got home around noon, and Evie was back from Westfield. I relaxed for a while, then made lunch — a tasteless curry noodle soup and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I watched my show, then finished my Michael Connelly novel before starting a new one, The Water Keeper by Charles Martin. I took a brief nap, then basically wasted the rest of the afternoon until 3:00, when I drove off to Lakewood. I stopped at the bank to deposit a check from the Internal Revenue Service — thank you very much — then did a quick run through Wegmans and stopped at the new Popeyes, hoping to pick up their chicken for dinner. It was closed despite their alerts saying otherwise, so I swung by Kentucky Fried Chicken and grabbed their ten-dollar special: four thighs, two coleslaws, and two biscuits.

We had our happy hour until 6:30, then chowed down on the KFC. We couldn't figure out what to watch, so we went back to my guilty pleasure, The Good Doctor. After Evie went to bed, I caught the US soccer game for about ten minutes before getting bored — I don't recognize any of the players anymore. For some reason, I then started watching the first season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which premiered in 1999. I know it's been enormously popular over the years, but I'd never seen it until last night. It's pretty good — I watched two episodes.

A Sunny And Windy Friday

6:41

7:38

It's 8:05, and I've been up since 6:30. I got in a good forty-five-minute paddle — along Woodlawn, across to Long Point, back across to Sandy Bottom, and home. It didn't look windy when I started out, so I was surprised by a brisk westerly that kicked up midway. It even blew my hat off as I crossed the lake.

Kayak Morning

Paddling east, Into The Sun

Northern Blue

Woodlawn

Thursday morning was très busy, though the rest of the day was easy. I was up at 6:00, and knowing I had breakfast at 8:00 in Ashville, I hustled out to the lake for a half-hour paddle before coming back and starting the blog. I left for breakfast at 7:50 — the usual tasty meal and a fun morning catching up on my friend's past week. Back at the house, I finished the blog and made it to yoga at 10:00, my first class in six weeks or more. It was packed, as Thursdays usually are, and I had a hard time finding a spot for my mat. Since it was a Yin class, it was manageable — just hold a pose for three or four minutes. After class, I stopped at Ryder's Cup, but there was a line, so I left empty-handed.

I came straight home — no Wegmans — and Evie was busy doing the wash. I sat down and read until 1:00, then had a couple of ham-and-cheese sandwiches and watched the second half of the Knicks' amazing comeback against the Spurs. Unbelievable. Earlier, I'd turned on the air conditioner in my room because it was so muggy, and then I went upstairs to read and nap. I had a wonderfully cool space to settle into. I'm not sure I actually napped, but I read quite a bit. When I headed back downstairs, I turned off the AC and closed the bedroom door, hoping the cool would hold.

The rest of the afternoon went quickly. Beyond lying on the couch and reading, the only thing I did was charge the Kia — which takes about a minute. Dinner was the leftover lamb chops and rice, but earlier, Evie fried up some eggplant and folded it into the rice, which elevated the whole thing. We had our wine time inside since it was still muggy out, because of the brief rain. Dinner was fine, the rice with eggplant especially so. Afterward, we started a new series, 1883 — another Taylor Sheridan production, in the same vein as 1923 and Landman. The man is nothing if not prolific. We then caught Caitlin Clark and her team edge Chicago in overtime. She played well, but the whining continues — and even fans are starting to call her out on it. That was it for the day. 

Partly Cloudy

6:57

9:10

It's 7:15. I was up at 6:45, went out for a short paddle, and now have maybe fifteen minutes before I head out to breakfast at the Ashville Country Store. Well, it's now 9:11, and I just returned from breakfast with half an hour before I leave for yoga.

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

The Sun, The Sun

Yesterday began as usual with a nice, long paddle and a photo of an osprey. We had no plans for the day other than a doctor's appointment for me at 3:30, so we spent most of the morning on our phones, reading, or giving one of the bedrooms a spring cleaning. We took off the sheet and comforter, Evie washed both, and I vacuumed and straightened the room. It felt strange not to have something I wanted to do — a hike or a bike ride — so I stuck with my book and had an easy lunch of a ham and cheese sandwich.

I napped briefly, then both of us went crazy on our phones. Evie was trying to sign in to UPMC Chautauqua; they kept insisting she had the wrong password. I was trying to get my blood test results from UPMC Chautauqua to the Cleveland Clinic in Ashtabula — they needed them before I could schedule my CT scan, and I'd already had to cancel one appointment because the results hadn't come through. By 3:00, we'd managed to get both sorted out. I drove to Jamestown, had a quick appointment with my urologist, and stopped at Peterson's to pick up a basket of South Carolina peaches for sixteen dollars.

I was home in time for a glass of wine with Evie at 5:00, and as usual, we remarked on how fortunate we are to have this house on the lake. Dinner was grilled lamb chops and rice. We watched a couple of forgettable shows, and I caught the first half of the Knicks game — then turned in, confident the Spurs would win given their 25-point lead. So much for my prognostication.

Overcast And A Few Rain Drops

9:05

It was 72º when I woke at 7:45, quite a contrast to the previous day's 58º. I put on a T-shirt and life vest, made my coffee, grabbed my camera, binoculars, and phone, and jumped into my kayak for a 45-minute paddle. It was mostly overcast, although the sun and blue skies popped out for a few minutes. Rain was in the forecast, and on the way back, it drizzled for a minute or two. It's 9:17 as I begin this, later than usual, and we're both up, listening to Michael Smerconish.

Long Point Paddle

Kayak Morning

Hooded Merganser

An Ugly Turkey Vulture

Yesterday was another mostly sunny day, and the temperatures climbed into the low 80s, making us think about turning on the air conditioner. I got in a good paddle, came home and had breakfast — yogurt, granola, and blueberries — and finished writing the blog. Around 10:30, Evie left to get a blood test in Jamestown, and I drove to Lakewood, stopping at Harbor Freight and Walmart to check prices on PVC pipe. I stopped at the car wash on the way home, and when I got back, Evie was already on the front porch.

We always seemed to have leftover rice after dinner, kept it in the refrigerator for three or four days, and then threw it away. I was tired of wasting it, so I made fried rice, starting with mushrooms, ham, scrambled eggs, and tomatoes before adding the rice and soy sauce. It was decent — not great — but I'll make it again. After lunch, I was ready to get back to my book and take a nap, despite the heat and humidity. I managed a solid half hour.

Around 4:00, I trimmed the privets, giving them some shape, then went to work on the suckers — some growing six or seven feet up through the middle of the shrubs. It took a good half hour to clear them out, and because I'd accumulated such a large pile, I pulled the Outback into Pine Hill's right away, loaded the suckers into the back, and drove up the hill to dump them at the woodpile.

I was soaking wet when I returned, so I put on my bathing suit and went out for a swim. Amazingly, after a minute or two in the water, it actually felt warm and comfortable, and I was in no hurry to get out. At 5:00, I came in and showered, and while Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters, I put on shorts and read on the front porch. 

Rowing Home

When the call ended, we had our wine and watched our neighbor Joe row his sailboat home — no wind to speak of. Dinner was the leftover pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes, just as good as the day before. We finished the series Friends and Neighbors on Apple TV, then drifted into Hometown and Lottery Dream Home before Evie headed up to bed. I watched the last two episodes of The Witness on Netflix and then called it a night.

Morning Sun And Light Winds

6:37

7:49

It's 8:17, and I was up way too early — at 6:00. I didn't get out on the lake until 6:30, paddling for fifty minutes down to Sandy Bottom, across to Long Point, and home to Woodlawn. I spotted an osprey sitting in the same tree in Victoria as yesterday, so it may be the same fellow.

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun

Paddling to Long Point

Osprey

Monday was another great day at the lake — lots of sun, high near 80°. I was out on the water before 8:00 for forty-five minutes, though I had to fight a headwind on the way home. Afterward, Evie and I went through the usual routine: I wrote the blog, she picked out the photos, and we read through it together before publishing. Since getting back home, we've resumed our morning habit of listening to Michael Smerconish from 9:00 to noon.

Around 10:45, I attached the bike rack to the Outback, pumped the tires, and drove to Mayville, parking near the trailhead. My first goal was to ride Webb's Trail all the way to the end and back without stopping — except for a photo — and I managed it. From there, I picked up Mayville's pathway to Sea Lion Drive and rode it out to the end and back. It felt wonderful to be on the bike again, and I never tire of either of those routes.

Webb's Trail

Sea Lion Drive, North End Of The Lake

When I returned at noon, Evie had lunch waiting — ham and cheese on brioche buns. I watched my show for a bit but was eager to get back to my book, the latest Michael Connelly novel, Ironwood, mostly set on Catalina Island off the coast of California. He introduces a new character, Detective Stilwell, though Stilwell teams up with Renee Ballard, which was a nice surprise. I drifted off briefly while reading and took a short nap. Around 2:30, I headed out to run some errands. I stopped at Aldi's but came away empty-handed, then crossed the street to Home Depot for grass seed and rope, and finished up with a quick swing through Wegmans to pick up a few things for dinners over the next couple of days.

4:57 PM

When I got back, Evie was on the porch reading, so I settled into the living room with my book. The whole house was filled with the aroma of pork ribs, sauerkraut, and tomatoes slow-baking in the oven — dinner that Evie had assembled early in the afternoon. Happy hour turned into a genuine treat when Jim and Barb stopped over from next door, and we laughed and talked with them for a good half hour. Dinner was one of my favorites: the pork ribs and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. Two big yums. We watched a couple of episodes of Friends and Neighbors and caught the lead-up to the Knicks game. Evie went to bed just as the opening tip-off, and I lasted through the first half — so I'll be watching the second half of the Spurs victory this morning.

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A Bright Sunny Monday

Evie, Louie, and Arlo, neighbors' grandsons

8:46

It's Monday morning at 8:53, and we're both up with our coffee. I was up around 7:30, went out for a good forty-five-minute paddle, and got a decent photo of a heron. The southerly wind was fairly strong, so I paddled into it on the way out and had an easy ride home. I was thinking about when my morning kayaking began, and looking back at the blog, it started in 2017. If the lake wasn't frozen, I was usually out for a morning kayak — even if it was snowing.

Paddling In The Snow: 12/2017

Kayak Morning

Great Blue Heron Above The Reeds

Sunday was another good but busy day, starting with a long paddle before 9:00. We listened to CNN, and I wrote, and we finally published the blog around 9:30. I had a few things I wanted to get done, so I put on my bathing suit in case I felt like going for a swim and got busy. First, I grabbed the wheelbarrow and strapped the 12-foot dock poles to it to haul them back to the garage. Once that was done, I raked the area where the poles had sat — where I'd stored the dock over the winter — then went over it again with the lawn mower. I'll reseed it later today or tomorrow, but I need to make a Home Depot run for grass seed first. That took a good part of the morning. Around noon, I decided to mow the first half of the lawn before lunch. It took a good half hour and I worked up a sweat, but it was too cool to swim. While I was outside, Evie was enjoying time with our neighbors' grandsons, Arlo and Louie, who love her and love coming over to visit. They have a whole routine — bringing games and blocks down from our attic, Evie making them piggies (rolls with cinnamon and sugar) that they enjoy with milk, and the three of them ending up on the porch reading Calvin and Hobbes.

Peony

Peony Bud

Evie made me lunch — tuna and egg salad sandwiches — and I watched my show before deciding to try for a nap. I read for a bit and managed a short one. I also finished my book, Butcher's Crossing, and am a little surprised I stuck with it. After that, I mowed the rest of the yard and decided to move the grill closer to the house to make it more accessible. I cleaned it up after its winter under the pines, then took a shower and got ready to head to Linda and Ron's for dinner. 

Rocky And Me

We left just before 6:00, and it was great to see them again after being away for over three weeks. Linda made artichoke hearts with cheese as an appetizer, and we sat on their front porch enjoying wine and catching up on their trip East — stopping at various cities, winding through New York and  Vermont to Portland, Maine, before heading home. Dinner was a sheet pan dinner of chicken and veggies, really yummy, along with a salad, and dessert was a peach crisp with ice cream. It was a perfect evening. We stayed until 9:15, then headed home tired but happy. We were both wiped out — Evie went straight to bed, and I watched a few minutes of TV before joining her.

Another Sunday Night Dinner At Linda And Ron's

A Windy And Sunny Sunday

8:23

February, 2026

It's 8:40 and I've been up since 7:00. When I started out kayaking around 7:15, the wind was light, but on my return fifty minutes later, the northerly was a bear as I struggled to paddle home. Still, it was a fine morning to be on the lake — lots of sun, some clouds, nary an osprey or heron, alas.

Kayak Morning

Mallards In Flight

Choppy Seas, Striking Clouds

Yesterday turned out to be a productive day. It started with an early paddle as usual, and on my return, the guys were already in our yard, starting to put in the dock's end piece. It's the most difficult part because the stanchions are eight feet high and hard to handle. It took them a good hour and a half to get the three stanchions level and the six dock pieces. Once they were done, I grabbed the wheelbarrow and wheeled two Adirondack chairs, a table, and a couple of benches out onto the dock. Now we can use our dock. I forgot to mention that they also attached a ladder — so once I was done with the chairs, I was so sweaty I went for my first swim of the year. It was cold, of course, but refreshing; exhilarating might be the more fitting word.

Biff Or Buoy

When I finished swimming, I came in, and Evie had made three sliders with egg, tomato, and ham on brioche buns. I watched the second half of the Knicks/Spurs game and then decided to nap and read a bit. I managed at least half an hour, and with the windows open, it was pleasant to just lie there and read my novel. By the way, the buffalo hunters overstayed their hunt in the Colorado valley — the game gave out, and they had to stay put and attempt to survive until the following spring, eight months later.

I got a few other chores done as well: moving chairs out of the garage, weeding, gathering deadfall, and hauling it up to the woodpile at the top of our road. It doesn't seem like much, but by the time I returned, I was hot enough to decide on one final dip before wine time. It was another lovely late afternoon — early evening — to relax and enjoy the view, and we realized we've been enjoying this view of the lake for forty-five years, starting in August 1981. Dinner was Mandarin Orange Chicken, compliments of Wegmans, with rice and a salad. We finally got on Apple TV and watched "Friends and Neighbors" with John Hamm.  I then watched the second half of the Indiana/New York women's basketball game. Caitlin Clark continues to struggle, largely because she has difficulty getting her jump shot off.