Foggy Thursday

Those Were The Days: Istanbul, 1976

6:54

It's 7:15, and we are both up, yawning and drinking our coffee, occasionally sharing something funny from our devices. It's 46º, and the lawns are green; the snowbanks are disappearing.

Wednesday turned out to be a good day because I received a text from my neighbor, Jim, around 8:30, asking if I wanted to hike along Chautauqua Creek to Lake Erie. We didn't leave until 10:00, so we both had a leisurely morning of coffee, the news, and the blog. Evie had a doctor's appointment in Westfield at 10:40, so we were both on our way north by 10:00. It was foggy most of the way, but the sun came out briefly as we passed the vineyards and a view of Lake Erie on Hardscrabble Road. 

Chautauqua Creek

Fishermaan

Rocky Mouth Of The Chautauqua Creek

It's a short walk out to Lake Erie along the creek, maybe a quarter of a mile. Huge ice boulders and blocks hugged the shoreline as the water rushed toward Lake Erie. Midway, a guy was out fishing, and when we reached the beach, an older man and his dog were sitting on a log, enjoying the view of the lake. The lake is still frozen for at least a quarter of a mile out to open water. Last week, the ice jams blocked the river, so the town had to get a huge tractor to make a pathway through the ice to open waters so the land and beach would not be overwhelmed by the creek water. We also ran into an older woman walking her dog, so three dogs were frolicking on the beach. We walked down towards Barcelona on a beach of rocks but had seen enough after about ten minutes and walked back to the car. Unfortunately, the skies were gray during our hike, and if we had waited an hour, it would have been under blue skies.

Man, Hank And Ripley

Path Through Ice Mounds

Ice

Rocky Beach

Evie was home when I returned and gave me an update on her visit to her doctor. She had blood drawn and had a good visit. For an easy lunch, I heated up a Maria Callendar chicken pot pie and enjoyed it while watching my series, Hit and Run. After lunch, I read, napped, and like Evie, enjoyed the leisure of a sunny afternoon. We had our wine at 5:00 and listened to Jake Tapper on CNN lay out the Trump administration's lies and lack of organization and planning. No surprise. We watched a Colbert, then another episode of Landman, before Evie went up to bed, and I watched a couple of episodes of Hit and Run. Its main character is Daron from Fauda, if you watched that series.

Afternoon Blue At 3:40

Still Fishing As Ice Melts

"Six months ago, the American people were told that we used B-2 ‘bunker buster’ bombs to completely obliterate and destroy Iran’s nuclear program, and anybody who said otherwise was fake news. Now we have been told that somehow in six months, they were able to restart the program. Now we’re told we’ve completely destroyed it again. So my question to the administration—and I think it’s a question that a lot of American people, certainly under 35, have—is: If all of that has been done, why are we still there? Caroline Sunshine, Former Trump Campaign Deputy Comms Director

Wednesday Fog And Thaw

7:01

7:01

7:52

It's 7:52, and a heavy fog has descended on the lake — so dense I cannot see Long Point. I've been up for an hour, avoiding the news from the Middle East. It's too much: too many opinions, too many lies. Truth doesn't seem to matter much anymore. The temperature is sitting at 39°, but a major thaw is on the way, with highs in the 50s and 60s forecast for the next week and a peak of 70° a week from today.

Tuesdays follow a familiar rhythm — both of us up at 7:00, reading, writing, editing the blog, choosing photos, and having breakfast. Evie usually showers since she has school. Before heading out, I remembered to marinate the chicken thighs in a spicy yogurt marinade I'd put together the night before. I left at 9:10 for yoga, which starts at 9:30. Tuesday's class was, as usual, rigorous and distinct from the typical sessions — most people love it for exactly that reason. Afterward, I stopped at Ryder's Cup and sat with a couple of friends, John and Neal, for a good half hour. Both are good company: one a retired art teacher, the other a businessman. I then stopped at Walmart and, for the first time, actually wandered the food aisles — and was surprised by how extensive the section is, more Costco than Wegmans. I was so overwhelmed that I left without buying a thing.

I was home by noon and had an easy lunch — the leftover Reuben from last night's dinner at 2 Gingers Inn. I've been watching Hit and Run, an Israeli series I watched a few years ago but find it well worth revisiting. After lunch, I read for a while and napped for a good half hour. When I came downstairs, Evie was back from school and having some lunch.  I read through most of the afternoon until 4:30, when I started dinner: onions and potatoes spread in a Dutch oven, topped with the marinated chicken thighs, and roasted for an hour. While it baked, Evie joined a Zoom call with her sisters and I watched TV. At 5:30, I removed the lid and let the chicken brown for another half hour. Evie made a salad, and we sat down to a perfectly fine meal — though I'm not sure I'll make it again. It wasn't special, even if there's enough left for Thursday's dinner.

Afterward, we watched a Hometown episode and then, finally, the much-recommended Landman on Paramount+ — plagued, unfortunately, by commercials, some stretching to 90 seconds. We're still not sure how we feel about the series. We don't love it, but we like it enough to keep watching.

Below is a part of Trump's speech honoring three Medal of Honor winners: Stick with it to the end; you won't believe it...and this is who we elected to be our President!

“Please join me in thanking every American service member who bravely is standing in harm’s way. They really are incredible. And I just want to thank you. We have a lot of them right here. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you everybody. We have a lot of great service members here with us too in this beautiful building, isn’t it beautiful? We’re adding on to the building a little bit. We’re improving the building. See that nice drape when that comes down, right now, you see a very, very deep hole, but in about a year and a half from now, you’re going to see a very, very beautiful building. And there’s your entrance to it right there. In fact, it looks so nice. I don’t think I’ll even -- I think I’ll save money on the doors because it can’t get more beautiful than that. I picked those drapes in my first term. I always like gold. But I think we can save a lot of money. I just saved -- I just saved curtains. But, uh, and it will be -- it’ll be spectacular, be the most beautiful ballroom. I believe it’s because I built many a ballroom. I believe it’s going to be the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world. And when you hear all that hammering out there, you know why the First Lady is not thrilled exactly. She said will the pile drivers ever stop? You know they go from six in the morning till 1130 in the evening. Can you imagine? Hear? You know what, to me that’s a beautiful sound, she doesn’t like it. I love it. You know what to me other than here because we’re donating it not a penny to the taxpayer. It’ll be under budget, ahead of schedule. It’ll be $400 million or less. Most people say $400 million or more. No, it’ll be less. But, uh, when I hear that sound, that beautiful sound behind me, it means money so I like it, but my wife isn’t thrilled. She said this is getting crazy. I said, don’t worry about it. We’ll be all finished up in a few months.”

Boy's Night Out

7:10

It's 7:55, and both Evie and I have been up for an hour. It's 30,  raining, and overcast — we wouldn't have been able to see the eclipse even if we'd wanted to. Temperatures will stay in the 30s all day, with a mix of rain and sleet on and off.

Lakeview Cemetery

Yesterday was a good day, capped off by a semi-final high school basketball game and then beers and Reubens at an Irish bar, 2 Gingers Inn. The morning followed our usual routine: me up early, reading, writing the blog, and having breakfast before Evie gets up. We published around 9:00, and by 9:45, I was out the door for a walk at Jamestown's Lake View Cemetery. We've walked it before and liked it, and I was in the mood for something easy and familiar. I parked just inside the entrance and walked for close to forty minutes, circling the grounds and stopping occasionally for a photo. 

Soldier Memorial

One Of The Larger Memorials

On the way home, I stopped at Wegmans to pick up a few things, then filled up the Kia before the expected gas price hikes. I stopped in Celeron briefly, where the lake was open because of the source of the Chadakoin River, and seagulls were frolicking in the open waters.

Celeron

When I got back, Evie had been busy cleaning our Ninja coffee pot — long overdue, as our coffee had started tasting like water. Once that was done, she offered to make me lunch: fried potatoes topped with fried eggs. Delicious. I finished an episode of a Swedish thriller and found myself at a loss for what to watch next.

The afternoon was quiet — reading Nineteen Minutes, which turned out, somewhat to my surprise, to be about a school shooting. It's an engaging read with an interesting cast of characters. Otherwise, I napped, read more, and caught the depressing updates on the war with Iran.  At 5:30, Ron picked me up and we drove to Jamestown Community College's gym for two semi-final high school tournament games — something we try to make each year. 

Jump Ball

Four local teams played, none particularly polished, but they more than made up for it with hustle. It was fun to be in the stands among the noisy mix of students, parents, and grandparents, all there to cheer their kids on. We left at halftime of the second game and headed to 2 Gingers Inn for beers and Reubens — the same bar we'd stopped into last year after the tournament.

A Fun Time With Danny And Erica

When we walked in, only three people were at the bar. We settled in and ended up having a great hour-long conversation with the bartender and his friend, who was there to celebrate his birthday with a carrot cake. As it turned out, he had taught her how to tend bar 14 years ago at Shawbucks, a local spot, and they'd stayed close friends ever since. She now works as an X-ray technician at the local hospital and is a serious foodie, so we had a lively time comparing notes on the local restaurant scene. Ron and I each had a couple of Harp lagers, a Reuben, and potatoes — so filling that I brought half my sandwich home. We left around 9:15. I was back by 9:40, watched a bit of basketball, and turned in early.

Hillary Clinton: You have held zero public hearings, refused to allow the media to attend them, despite espousing the need for transparency. You have made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files. And when you did, not a single Republican member showed up for Les Wexner's deposition. This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors.

Ten Degrees

7:05

8:47

It’s 8:00, and we’re both up, unsettled by the news of what’s being called “Epic Fury,” a seemingly all-out war unfolding in the Middle East. It’s not just Iran being struck, but much of the surrounding region as well. At the moment, Hegsseth is on television, rambling through what sounds like one questionable claim after another, all under the direction of our “brave” leader—bone-spurs Trump. “This is not an endless war,” he insists, without acknowledging the widespread damage across the region. His final words linger: “The war will end on Trump’s choosing, nobody else’s.” Scary. He ends his talk with no plans, just prayers. 

Sunday felt strange for another reason: the absence of ice fishing on the lake. On Saturday, it had been lively, not only with fishermen but with families simply enjoying being out on the ice. Yesterday, though, there was hardly a tent in sight.

Thunder Bridge

Our morning passed quickly, much of it spent listening to updates from the Middle East—what else? No mention of Epstein, nothing about Congress questioning Hillary and Bill Clinton.  Around 10:30, I headed out for my usual Sunday stroll around the Chautauqua Institution. Though the streets were snow-covered, they weren’t icy or slippery, thankfully. On my way out, I ran into our neighbors walking Ripley.

Walking The CI

Brick Walk

I was home by 11:30 and having lunch an hour later—two fried eggs with avocado and tomato on toast, simple and delicious. I looked for something to watch and sampled a couple of thrillers, but none held my attention, so I switched to some NBA basketball. The afternoon slipped by, and by 5:00 I was showered and ready to head out to dinner with our friends Linda and Ron.

I should mention I’ve given up on both Paper Girl—too repetitive—and The Hallmarked Man, which feels endless; I’m only 20 percent in with 80 percent left to go. Instead, I started Nineteen Minutes, a much-recommended thriller by Jodi Picoult.

3:32

5:38

We picked up Linda and Ron at 6:00 and drove a couple of miles to Pueblo Real, a fairly new restaurant in Mayville. It was busy for a Sunday evening. We ordered Mexican beers and studied the enormous menu. Evie and Linda chose Mexican salads; I went with enchiladas verdes, hoping for something memorable, but they were average—nothing special. We left around 8:00 and were home by 8:20. Evie was tired and headed to bed. I stayed up, searching again for something to watch, and finally settled on The Sandhamn Murders, set in Sweden, and watched the first two episodes.

Just a reminder, Putin is quoted in 2014 as saying, "We could take Kyiv in two weeks," and his military planners assumed, before invading Ukraine in February 2022, that they could take Ukraine in three or four weeks. Four plus years later, Russia still has not taken Kyiv and has lost 1.2 million military personnel. 

Winter Returns

7:26

8:45

I woke to a dusting of snow, 16°, and an overcast sky — quite a contrast to yesterday’s sun and warmth. It won’t last long, though; by Friday, temperatures are expected to climb into the 60s. Interestingly, no fishing tents hug Long Point this morning.

I am already weary of the blather about the invasion of Iran. I know it’s consequential, but I feel exhausted by the relentless news cycle this past year — by all of Trump’s words and actions, and by the media’s reaction to them. I find myself longing for the innocence of the 1950s, when life seemed simpler — though of course it wasn’t. It only felt that way because we weren’t bombarded around the clock by the media. There was the radio, three television channels, the 6:00 news, and a couple of newspapers that focused mostly on local events. Enough.

Yesterday, as I mentioned, was another glorious day of sun and blue skies. The lake was alive with activity — even what looked like family gatherings — at least from the vantage point of our porch. Saturday morning unfolded in its usual way. Saturdays still feel more leisurely, though in retirement, they are not truly different from weekdays. It is always the weekend.

Chautauqua Lake Family Fun

By 11:00, the blog was written, breakfast eaten, and the trash gathered, so I headed to the Transfer Station. From there, I drove to Wegmans, stopping briefly at Ryder’s Cup, but it was so crowded I quickly left. Wegmans is always busy on weekends, but I found what I needed and checked out without much delay. On the way home, I stopped for a car wash, optimistically assuming winter was over — poor planning, as it turns out.

Campground

I was home by noon and decided to take a walk before lunch. I chose the campground, cutting through the front yards of Woodlawn to get there. I followed my usual route, circling the campground, and passed a group of four people, each walking a small dog. The snow and ice had melted from the road, so I left my crampons on a bench and retrieved them on my way back.

Lunch was leftover mushroom and cream pasta, and I finished the series Dear Child. For such an unsettling story, the ending felt oddly anticlimactic. We have finally added Paramount+ and Peacock to our television repertoire — both free through Spectrum. It was an onerous process, but Evie persevered, and now we can watch Landman.

The rest of the afternoon slipped by: a nap, some reading, a bit of basketball, and watching the clusters of families and ice fishermen gathered on the lake. At five, we enjoyed sushi from Wegmans, Issa's pita chips and hummus, and a glass or two of wine. Dinner required little effort since I had picked up pizza and udon noodles earlier. After an episode of Paradise and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Evie went to bed. I stayed up to watch more basketball and search — without much success — for a new series to begin. In the end, I was happy to return to my book.

Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran: Why?

I woke to news of the attack on Iran. We are now at war.

The stated goal is regime change — not exactly a surprise. It feels like a bully going after a middle schooler while the high schoolers (Russia, China, North Korea) are too big and tough to confront. I pity the Iranian people living under such an oppressive theocracy, but that raises the question: what right do we have to intervene? I fear another quagmire, born of our leaders' ignorance of history and a desire to change the news cycle — to stop people from talking about Epstein. Ukraine deserves our support far more urgently. Russia remains the central obstacle to world peace in the 21st century, driven by its ambition to recreate the Soviet empire.

6:45

6:59

7:02

7:03

8:27

It's difficult to return to the mundane after news like that, but I'll try. It's a warm, 40º morning with lots of sun, a colorful and changing sky, although it will cool off during the day.  I hope to get in a good hike either this morning or afternoon, and, of course, I will take my weekly trip to the Transfer Station.

Friday brought another pleasant day of sun and warming temperatures. After my morning coffee, writing the blog, and breakfast, I decided to walk Long Point State Park, hoping the trails would be at least partly groomed. Around 10:45, I drove over to Bemus and down Lakeside Drive — mine was the only car at the entrance. The first hundred yards were tough going, through six to eight inches of snow. Then I picked up deer tracks and eventually found the main trail, which was somewhat packed down and easier to navigate. For whatever reason, the hike felt hard — I was winded at times, ready to be done. When I finally reached the road back to my car, I removed my crampons to walk the asphalt of Summit Park Drive. A mile and a half through the woods, in 53 minutes, according to my Apple Watch.

Deer Tracks

Hiking Long Point State Park

I was home just before noon. I relaxed on the couch and read until hunger struck, then heated up the leftover chili and put on my new series, Dear Child, on Netflix. It strikes me that most crime dramas revolve around women who have been kidnapped or murdered — men are almost always cast as perpetrators, rarely as victims. After lunch, I continued alternating between Paper Girl and The Hallmarked Man, and managed a decent nap, up by 2:45 and back to reading.

I charged the Kia for two hours while Evie was prepping dinner, a mushroom, shallot, and cream pasta.  It came together in about twenty minutes, then sat warming while we settled into the living room for the late afternoon. The sun is setting later and later — 6:52 yesterday — and there's something quietly satisfying about that. The pasta was delicious, and there's enough left over for today's lunch.

We watched Colbert, an episode of The Pitt, and another of Paradise before Evie headed up to bed. I caught some of the Cavs game, then returned to Dear Child.

Warming Up

7:08

8:08

The sun is up at 8:30, filling the yard and sky with light on a 26° morning. No ice fishermen's tents dot the lake. Today's high of 46° is either the third or fourth thaw of the winter.

Thursday, as always, was a busy day. We were both up early, by 7:00. After writing the blog, I headed to Bemus for breakfast. By 9:40, we had gone our separate ways — me to yoga, Evie to school. The studio was packed as usual, and I set up my mat in front of the class, next to Tara. The session ran 80 minutes, and I left feeling energized. I stopped for a coffee at Ryder's Cup, made a quick run through Aldi's, and was home by noon.

Blue Skies

It's still strange to walk into a quiet, empty house, even after three years of Evie helping out in kindergarten. I checked email, read for a bit, then had lunch around 12:45 — leftover chicken and orzo. I watched another episode of Land of Sin, then went upstairs to read and nap. When I came back down, Evie had just gotten home and briefly recounted some of the funny things that had happened in class.

Sun And Melting Snow

I settled in with my book, thought vaguely about a walk, and then said the heck with it. It had been a sun-filled afternoon — a real surprise — and by 5:00, we were ready for a glass of wine with no dinner pressure in sight. By 6:30, we were enjoying bowls of chili topped with sour cream, cheese, and avocado, and watching HGTV. At the same time, the distressing news broke that Paramount Skydance — backed by Trump supporter Larry Ellison — was acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, including CNN and HBO. The Ellisons already own CBS, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and a stake in TikTok. It's a modern monopoly, rivaling the great consolidations of the early 20th century that made Teddy Roosevelt famous as the Trust Buster. Brace yourself for another Fox News. Evie went upstairs to bed feeling depressed, and I turned on some basketball to clear my head before finishing Land of Sin.