A Damp, Dreary, Sunday Morning

6:53

8:45

It's not quite 7:00, and the darkness has lifted to a gray, misty, overcast morning, with the sound of lake flies humming in the distance. I'm enjoying a latte and waiting another 15 to 20 minutes for the sky to lighten and the drizzle to stop before I get out on the lake. There's not a hint of wind, so it should be an easy paddle.

Kayak Morning

Annoying Lake Flies

Tina And Jim

Northern Gray

I was out for over an hour and had to laugh as I paddled out: there was just one boat on the lake, fishing in front of our dock. The kayaking was interesting, as lake flies hovered around me much of the way while I tried to take a photo. It was a good morning, however, for herons but not ospreys as I think they have migrated south. 

Fishing

Hanging Out

Another Gut

High Up In A Tree

Yesterday, Evie's birthday, was another tough but improving day for her knee. The pain subsided some, and she was able to get around without a crutch. We had to cancel a birthday dinner, and she spent much of the day either in bed or on the couch with her knee raised. As for me, it was a busy day, beginning with a 50-minute paddle, then writing and publishing the blog just as Evie was getting up. I made sure she was comfortably set in the living room with coffee, then walked over to my neighbour's house, and we drove off to pack sauerkraut at Tom and Julie's. Maybe six weeks ago we went through a couple of hundred pounds of cabbage, cutting and slicing it and packing it in urns with salt. Now it's sauerkraut, ready to be packed in plastic bags and frozen. Jim and I filled close to 30 freezer bags with the remaining kraut, thanked Julie and Tom, and drove home to put it in the freezer. Yum, we're set for the winter, for pork and sauerkraut or Evie's Slovenian pork, bean and potato soup.

Packing Sauerkraut For The Year

I was home around noon, and Evie fried up some bacon for me in the air fryer, then had enough and went up to bed to relax for a couple of hours. I made a couple of BLTs, watched another episode of Fauda, then went upstairs to read and make sure Evie didn't need anything.

Around 3:30, Evie came downstairs, got something to eat, and relaxed in the TV room watching some of the shows she's missed. I'm starting to enjoy my new read, Before You Knew My Name. and read for an hour. Around 4:15, I decided to get some work done outside. First, I trimmed the privets, giving them some shape. Then I took deadfall up the hill to the woodpile, clearing the path some with my trimmer. Finally, I started putting things away in the garage attic, getting ready for winter. It took about 45 minutes in all, so it was perfect timing for a glass of wine with Evie.

We listened to the breaking news, for maybe the fifth or sixth time, that CNN and other news outlets were illegally denied entrance to the White House because of Trump's hissy fits with the truth, the facts. Earlier, Evie had put together a fried rice dish with tomatoes, and around 6:30 she grilled lamb chops for our dinner. We watched a couple of shows until 8:30, when Evie went up to bed. I briefly watched the Ole Miss/LSU game before returning to another episode or two of Fauda on Netflix.

Happy Birthday Evie And Tommy (Pink Sky In The Morning)

Hawaii, 1969 - Evie and Tommy

Pontoon Boat At 6:37

6:53

7:04

8:09

It's 7:00 as I begin this. I've been up since 6:30, watching the sky turn pink and now shift to yellow as the sun begins to rise over the Bemus shoreline. It's now after 8:00 and I was out for 50 minutes, down to the Powerboat Club and back. We kid about the area in front of our house being a sweet spot, and wouldn't you know, the last couple of mornings a pontoon boat was parked in front of our yard, fishing at 6:40. When I returned from kayaking, two pontoon boats were basically docked in front of our yard.

Kayak Morning

A Noble Heron

Pontoon Boats In Front Of Our Yard

Fishing

Yesterday began with a good paddle, but I was in a hurry to get home and see how Evie was doing. I was able to write the blog and publish it, and then I made sure to help her come downstairs. It was clear, even to her, that we needed to go to the ER. I helped her get ready and bring all that she might need for a long haul of waiting, and we drove to Jamestown and checked into the ER. Fortunately, we were called back to a room after 45 minutes and saw a doctor within ten minutes. He wanted Evie to get an X-ray before making any diagnosis. Once she was back, the X-ray showed arthritis and a strain, but he felt that Evie may have torn her meniscus, and only an MRI would show that. He was a funny guy and it made our stay easier. The PA then put a brace on Evie's knee and helped her learn how to use a crutch and avoid putting weight on the knee. I went out and brought the car back to the entrance, helped Evie get into the car, and we drove off to Lakewood, stopping at McDonald's and bringing lunch home. It's difficult for Evie to get out of the car, or to move in any way that strains her knee. We settled down on the front porch, ate our lunch and put ice on her knee. After lunch, she just wanted to go upstairs and stay in bed. I helped her up the stairs and she stayed up there for a couple of hours.

Zinnias

I read and tried to nap, but I had a project on my mind that I wanted to get done. So I put on my bathing suit and bailed out the rowboat, then paddled out to the front of our dock and pulled the buoys out of the water. Each buoy is attached to a cement block, and I had to drag them up out of the water, complicated by a wind that kept making it more and more difficult. I finally got seven of them in the boat, then set them on our wall and cut the rope attaching each buoy to its cement block. I put the cement blocks away in the bushes for next year, then filled a wheelbarrow with water and bleach and scrubbed the buoys clean of dirt and muck.

Evie came downstairs after I was done, and we sat out on the porch, waiting for wine time. Evie is comfortable when her leg is elevated and she doesn't have to move. Earlier, I had marinated pork chops in teriyaki sauce, and around 6:30 I grilled them. Dinner was decent: rice, pork chops, and a salad, and it tasted good to Evie. We then watched some TV until Evie wanted to go up to bed, and I helped her get organized with water, pills, watch and phone. I then watched the first half of the Fever game and another episode of Fauda before going to bed.

Not The Best Of Mornings

6:51

8:24

It's later than usual as I start this — 9:55, and we're sitting in the UPMC emergency room. Evie hurt her knee a couple of days ago, then reinjured it last night and can hardly walk without pain. She made it up the stairs to her bedroom but had a restless night. This morning it was still painful, so she decided to go to the ER. So that's where we are right now.

I did get in a 55-minute paddle, heading out on an overcast morning at 7:20. A few boats were already out fishing, one literally in front of our dock.

Kayak Morning

Great Blue

Hanging At Woodlawn Creek

Yesterday was a good day until dinnertime, when Evie hurt her knee. I got in a quick paddle with Elaine before breakfast in Ashville. I was home around 9:00 and finished the blog with Evie's help. At 9:30, Evie left for kindergarten, Elaine for Ohio, and I for yoga. I wasn't looking forward to class but enjoyed it, perhaps because Danielle was substituting. After class, I picked up a few things at Wegmans and was home by 12:15. I sat around and read until 12:45, then finished off the rest of the Asian soup for lunch. And amazingly, my favorite series, Fauda, just dropped another season, so I watched the first episode. After lunch, I went up and read, and I think I took an hour-long nap. When I came downstairs, Evie was back, watching TV. She filled me in on her morning — she loved it, getting to know the kids, and seemed to have enough energy for four or five hours. Caitlin, the teacher, was happy to see her too.

We both relaxed and took it easy, enjoying a glass of wine. Evie then went into the kitchen to heat up the wings and make a salad, and somehow stepped wrong and hurt her knee. It hurt enough that after dinner and watching an episode of ER, all she wanted to do was go up to bed. So I helped her get organized: pills, watch, phone, water. She'd text me if she needed anything else.

I watched the first half of the Bills/Lions game, and since the Bills were leading 21-10 at halftime, I went to bed confident they'd win. And they did, 41-31.

Hundreds Shades Of Gray

Ready For Kindergarten

6:24

7:44

It's 9:05, and I just returned from breakfast in Ashville. Both Elaine and I were up at 6:15 and out on the lake at 6:50 for 35 minutes. It was a gray but spectacular morning, a calm lake and just the two of us. 

Kayak Morning

A Morning Paddle

Shades Of Gray

Great Blue Heron

Crows And Heron

I was able to kayak on Tuesday despite the early rain. I got out just as the rain stopped around 8:00 and was out for 50 minutes, then wrote the blog and had breakfast. I had my semiannual appointment with my dermatologist at 9:40, so I had time to kayak, write the blog, and have breakfast beforehand. My PA froze a couple of spots and took a biopsy of a spot on my chest, and I was out of there.

On the way home, I stopped at Aldi and picked up a couple of things for tomorrow's dinner, since I promised Evie I'd take care of dinner. When I got home, Evie and Elaine were playing Scrabble, and for some reason I was tired, so I went upstairs and read on my bed until lunch. We had the leftover Asian soup for lunch — really enjoyed it and will make it again.

After lunch I read and tried to nap, and by 2:10 Elaine and I were driving over to Bemus to park at the end of Lakeside Drive and hike Long Point State Park. Temperatures were in the 70s, but it was humid, and we both worked up a sweat walking a couple of miles.

Long Point Trail

A Humid Afternoon For A Hike

Porching It

We relaxed the rest of the afternoon, but since we were leaving at 5:30 for dinner at The Viking Club, all three of us took showers before driving over. We were there by 6:00, easily found a table inside, and ordered beers. Just as our beers arrived, our friends Linda and Ron walked in, so we talked with them. Not much later our neighbors Jim and Barb walked in, having boated over with other neighbors, Newt and Elizabeth — so it turned into a Woodlawn evening at the Viking. We ordered two orders of wings and a veggie pizza on a cauliflower crust, which was too much. Both were good, but we ended up taking close to ten wings and half a pizza home.

Sunset At The Viking Club

Before leaving, we walked the grounds, showing off the outdoor seating, the pavilions, the playgrounds for the kids, and the sand beach. It's probably the best location on the lake, and certainly the one with the most frontage. We were home around 8:15 and sat around talking in the living room until 9:00, when Evie and Elaine went up to bed and I watched some TV until 10:00.

A Wet Morning

8:45

7:10

6:54

It's 6:35, and I have been up since 5:50, listening to the rain on a dark morning. It's 64º, and I doubt if I will be able to kayak, although the rain seems to have lessened. There's a light southerly wind and today's high should be in the mid-70s, with no rain predicted after 9:00. It's almost 9:00 as I finish this and I was able to get out on the lake just after 8:10 for 35 minutes, avoiding the predicted rain.

Kayak Morning

Northern Gray

A Bit Of Color

Crouching Blue Heron

Yesterday was another sunny, cool September day. I was up early and out for a paddle by 7:00. A southerly wind made it an interesting paddle, not only getting out but also taking a photo because of the waves. I was back by 8:00, put the blog together, and talked with my sister-in-law, who was up at 8:00 and had breakfast. By 9:00, both of us were off to yoga in Lakewood with Courtney. Elaine really seemed to enjoy the class and met some of the group. Afterward, we stopped at Ryder's Cup for coffee, and she met a couple of the regulars before we drove home.

For lunch, Evie made us tuna and tomato sandwiches, and we enjoyed them out on the front porch. We had fun talking about family trees that Elaine has put together, and she also brought some old photos of Evie's parents and their sisters and brothers. It brought back lots of memories of family picnics in the 1960s. Evie scanned some of the photographs with her camera app, which really brought out their clarity and color.

Around 2:00, Evie and Elaine drove to Wegmans to do some shopping, and I went upstairs and read and briefly napped, maybe for ten minutes. I am not sure why, but I have not been napping like I used to. When I got up, I went out and put ten gallons of gas in the boat so it's ready next week when Tom, Mary, and Rhys arrive for five days. The gals returned around 4:00 and put away the groceries. While Elaine went for a walk in the neighborhood, Evie and I prepped dinner: an Asian soup with ramen, shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu, corn, and various Asian sauces. Elaine returned around 5:30, and Evie pulled out appetizers: sushi and Asian veggie spring rolls with shrimp. It was nice enough to sit on the front porch and enjoy the late afternoon sun and the view. It was so pleasant out there that Evie served us the soup on the porch as well. We didn't finish eating until 7:30, then took our time and cleaned up the kitchen, having it spic and span by 8:30 when everyone went up to bed but me. I watched the last episode of The Stranger and am glad it's over. I went to bed around 10:00, read, and slept fairly well until 5:30 this morning.

50º

6:45

6:46

8:11

It's 6:30, and a vast, dark gray and pink cloud hovers ominously over an otherwise clear morning sky. It's 8:00 and I just returned from a 50-minute paddle, as the sun slowly hid behind the cloud bank, definitely darkening the morning. I listened to the podcast China Decoded, always interesting and alarming, as it's clear China has become the dominant power of the 21st century. As I mentioned, robots build a car every 76 seconds, amazing, and they have basically taken over the Southern Hemisphere, Africa, and South America with development dollars. Finally, world powers are beginning to look more favorably towards China than the US. 

Kayak Morning

Southern Sky

Eastern Sky Darkens

Bald Eagle

Great Blue

Heron On Victoria Dock

Monday was a busy day. I woke way too early, sat around waiting for the sun to rise, then kayaked for forty-five minutes on a rough lake, with winds from the north up to 17 mph. After kayaking, Evie and I wrote and published the blog but forgot to put photos on from my hike yesterday. I realized it around 11:30 and added them if you want to see a photo of Jim and Ripley. Mr Fixit then tackled the shelf under the kitchen counter, and as of this morning, it has not fallen. Although I was lacking mojo, I made myself, with the help of Evie, go for a bike ride around the Chautauqua Institution. I was out for forty-five minutes, and the grounds were quieting down except for workmen. On the way home, I stopped for a chicken salad sub at the Lighthouse Grocery and was home by noon. 

Brick Walk

Boat House

Evie was busy getting the living room ready for our grandson's arrival in ten days. Books were removed from shelves and toys were arranged for easy access. I had my sub around 12:30 and returned to my Harlan Coben thriller, The Stranger. Because I was awake at 5:00 and finally up at 6:00, I went upstairs hoping for a nap, and I think I did for a half hour. While I was napping, Evie mowed the garden and started getting ready for the arrival of her sister Elaine, who will get her around 8:30 tonight for a few days. When I came downstairs, I took over the mower from Evie and cut the front and side yard, then did some raking of stones. My neighbor, John, arrived mid-afternoon, and we both decided to put off seeding our side yards, dug up for sewers, and wait until spring, giving the dirt time to settle. Having to fill sinkholes last week made us rethink doing it this fall. 

Evie's Sister Elaine, Hiking Presque Isle

We were both sweaty and tired by 4:00, so we took showers and were done in time for Evie to have a Zoom call with her sisters at 5:00. Around 6:30, I grilled burgers outside for dinner, along with corn and potatoes. We watched a couple more episodes of ER until Elaine arrived around 8:30, having stopped at Presque Isle in Pennsvylvania for a walk. We got caught up on her life and her kids, both of whom are doing well. After Evie went up to bed, Elaine and I talked and watched some football until 10:00, when we both went up to bed.