Leisurely Morning at the Lake

Up later than usual, around 7:30l, with just a dusting of snow, though heavy snows have closed Interstate 90 just this side of Buffalo.  We still may have snow today and or tonight but it sounds like it's narrow bands of heavy snow, 10-15 miles wides.  If you are in the way, you get hit, ten miles away, nothing.  So far, it's been nothing.  We don't have to go anywhere today, unless we feel like it, which sounds good.  Evie will be making bread, her seven grain, and yesterday she experimented with Turkish simits.  It took all day, as they had to rise twice, and you dip them in molasses and water, then sesame seeds, before baking them.  They were pretty good, tasted authentic, though heavier than the ones from the Gulloulgu Patisserie in NYC.

It's a big night for Cleveland as Lebron returns.  I don't know how I feel, other than I hope the fans chill out a bit.  Lebron's team is struggling; my theory is the big three all need to be the 'man', and when they have all of them together, the two who are not the center at the moment, end up standing around.  In other words, in basketball too many great individual players, and that's what they are, is not a good thing.  We will be able to see if they can change their games by the end of the year.

Finally, the birds have returned to our feeder, after a ten day hiatus, as we were in KC.  For now, lots of sparrows, chickadees, finches, and woodpeckers.  They seem to be the most common for now but others will come.  Also, as I mentioned yesterday, the buffleheads have arrived.  Over towards Giarizzo's, near the reeds, at least 100 of them are feeding in the water, eating weeds and other vegetation.  I have also seen a few mallards, even some geese though they have not stayed around long since I gave Evie her Xmas present early: a pellet gun from Dick's...it shoots over a hundred yards and makes a popping noise so crows, geese, and squirrels beware, the little woman is armed and dangerous.

We went for a walk around 4:00 over at Bemus, braving the cold weather and light snow.  As we had a beer at the Seezurh house afterwards, it was amazing to watch the news from Buffalo, as cars, some having been stuck for 14 hours, were finally dug out.  Some areas had 32 inches, and we have hardly had one, though tonight we could get up to six inches.  Evie has been busy, making a French lemon yogurt cake I found on the web, after making two days ago, my favorite, tas kebab, served on mashed potatoes, a simple stew really, of meat, onions, tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, cinnamon, and a bit of water.  Cook it for two hours, tenderize the meat, with a wonderful gravy, and serve over mashed potatoes.  I love it.  The good life.