Buffle Head Ducks Return To The Lake

Marlena and Tom skiing in Colorado

With the thawing of the lake, the wildlife have returned, the first the black and white buffleheads, our favorite ducks.  They are here late fall, just before the lake freezes and are usually the first to return, briefly in the spring, before heading farther north.  I woke to brilliant sunshine in the bedroom, which lasted just about as long as it took me to get downstairs and take a picture before it began to cloud over, alas.  The lake actually had a thin skin of ice over it this morning but it now seems to have disappeared.

As I write 30 minutes later, it's snowing outside and large ice flow appeared in front our our house, with snow on it, as the buffleheads float around it. We are off to the carpet store in Clymer, then to get some paint samples from the paint store.  We must be serious about this.  Ahhhh.

Sunrise On A Thawed Lake

We watched another low budget, understated movie last night, GET LOW, which I highly recommend, with Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek.  I am not even sure it was in theaters but I remember it being highly recommended by the critics.  Duvall, in his 80's, is perfect for the role of the hermit/misanthrope who decides to throw his own funeral, replete with music, neighbors, and a chance for him to atone for a secret from his past, one which sent him to live alone for 40 years, feared by neighbors, stories abounding about his violent nature.  Bill Murray is the funeral director, in a very different role for him, torn between helping Duvall and divesting him of his money.  Not alot happens as it moves towards its climax, the funeral and Duvall's amazing story.

Unbelievably, it's been snowing for the last couple of hours, with an inch or two on the car, the lawn's white as well, the yards filled with pools of water.  My neighbor from Pittsburgh just called, wondering if the lake was up over the retaining wall.  I guess he worried about flooding but it does not seem too bad for now; in fact, it's lower than it was three or four days ago.  We went off again, looking at carpets, came home with new options, less warp, some design as Evie worries about footmarks and sweeper marks on the friezee carpets.  And we picked up four different shades of color, and Evie's been painting sections of our downstairs walls, as we try to pick the perfect color to go with the carpet with the perfect warp and color.  Good luck.  Ron and Linda just called, as they are on RT 79, on their way to the lake and the roads are terribly, as a car just lid off the road in front of them.  We are having dinner with them tonight but may stay right in Mayville if the weather continues to be uncooperative.

I walked outside, in the snow, up to the lakes edge and it was gelatinous, like a thick soup, as I stuck my foot in the slush like lake.  It goes back an forth between water, slush, and a thin layer of ice.  It would be fun to be out in a kayak in the snow flakes  but it's warmer inside.