Record Setting High Today: IN the 90's

Swimming in May

A warm morning, clearly, with a haze, reminiscent of late summer mornings, not the last day of May.  Two more days and we are off to Darien for Beth's 45th, hip hop recitals, and lacrosse games.  Cannot wait.  We will most likely work in the garden this morning, trying to build some dams against the constant water from the roads, Evie will cut the lawn, and by noon, we hope to have most of our chores done, as it will  be really hot and we want to relax and swim.

We both swam yesterday, keeping up our Woodlawn record of swimming in May and being the first one's in.  It was not that cold for some reason; we had to use a step ladder to get in and out and when we put it in at the end of the dock, it was completely submerged, that's how high the lake is... and when I stood at the end, it was over the top of my head whereas I can usually stand in chest high water.

Chicken Barbecue at the Viking Club

As I mentioned yesterday, we enjoyed the chicken barbecue at the Viking Club so tonight we will eat at home, something simple because of the heat.  Neither of us do well in warm weather, preferring the cold to warm, unlike most of our friends.

Memorial Day: Sunny and Clear! Giarizzo's Cliff Caves In

Sitting By The Dock on the Bay, Finally

Lemon Square Kid

It's a beautiful morning, though I have been up since 5:00, a bit worried about our dock as we had a heavy downpour last night, just as were finishing dinner with Ron and Linda on our porch.  Just what we needed, more rain, about 7/10ths of an inch in a half hour.  Fortunately, that was it for the night, though I went out and filled a couple more buckets to put on our dock.  In fact, there was a garbage can floating next to our dock, obviously it had come off someone else's dock, so I picked it up, filled it with water and used it until I find out if it's a neighbors.  The water level looks about the same as yesterday though the run off will be continuing all day so we will have to wait and see.  It cooled off a bit last night, so it's about 62 this morning as I write.

A strange birding observation: the martins have been flying in to our front porch, hovering and fluttering, as if they are looking for something (insects?), then flying off, then returning, sometimes four or five at a time.  I have never seen this before and wonder what's going on, as they usually stay clear of any structure.  In fact, I just saw two more a few minutes ago.  We better keep our doors closed.  And they are flying all over our front and side yard at the moment, like something our of Hitchcock's THE BIRDS.  They are really active, either building nests, the boys chasing the girls, or they sense something that upsets them.  And Evie just saw two robins going after a squirrel, chasing him up the tree.

It was great to sit out on the dock last night, with Ron and Linda, have a couple of beers, some guacamole, even though it was overcast.  We seemed to be the only one's on our dock, with few boats on the lake because of the impending storm.  We must have sat out for an hour, then had dinner on our front porch, of butter burgers, slaw, macaroni salad, and green beans, with Evie's amazingly good strawberry pie, a  crust between a pie and shortcake, and a center of vanilla  custard.

We just got back from kayaking towards Giarizzos, the beautiful house up on the hill, and a good part of their hillside caved in last night, huge trees are down, their stairway which led down to the water destroyed.  I guess it was a combination of water eating away at the trees and hillside, the heavy rains, and wind, all combining to take down a good part of the hill.  It looks like a bulldozer went in and cut out a huge swath of earth.  It stopped eight feet from their porch.  Four or five guys were out in the water, trying to rescue some of the horses and dock pieces that were sitting on the shore.  I have never seen anything like it here; it's something you might see in California, a huge landslide, caused by the rains.  Mike Giarizzo seemed nonplussed by it all, at least today.  He said, 'What are you going to do.  Just start figuring out how to fix it."  A good attitude.  One of the neighbors, who I play ball with on Tuesdays, was helping and said this is what happens when you cut down the trees for a view, and think something like myrtle will hold the hill. It won't.

We went over to the Viking Club at 3:00 and asked the Leonards along as they had never been there.  I have never seen it so crowded, cars parked on the grassy hills, people picnicking everywhere, kids swimming, and lots of people inside at the bar.  The lure was a chicken barbecue, 8 bucks a person, with sides included.  We walked around a bit, sat in the bar and talked over a pitcher of beer, then got our dinners.  The chickens were excellent, nice and moist and plenty to eat though the macaroni salad was not as good as mine.  We then came back and had the rest of the strawberry pie at our house, finishing it off.  It's a warm night, supposedly 87 at Bemus but 79 here with a slight breeze.  We both sat out on the dock until dusk, reading and occasionally fishing...caught nothing as usual.  Back to my book, THE BIRTH OF VENUS by Sarah Dunant.

Breezy and Warm Morning

Approaching Storm at Dusk

I actually slept in until 7:30 this morning, a first for me in quite awhile.  It didn't rain during the night but everything was covered with dew, as it's getting a lot warmer the next couple of days, going into the 80's for the first time this spring, if I am not mistaken.  It's been a busy morning for Evie, getting food ready for our picnic tonight, a very complicated strawberry pie, with a crust between a pie and shortcake.  It looks amazing.  We also made Hawaiian macaroni salad, very simple, mayo, grated onions, milk, macaroni, and salt and pepper.  And we are making the Butter Burgers from Cuisine at Home: you make up a spice butter roll, of various condiments, and put it on the cooked burger.  And we are having Ellen's green beans, yum.

I am going to ride my bike again at the CI, hit the library, perhaps the gym, then home for my Sunday breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, the best meal of the week for some reason.  It must be the bacon, and eggs with toast.  I think I am hungry.

We watched BLUE VALENTINE last night, not much of upper but the two leads, Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling were superb.  It's about a  couple breaking up, with flashbacks to how happy they were during their courtship and early year, contrasting it with how they just cannot live with each other now.  An interesting premise, comparing the romance of first love with the reality of married life, though they are the extremes, neither particular stable, their lives and careers a mess, and all the holds them together seems to be their love for their daughter.  Don't look for a happy ending, just a real one.

It's almost 83 degrees outside, and I have just finished my late breakfast or lunch watching Charles Osgood's Sunday Morning  Show as I ate, a tradition.  It's a great show and the talked to the  writers of THE BOOK OF MORMON, also SOUTH PARK creators, and they were really interesting, irreverent of course, but not obnoxiously so.  I would love to see the show but it's supposedly sold on for months.  Amazing.

I went to the CI for a bike ride again, ran into Rob Austin and family as I rode, on their way to the Bell Tower Beach.  I gave him a hard time about driving a Suburban, just the kind I thing I used to do with him as a student almost 25 years ago.  I then shot around at Turner for awhile, did some yoga, not much, took a shower and came home for the big breakfast.  It's almost too warm outside for me, sunny and a bit hazy, as well as humid, but Evie's out on the dock reading so I will head out after I dry the dishes and get the beer iced up for Ron and Linda.  Though it's hot, it's infinitely preferable to the constant rain of the past month and a half, humid with no wind, 84 degrees, and inside it's only 74, very pleasant to read and laze around.  The lake, however, is very busy,  very strange after almost 7 months of little if any activity.  Lots of fishing boats next store, some pontoon boats, numerous jet skis and it looks like lots of boats are docked down to our south at Sandy Beach, the usual spot for docked boats, loud music, and beer drinking.  How lucky we are not to live near them.  It's starting to cloud up so we might get some rain tonight; it would be nice if it cools things off but it may just make it more humid.

Sitting on the dock is much too uncomfortable

THE REDBREAST: JOE NESBO

Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbo's first book has won many awards, among them them something called 'the best Norwegian Crime Novel Ever Written.'  Pretty heady words for a first novel.  I did like it a great deal, in fact, I have his next novel, THE SNOWMAN, sitting on my desk.  This novel, as I mentioned earlier in my Blog, was confusing at first because you are not sure how the parts connect.  One strand deals with Inspector Harry Hole, your typical crusty, solitary, veteran detective, usually at odds with the system, who embarrasses himself and the department in a misidentified shooting accident.  Ironically, he gets promoted, to avoid further embarrassment for the party, which allows him to begin investigating the fact that a sniper rifle has been imported to Norway, most likely among Nazi sympathizers.  The trail of this rifle, who ordered it, what for, and the consequences of its importing, are the main stuff of the novel.  The other strange, disconnected at first, is the narrative of four Norwegian men, who volunteered to fight with the Nazis against the Russians.  We see them in the trenches, how they interact, what happens to them after they get wounded, and their repatriation to Norway as traitors to their country, to their utter dismay and anger.  Gradually the two strands come together and form the major narrative of the story.  Of course, there's a love interest, Rakel Fauke, who at first seems outside of the events but ends up being connected, albeit unknowingly, to the center.  You don't get much of a feel for Norway in this novel, mostly a sense of the political climate after the war, a bit of the department and it's politics in the present.  His style makes the text very readable, as there are mostly short chapters of three or four pages, as he moves through the various dates, whether in the present, the year 2000, or the past, mostly 1944.  The translation seemed fine and I hardly realized I was reading a text that had bee  translated.  I can see why Nesbo is so admired.

Underwater But Some Sun Expected

Docks Are Almost Submerged

Dock With Barrels Filled With Water

We feel as if we have been underwater the past couple of days with all the rain. Every is worried about their docks, about the run offs raising the lake level and some of my neighbors docks are actually submerged.  They are staying in place, however, as most of us have filled buckets or garbage cans, placed them on the docks, to keep they from floating away.  So far it has worked though if a heavy storm with winds were to originate, things could change quickly and we would be in the water, dragging the dock pieces to land.  My neighbor, Bill Leonard, remembers taking his dock out in late spring a number of times in the late 1970's, as the water came up on the lawns.  At this point, it's just up to the lip of our wall though it could change, especially since it's raining at the moment, just what we need.

We have been lucky with the weather today, as we have gotten quite a bit of afternoon sun, enough so Evie could read on the dock.  The lake, however, continues to rise a bit and one of our neighbors had to take their dock out as it was completely submerged.  Evie went shopping this morning, I hit the garbage dump, and we are ready for Memorial Day Weekend.  Ron and Linda are coming over tomorrow for burgers, hot dogs, and I am making Hawaiian macaroni salad, the kind you would get on a plate lunch there, what of my favorites.  On Monday, we are going to the Viking Club for their chicken barbecue and have invited the Leonards to come along.  Let's hope we have some sun the next couple of days.

I went to the gym, but road my bike  through the CI twice to get some exercise, then rowed a couple of thousand yards before showering.  I stopped by the Lighthouse Grocery and picked up a couple of pounds of ground chuck for our burgers and we should be ready for tomorrow.  Tonight it's a stir fry with chicken and lots of veggies, and a movie.  It's been a lazy day, to wet to work outside, so we have been sitting either inside or out reading.  Not a bad way to spend the day.  Evie's garden looks great, all the plants are really healthy but no colors yet, a late Chautauqua spring.  In fact, the rhododendrons in our front yard are just beginning to show some color.  I actually like Evie's garden at this stage, as each green is a different shade, and they blend together, forming these pockets of light, dark, lime, whatever color of green you can come up with.  And everything looks so healthy, young shoots, leaves, the start of another season, and no summer sun to turn things brown.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain!

Our Neighbors, Bill and Joyce Leonard

Woke early, around 4:30, to rain on the roof, went back to sleep but got up at 5:30.  Opened the windows, kept the radio off, and listened to the sounds of dawn, rain drumming on the roof, various bird calls, and watched the martins acrobatic flying, as they continue to build nests, find mates, and get ready for the fledgelings.  It's 60 degrees, supposed to get up to 70, and rain on and off most of the day but I think it's more of a constant light rain rather than dramatic and intense thunderstorms, which we have had for past two or three days.  It rained 3/10ths of an inch yesterday, much better than and inch and a half the previous day.  The lake continues to rise, and I am still worried about m dock, the I nailed the runners to the horses yesterday, so if it does rise, they will not float away unless their is a big storm.

We went to Leonards for dinner last night, enjoyed seeing them again.  We helped them with moving in things from their car, and Evie cut their lawn last fall and this spring to help out, as well as we both cleared lots of branches and twigs.  This year seems especially hard for them, at least Bill seems fed up with all of the chores involved in opening up his house.  However, most of that's behind so they seemed in good spirits last night.  We had ham, apples sauce, cheesy potatoes, Evie's vinegar and oil coleslaw, and Mrs. Snavely's Coffee Cake for dessert.  We stayed till about 9:30 and walked over and returned in rain.

Rainy Dawn Sky

I am not sure what today will bring, perhaps more trips to the stone quarry as it's too wet to do anything else.  Maybe I will kayak, something we have done very little of so far for some reason.

It's been pouring for the past hour, the lake's rising, the yards a mess, Aultz's are out trying to put their dock in, and I was able to get three loads of stones for the driveway and parking areas, spread it around and because of the rain, it looks like I did nothing, alas.  A good day for reading, so back to THE REDBREAST, which I like a lot.

Well, I was not exaggerating as it's been rain most of the day, heavy at times, and we have gotten over an inch in the last four or five hours.  The stream by the T overflowed into the yards of the houses on either side, though it caused no damage.  You can hear it rushing through the covert, and it's bringing lots of debris into the lake.  In fact, about an hour ago, it look like a stream of branches, wood, twigs, even some stumps floating by.  It's no a good day to be out on the lake, in fact, for the next couple of days it would  be best to stay off the lake.  I think the storm is stalled over us, as there's little if any wind, so it just keeps raining.  Our yards are a mess, and the Pine Hill Road is like a stream, rushing down into the right a way and, of course, our yard.  A lot of good my gravel did.

DIRTY WHITE GUYS: STEPHEN HUNTER

I have to admit I was not sure of this book, after the vulgar first 40-50 pages set in a prison.  Hunter paints a realistic picture of life there, and Lamar Pye, convicted murderer, thrives in it until he kills the wrong man.  His only chance to survive is to break out, which he does with the inept and sensitive Richard and his handicapped cousin, Odell.  Yes, Lamar does have a human side, his love for Odell, a 300 pounder with the mind of a child, no sense of right or wrong, who does what Lamar says.  Their foil is Officer Bud Pewtie, a respected officer with a wife and two wonderful sons.  Unfortunately, he is sleeping with his fellow officer's wife, complicating things.  As Lamar and crew go on a crime spree, we see Bud walking the tightrope between family and a guilty conscience, as he corners Lamar a couple of times, ends up getting shot, but always coming back for more, miraculously. Lamar and entourage reminded me a bit of Bonnie and Clyde and I have to admit that Hunter makes both Lamar and Bud more than stereotypes of the good and bad guy.  Not a great book, but I did enjoy it after the first 50 pages.  Hunter delves into the psychological make up of both, in interesting and helpful ways.

THE MIND'S EYE: HAKAN NESSER

Nesser is a Swedish writer I have just discovered, though he's well know in Sweden,  His novels follow Chief Inspector Van Veeteren, the typical loner, almost like the great French detective, Maigret, who solves the crime mostly by intuition, as he gathers the facts, then tries to see how they connect, and unlike his colleagues, he ends up solving the crime.  Here, the novel opens with the drowning of Eva Mitter, discovered by her drunk husband Janek.  He remembers nothing from the night before, ends up being accused of the crime, and being tried for the murder.  Van Veeteren, of course, senses something is wrong, that this accused teacher, is telling the truth.  We are led to the school, back  to the victim's early life, and in between, we get to know Van Veeteren (he and his wife are thinking of getting back together for the second time), and his attempts to best his colleague, Inspector Munster, who plays his foil, at badminton.  He is always in the dark, wanting to know how Van Veeteren's deductive mind works. We end up liking Van Veeteren, despite his alleged misanthropy, troubled marriage, and wayward son, all which weigh upon him as he solves the case.  Well worth reading and I will go back for more.  

Heavy Rains, Stormy Night

Stormy Dawn Sky

We had another heavy rain storm last night, though not as much rain as the previous day, about 7/10ths of an inch so far.  Lots of lightning and thunder, plus a few warnings of possible tornadoes made it difficult for Evie to sleep.  I was up at 4:30, worried about our dock, the high lake level,  but so far, the dock appears fine though the lake is up to the runners.  We'll have to see what happens today after the streams and run offs fill the lake.  Rain is expected almost every day for the next four or five days, so we will have to wait and see if the forecast holds true.  It' 60 degrees, high in the 70's later today.

The lawn is soaked, soggy to my foot steps, and I had to scare off more Canadian geese this morning.  Because of the high lake level, they can just walk up on our lawn, making a mess if I let them.  Today looks like it will be partly cloudy, though it will be hard to work outside in the yard because it's so wet.

This morning has been warm, partly sunny, with more rain expected later.  I have made two trips to pick up gravel, as we fight to keep our yard from being swamped with water from our neighbors road and yard, perhaps a fruitless task but like Sisyphus, I trudge on, filling holes, building stone dikes.

A Foggy Lake Morning with Canadian Geese

We miss you two!

Hayden Bissell's Growing Up Too Fast

Soccer Girl, Sort Of!

As  the title suggests, it's foggy and cool this morning, as I cannot see Long Point, just beyond the dock, as the fog rolls in.  Lots of martin sounds, geese on our lawn(I had to chase them off three times before 7:00), and 50 degrees out though it's supposed to warm up and get sunny.  I actually slept in compared t the previous mornings, getting up around 6:30.  I am reading a thriller by Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo, but I haven't made up my mind yet how much I like it.  He has too many threads that seem unrelated at the moment, setting it in the present  but going back to WW II as well,  but I am not sure why, how the WW II characters will fit in the present.  I will just have to keep reading.

I was tempted to buy a couple of biographies this morning, on FDR and Bertrand Russell but over came the temptation and decided to get them from the library.  I did order through our library a new book called Scorpions, about the Supreme Court during FDR's reign.  It's supposed to be really interesting, as he tries to pack the court and they change the culture of America to a great extent.

Two ideas this morning that struck me.  One, from Jamaica Kincaid, a writer from the Caribbean, that cultures that embrace gardening, like the US and Great Britain, are basically colonial  cultures, ones that have exploited others.   That to value gardens, one has to have a certain amount of wealth, leisure, to raise gardening above the concept of farming.  Thus, a leisure class is necessary for this idea, a result of exploitative or capitalistic nations.  Interesting.  She also mentions how much cheap labor, even suffering goes into much of the food we eat.  For Kincaid, this thought helps her to enjoy something like strawberries all the more, as she sees life as predominately one of suffering for most people.  Thus, realizing the effort that goes into something like the strawberries on your plate, the thought that your culinary pleasures and riches, depend on the labor, or suffering of others, makes her appreciate them all the the more.

The second idea, "The more I know, the more I can bear," is from a book review of Jill
Bialosky's History of a Suicide,  her attempts to understand her 21year old step sister's suicide.  As she uncovers more and more of the facts, the background, of the suicide, the easier it becomes to get past it.  This is so true, I think, the worst being uncertainty, and how moving beyond this to some type of knowing or understanding is preferable and makes what ever that was unbearable, bearable.

Rainy, Gray Chautauqua May

The Girls

Up really early for some reason, about 5:30, and it's around 60 degrees outside, after a heavy night of rain.  I don't think I have ever heard it rain so hard; we got an inch an a half over night, some areas two inches I have heard...just what we need, more rain.  And it looks as though we will have rain off and on the rest of the week.

A May Afternoon in Bristow, VA, with the Girls

We had a great stay at the Bissells, good weather, food, company, and of course, the girls.  What a delight those two are.  They are so different in temperament and looks, but so complimentary overall.  They get along really well, enjoying each others company and looking out for each other.  What is best is that they seem to really like having us around, especially Evie. Grandparents today seem to have closer relationships with their grandchildren then in the past.  Perhaps because we seem younger, have more free time, or it's just the way things  are---grandparents are expected to enjoy spending time with their grandchildren.  I know for many of us, the grandchildren are the best part of our retirement...it's like we have just discovered how wonderful children can be.  We don't have to discipline them, say no, just hug and love them.  The good life.

The lake is really high for this time of year because of last night's rain.  It' also a muddy color, the result of all the run off from the stream beds and farms.  It's so high that we are a bit worried about our dock, as it's touching the bottom runners near shore.  As long as we don't have another storm like last night, we should be fine and I am here to monitor it in case I need to put barrels of water on the pieces to keep them from floating away.

We actually sat out on the dock for a couple of hours after lunch.  The clouds were amazing, puffs of white in all sorts of configurations, off over the bay, with a blue sky and a wind from the north, though it was pleasant.  We spent most of our time reading, Evie talking on the phone, and watching both the purple martins and barn swallows fly, presumably chasing a mate, as the swooped, dipped, turned on literally a dime, 180 degrees.  They are amazing flyer's, fun to watch, and for some reason, they swoop down and dip into the water, mostly swallows, I think, but an occasional martin as well.  We have not seen this before and wonder what they are after, perhaps some floating flotsam from the storm, certainly not fish.  Perhaps they are just cooling off, or cleaning up, after their flying.  They are fun to watch.

As I write, we are sipping mannies, listening to the radio, enjoying the beginning of a setting sun, a couple hours away actually, with Evie playing Scrabble on her Ipad, me filling on my Blog.  We give ourselves ten minutes of computer/ipad time, then we put away our devices and enjoy the evening.  It's been a beautiful afternoon after a storm morning.  We feel lucky.

Good Bye Bissells, It's Back to Lake Chautauqua

The Bissells on their Back Yard Porch

Up at 6:00, as usual, Drew's off for work already and just Evie and I are up waiting for the girls to wake.  Coco has just come downstairs, so the girls should follow soon.  He's pretty frisky in the morning as my Dad would say.  It rained over night, is a bit misty right now, mostly gray clouds, but pleasant and should be a good day for our drive home.

Coco, Halle and Drew

It sounds like another week of rain at the lake, unfortunately, but we should be able to enjoy the lake a bit, get some work down in the yard, things like that.  We had a great dinner last night, one of my favorites, barbecued chicken and noodles.  We all devoured it, perhaps because we ran out of propane and by the time we got the charcoal fire started, the chicken browned, we were all starving.  The girls were in rare form at bedtime, Halle wanting to talk and talk till she passed out, and Hayden, a typical gabfest, after I told her a Bad Boy story.  She can really be funny and once she  gets going, she can talk your ears off.  It's like a check in at bed time, after one of us finishes, the next comes up for hugs and kisses and more talk.

Long Tall Hayden

Sunny in Bristow with Hayden and Halle

Soccer Girl with her Granny

A nice sunny, warm morning in Bristow, as Drew and I sit in the living room, discussing the world's problems.  I don't think we have solved much, but it's interesting listening to his point of view, somewhat different from mine because of his inside look.  We are now sitting here watching Sports Center, Evie's up, and all three of us have our computers or IPADs in front of us, engrossed in either the news, the Blog, or Scrabble.  If anyone out there wants to play Scrabble, get on line with Evie.  Pretty soon her IPAD will be filled with Scrabble games.  Halle just got up at 7:30 which is late for her, so she has changed the dynamic.  She loves to play Boggle with Granny, so that's what they are up to.

Burgers and Fries at Five Guys in Bristow

We went to Five Guys last night for the best burgers in and fries in DC and we all have to agree; we loved them, so juicy that you have to bite into it over a plate or napkin and the fries are amazing and a single is huge.  We actually brought the fries home, the girls wanted to, and half of Hayden's burger because we were so stuffed.  I can see why it's so popular.  Quick, delicious, large portions.  I  have to say however that no one in the restaurant looked very healthy and I am sure the food didn't add to this impression.  We then went to Target to buy a few things for tomorrow's chicken barbecue dinner, and Evie returned one of the two covers she bought for her IPAD.  She ended up with the Apple version, compromise, I think, but she needed a cover.

Jill and Drew went to a French Restaurant in Accoquat, Bistro L'Hermitage, about a half hour from here.  They loved it, great atmosphere and food, Drew getting organic roasted chicken, Jill Chilean sea bass.  Usually when you go out to places like this, you are disappointed but they came back raving about it.  They got back about 9:30, just after the girls went to bed after watching High School Three for the umpteenth time.

Bristow Saturday, Sunny and Warm and Soccer

Up by 6:00 but Halle was down by 6:30 as was Drew.  We looked at photos, mostly of our visit to Kansas City and Scottsdale, then she talked her Dad into downloading Boggle on his IPAD.  So, she has been playing it with Drew and now Evie, which is great for her.  We have a soccer game at 11:00 for Halle, but that's about it or the day.  Jill and Drew are having a date night, so we  get the girls tonight.

Making Brownies

We went to the Merrifield Nursery yesterday, about ten minutes from Jill's house, an amazing place, with just about anything you could want for the garden, plant wise or other, with an amazing assortment of goodies for anything to do with the outdoors, whether it's birding, planting, pots, wine, vases, gloves, hats, you name it, plus they have a cafe and most importantly, dog's are welcome, so patrons walk through with their dogs.  I was looking for Lavender Mist Rue, asked a guy and he took me right to it.  Everyone that works their seems knowledgeable and the women helping Jill pick out annuals was really helpful, suggesting colors, sizes, and various alternatives.  Amazing.

Evie and Jill at Merrifield Nursery

We picked the kids up from school, came home, and they spent most of the afternoon outside skating in their road/driveway with the neighborhood kids, quite a brood.  Kofte, pita, and tomato sauce for dinner, brownies and ice cream for dessert, ended a good day.  The girls have really gotten into Boggle, so Evie is excited to play with them.

We went to Halle's soccer game, in a park much like the one's in Kansas City, a huge area of 10-20 fields, strictly for soccer, and it was packed with kids, cars, and adults carrying chairs, watching games, pulling in and out. We then came back and relaxed, as the girls played in the basement till it cooled off a bit, then went outside to play in the cul de sac outside their driveway, a gathering spot for all the kids in the neighborhood.  Jill and Drew out going out tonight for dinner, to a French restaurant about 30 minutes away and we are going to eat at Five Guys Burgers, a place I have wanted to try since they moved here.  It's famous for their burgers and fries and I remember the Obama's actually ate at one early in the term, causing quite a stir.

Sunny and Warm in Bristow, VA

Running to See Baba and Granny

Up at 6:00 and Drew's been gone for an hour, as he leaves about 5:00, so he can miss traffic and also work out at Fort Belvoir's Base Gym before work.  What discipline, like Wally...wish I had it.  I sit here sipping my coffee, it's 6:50 and all are still asleep.  I thought Hayden gets up at 6:30 but perhaps it's good she sleeps in.  She has a Girls on the Run gathering this morning at 7:45, a group of girls who get to school early a couple of times a week for a run.  She and Jill had a mother and daughter run over the weekend.  Anyways, Hayden is excited about today's gathering, as instead of running, they are having donuts.

Coming Home After School

The girls have been a riot, both seemingly non stop talkers, telling us all about their lives.  It's like a faucet that's been turned on and Halle is beginning to match Hayden.  Both seem happy in school, like their school work and classmates, and are very busy, usually doing something each day after school, like all kids.  Halle has a soccer game tomorrow, but Hayden's swimming has ended until June 1st when the neighbor hood pool and swim program begins, a big deal around her as neighborhoods compete, and their are teams for all ages, I think.  

It looks like a sunny day; the backyard and porch are hemmed in by green trees, isolating and giving privacy to sitting out on the deck...what a difference from three months ago when the trees were bare, the yard bare and cold.  Tonight we are having Turkish koftes on pita with tomato sauce, Jill's favorite.  

This morning we are planning to go to a great nursery, one that Ellen recommended and Jill loves called Merrifield,  I think.  They have almost anything you could want according to Jill.  It seems so different here from the lake, two to three weeks ahead of Chautauqua in weather I would say if not more.  And it's going to get warm over the next couple of days.

Hayden and Halle---Here We Come!

Early Morning Overcast Sky

We are up early, Evie, no doubt, because she wanted to get to her new IPAD.  We have not had a chance to talk since it arrived yesterday afternoon.  She's been playing a version of Scrabble called Words with Friends, and the person she's been playing with just added a word, about 6:00 AM our time.  Needless to say, between that, Boggle, and Yahtzee, she will be happy.  Since we were both up at 5:30, we will easily be off 7:00, getting to Jill's around 2: 30, so we will be able to meet the girls as they come home from school.  I don't think they know we are coming, so it should be fun to see their faces as they walk home with their friends.  And, of course, Coco will be happy to see us as well, particularly me.  

Our last trip to Bristow was cloudy and overcast both coming and going, and it looks as though the same could happen today.  I thought it was supposed to clear up but they a forecasting more rain today here at the lake, though warmer, and in Bristow, it's supposed to be in the high 80's by Sunday.  I am not ready for that yet.

We left at 7:10, arriving in Bristow at 2:40, after a few stops to eat and stretch our legs.  It was a good time arrive because we got unpacked, then went off to meet the girls.  They were a riot, walking home not realizing we were waiting for them.  When they saw us, they both broke out in great smiles, and started running towards us, giving us a hug, even in front of their friends.  It was great.  When we got home, the girls skated, then Hayden went off to a swimming lesson and I stayed home with Halle.  Drew got home and we had a good talk before the girls came home.  We had white chili for dinner, then  all of us watched tv, thought three of us were on Ipads or computers.  

Packing for Bristow

Lamb shanks for Dinner

A warm, partly cloudy morning, with a fall like sky of clouds and sun peaking through, unusual for spring.  It's 58 degrees and showers are expected though it's nice outside at the moment.  It feels good to have it warmer, sunnier, more inviting outside, not the usual showers.  It's supposed to clear up and warm up over the weekend, of course, since we will be with Jill and family.

We had the Mc Clures over for dinner last night, lamb shanks on polenta, really good.  It's too bad shanks are not a cheap cut of meat anymore.  They cost about as much as a rack of lamb.  They stayed until about 10:00, sitting in front of a crackling fire (gas), talking about their trip to Germany, our visit to KC, and their ordeal of finding a responsible cat sitter, their babies.

Right now the sun is out in full, blinding me as I sit here, the lake a shimmering mass of light, clouds off in the distance over Long Point, the wind moving the leaves.  Time to get up and do something, like the dishes!

We are getting ready for our big trip, bags packed, electronic equipment organized, GPS in tow, and left overs for dinner, a couple of lamb shanks, fried egg plant, and garlic spinach and bread.  That's about it for today, getting caught up on laundry, Evie and getting her hair cut and dyed for the trip.  And the big news, the IPAD 2 arrived today for Evie, a present from me because I knew she would love it.  And she does.  So now we can sit in our living room, have a mannie or glass of wine, and never have to talk.  Actually, the computer is forbidden during our cocktail hour but today is different, as Evie is excited about the plethora of AMPS which the IPAD offers, something like 30,000 I think.  Where to begin.

Green Land

Dock's In, Trees are green

Everything is turning green, the color of life, and as I look out my window, I see all shades of green, occasionally interrupted by a red bud or white of the Bradford Pear, but all is mostly green, Evie's garden, the rhododendrons, the maples, the hills off to the East, lime green of new leaves, dark green of the pines, light green of the maples, with still a bit of brown on some of the late blooming trees.  Some of our neighbors' azaleas are in bloom, a dogwood or two, some tulips or daffodils,  but the rest is all green, as we are having a very late spring, perhaps the wettest spring in recent history.

Evie is off shopping early, as we are having Ron and Linda over for lamb shanks, my request, with garlic spinach and polenta!  We leave for Jill's on Thursday, so we won't see them  for awhile, plus they are going to Germany in early June for ten days, a trip they try to make every couple of years.

It's another gray day, about 45, with rain expected this evening if not earlier.  Not much to do but read, get dinner ready, and start packing for our trip to Bristow.

We were able to get the lawn cut and do some work in the yard, even though it's been overcast and looked like rain.  I picked up some more gravel, so our road looks puddless for now, the way Evie likes it.  The lamb shanks are done, the polenta's ready to go, and I am sitting here having a bit of white wine, after a shower and getting cleaned up.  It actually looks a bit lighter over towards Bemus but dark towards Erie, and rains are expected tonight and tomorrow.  It will go good to hit the road though, of course, Saturday is supposed to be sunny and warm.

Docks In but Rain, Rain. Rain

The guys finally put our dock in yesterday, in pouring rain at times, 40 degree weather and, when putting in the end pieces, they were completely underwater as the lake is so high.  They had all week to put it in, when it was warm and sunny but waited till yesterday, when it was cool and wet.  I know that for me, psychologically, it was easy to put in when it was sunny and warm, and awful if it was gray and wet.  It cost me 300 bucks, a nice two hour job for them.

Gray Morning But Docks In

We had an inch and a half of rain yesterday, so the yards awash in water, soaked to the max I think, and rain is expected everyday this week though I don't think it will be as torrential as yesterday.  High's will be in the 50's and it will clear up towards the end of the week, when we head to Jill's, of course.

World Famous Herring Breakfast at the Viking Club

Frying herring for breakfast

We are off at 10:00 for the Viking Club (we are members) on Lake Chautauqua for their annual Herring Breakfast.  We are not sure what to expect, but I assume the herring will be fried and served with eggs.  Ron and Linda Mc Clure are going with us and we were hoping to walk before eating but it's overcast, raining a bit, so it won't be so  great for walking.  We had dinner with the Mc Clure's last night, stuffed eggplant and lentils, both really good, then watched a movie I recommended from Germany called RUN, LOLA, RUN.  I had seen it six or seven years ago and really liked it.  It's a thriller that plays with the idea of time, chance, and how being a second early or late will change your life irrevocably.  The same scenario, trying to find 100,000 in 20 minutes to pay off drug dealers, is played over three times, with three different outcomes, sort of a GROUNDHOG DAY set in the world of crime. The soundtrack, like electronic dance music, pulsates through the film creating the tension and thriller aspect.  I think Tyler would really like it.  Everyone seemed to like it though I don't think they would tell me if they didn't.

Bloody Mary's and Herring

We have decided to go to Jill's this Thursday for four days since we have not seen them since our trip in February and it's been too long.  One of the great aspects of retirement is we can just pick up and go with impunity, though we will miss the lake.  But it's always there when we get back, and we can enjoy it full time now, not just on weekends or summer.  This thought(that we are living her full time) still amazes both of us after 30 years of driving out her on Friday afternoons, heading home on Sunday night.

Well, we just had breakfast at the Viking Club on a miserable rainy Sunday; our yard is puddled, the streams are rushing and the lake will be going up quite a bit in the next day or so.  The Viking was packed with mostly people are age, a few younger families, but everyone was enjoying themselves, many, like us, starting off with a bloody mary, a good start for herring.  I was surprised by the meal, as the two fried herring fillets were served with grill onions on the side, and creamed potatoes with parsley on top, I guess a typical Swedish breakfast.  We sat around for close to two hours, having a drink, ordering and enjoying our meal.  I did not love it but it was good enough to come back the next time they have it.  Herring has a  bit of a salty taste to it, so unlike the mild tilapia or haddock that I am used to.  People were gambling, as usual, and there were drawings for prizes, selling of tee shirts, so it was a big day.  I assume this is one way they pay their bills as all the cooks are waitresses were volunteers.

Today looks like a good day to stay in side, read, watch TV, and cook up a good meal.  We also hope our dock  goes in later today but I am not confident the kids will show up in the rain.  They might get wet.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER: TOM FRANKLIN

An easy read, recommended to by Dick Redington, a retired VP at Chautauqua Institution, a member of the Thursday breakfast club.  It's a typical murder/mystery though the setting is quite different, a small town in rural Mississippi in the early 2000's.  The two protagonists are Silas Jones, "32", a former high school baseball star, now the black constable for Chabot, MS, a town of 500 or so people, and Larry Ott, a recluse, 'Scary Larry,' as the locals call him because 30 years ago, his date disappeared after he dropped her off on the road to her house.  No one could prove that Larry killed her, but everyone believed he did.  He was ostracized by his peers, quit school, and his parents suffered this status as well.  Thirty years later, Larry is shot by a man wearing a Halloween mask, and the story begins, as "32" looks for the shooter but uncovers much more.  The typical rednecks people the text though most appear much more tolerate of blacks then they might have been 30 years ago.  The novel switches back and forth between Larry, his thoughts and isolation, his past and what leads up to his being shot, and Silas or "32", his path towards discovery of both the shooter, his past, and his relationship with Larry.  Readable and well written,  I would give it four stars out of five.

Rainy Saturday Morning, Something New!

Evie's Weedless Spring Garden

Listening to Only A Game, the best sports program on NPR, which is on Saturday mornings from 7:00 to 8:00.  It's wet outside though there are no huge puddles in our yard or road though flood warnings are out for the county, mostly along the Cassadaga River.  It is supposed to rain all weekend so it sounds good to stay inside, organize some of the bedrooms upstairs, perhaps scan some old photos, something I have been wanting to do, then work out at the Turner, perhaps go to library and get some more books, all perfect ideas for a rainy day at the lake.

Hit the North Harmony service station, dropping of the trash for the week, then went of to get more gravel for our driveway,  50 cents a bucket if you shovel it yourself.  Evie is ecstatic, as she loves to fill in the puddles left by the rain, the low spots so to speak.  I also filled up my car, the Pilot, for the first time in a few weeks; it cost my 70 bucks to fill it up, at 4.02 a gallon at Hogans.  It certainly makes you think more about where to drive, how much, especially making one trip shopping a week, if that's possible.  We always end up needing something 'else.'  I wonder how it will affect people's vacations this summer?  And boat traffic on the lake?  I assume their will be less traffic both at Pine Hill and the lake.  It's not going to stop us from visiting our kids....those trips are built into our retirement package!

We just walked the CI in a light rain; neither of us felt much like walking, or doing anything for that matter.  We stopped at the library, picked up a couple of books, and came home and watched a couple episodes of Damages, our favorite show right now.  We usually feel guilty watching TV during the day, other than my daily dose of Colbert and Stewart during lunch, but because of the rain, we decided to live a life of decadence and watch the tube on a Saturday afternoon.

Working in the Garden, Filling Pots and Window boxes with Plants

Another sunrise, what else

The blog website has been down all morning, so this is the first chance I have had to get on.  I went off this morning to Jamestown, was finally able to pick up some ivy geraniums, as they seem to be in high demand.  Evie, meanwhile, has been able to weed most of the garden, and now she can start putting the geraniums in pots, fill the window boxes with petunias, and we will have the outside ready for late spring, perhaps early summer.

The weather was supposed to change today, and I can feel it in the wind though this morning has been sunny and warm, around 72.  Thunderstorms are supposed to come in later afternoon, early evening and rain will stick around on and off for a week.  That's more like Chautauqua weather; I was kind of getting tired of the sun and blue skies every day.  The lake has not been very busy, few fishing boats but there's a tournament this weekend.  The only action seems to be the martins, as they madly fly through our yard, looking for straw to build their nests, noisy and chattering as they go.  There must be 10-15 swooping though yards, picking up straw, flying our to their houses.  Like us, they are getting ready for summer.

Well, it's raining as predicted, late afternoon, with some thunder and lightning though the rainfall so far has not been fierce, just nice and gentle.  The yard looks great, the garden's weeded, and the grass is freshly cut.  The lake is back to what I call Chautauqua gray but I don't mind it as much as I did before having this past week of sun.  And I like the roll of thunder, the first this spring, as long as it's not too close.  We are having an easy dinner tonight, of precooked ribs from Trader Joe's, one of our favorites, and pair it with potatoes and coleslaw and we have a great dinner.  I do love ribs and these are so easy, just right for two people.  A lot easier than all the prep that goes into barbecuing your own.  There are not ribs from Jack's Stack in KC, which Tommy gets us when we are visiting, but they are good enough for the lake.

First Light

Dawn

The early morning sky, at least recently, begins orange, then as the sun rises, though as yet not visible above the far hill, it lightens, as does the lake, till it crests the hills, changing the colors of the lake entirely, as the orange disappears.  This is the first morning where the brown or lilac hills have looked green, as the leaves are filling out, hiding the trees, the land behind the shoreline.  We are still able to see through the maples in our front yard, neither yet fully in bloom.  But nature is moving quickly, to hide the brown, to bring out the green, the color of spring, of life, of rebirth.  Yellow seems also to be an early spring color, either the dandelions, the daffodils, or the forsythia.  This was most noticeable when I was driving through Westfield, past the vineyards, as a weed, with yellow flowers, filled the avenues between the vines, giving the fields, especially those in the distance, a blanket of yellow, reminding me of the fields of sunflowers we used to see in southern France.

We had a good time with Ron and Linda last night at the Viking Club though it was crowded.  By the time we ordered, they were out of cubans, so we all had burgers with fries, quite good.  People were outside enjoying the warm weather and the inside was filled with what looked like retirees, people our age or older.  We signed up for the herring breakfast this Sunday, so that should be fun.  I have never had fried herring, especially for breakfast.

It's a warm morning, around 55, and it's expected to get into the high 70's later today, the warmest day of spring.  All is to change tonight, as a front arrives, bringing rain, perhaps heavy thunderstorms tomorrow, with rain forecast on and off for the next five days, much cooler as well.  We'll have to see how accurate they are.

Quite an expensive day, as we had the septic tanks cleaned, found out also that the lines within the house were clogged, because the septic was backed up, had that hydrocleaned(found a wash cloth among other goodies), now everything is squeeky clean and working well, until it fills up again.  Cost me 450 bucks to get this done, so we have decided to get a new system, costly yes, but it will allow us to have company without worry, especially our kids during the summer though we the rains we have had, I doubt if any system works perfectly though our neighbors have not complained, so who knows.  It's 75 out, quite warm in the sun, and we will probably go kayaking again since the lake is so calm, especially since it's supposed to storm tomorrow and the weekend.   Evie cut the lawn again, and things have dried enough so we can cut it, and it looks perfecto, that deep green of spring, rich colored from lots of spring rains, no dry spots, few weeds, so far.

Green Is In!

Bradford Pear and Redbud, the early trees of Spring at CI

The lake and surrounding areas are beginning to turn, first a marvelous lime green, the first leaf, then a darker green with blossoms of various colors, as the trees embrace the sun and warm area.  It's been a long time coming but I think spring is here.  I don't know how long it will last but we will enjoy it while it lasts.  It's unusually warm this morning, 59 degrees at 7:00 and the wind, like yesterday seems to be coming from the south.  And there seem to be martins are our house.

Evie went to the Ladies of the Night last night; they invited a neighbor who makes purses to support and Palestinian/Israeli Peace School.  All the proceeds go to the school, so she ended up buying one for forty bucks, and they are all volunteering to help sew some of the purses on an evening in June.  They seem to have a theme or idea for each of their gathering though it's mostly socializing and just enjoying each others company.  For me, it was strange to be home alone.  When you retire, neither of you has much of a reason to go out alone, so I had two boring hours to myself.  It didn't seem right to be sitting watching TV alone possibly because I could watch what ever I wanted and I was in command of the 'commander,' something unusual for me.

We are off today to buy a toaster oven, a real deal at Bon Ton, pick up two of our favorite plants, a Daphne Carol Mackie.  We have had a couple, one before the fire, one after which we put to the left of our stoop but it was killed two years ago by the cold winter.  We are putting these on the south side of the house, so hopefully they will be protected by the house.  We also are picking up some ivy geraniums if we can find them.  For some reason, they are in short supply or they just don't order them. I also am after a lavender mist rue, a plant I read about in the latest addition of Fine Gardening.  I can order it but there's a 15 dollar charge for shipping.

Tonight, we go for wings with Ron and Linda at the Viking Club, our usual routine on Wednesday's, though we usually go the the VFW because it's closer.

The Purple Martins Are Back

Tulips at Bestor Plaza, Chautauqua Institution

I woke this morning to the sound of purple martins, as they circled their house out on the lake.  I put it up yesterday, and within the hour, their were martins circling, trying to decide if it would make a good nest for the summer.  The martins migrate to Brazil during the winter and supposedly return to the same house each spring, though it's hard to tell.  Last year, they disappeared for some reason, whether predators (hawks and owls) got them, or the hot weather.  It worried us because the same thing happened the previous year.  So it's good to see they are back, even if they are new birds.  We do seem to get at least one sparrow each year and they seem to live comfortably with the martins.

More Tulips

It's 45 degrees outside, though it will get into the 60's later in the day.  We talked to Tommy yesterday and he said the temperatures were in the 90's yesterday in Kansas City and I saw today there was another weather advisory for heat, with a high of 92.  I am happy to be at the lake, with our cooler temperatures.  Jean even mentioned that she turned on her AC yesterday in Kansas City; I don't blame here.

Today Evie attempts to wade through our wet, soggy lawn and cut the lawn for the first time.  The lake level is going down a bit, puddles in our yard are disappearing, and no rain is expected till Saturday, so things are drying out a bit.  It's been a record setting spring for rainfall.

A good day, as Evie did lots of weeding, cut the lawn, and is now getting ready for a rowdy evening with the Ladies of the Lake.  I worked on our road, went to the excavating yard, and shoveled around 10 buckets of stones, in two trips, to fill up some of the potholes in our road.  It will help until later in the summer, after we get our new septic system, perhaps a parking pad as well.  Then, I will have a truck come in to fill the road, making it better for all of us.

It got into the high 60's today though it was bit overcast most of the day, though we had no rain and we were supposed to have a sunny day.

Monday Sun Day

Leisure Sunday on the Lake

It was 45 when I got up, about 5:30, the lake a shimmery orange, the sky gradually getting lighter as the sun arose.  It looks like another nice day, in fact, it will be in the 70's later in the week, with no rain until Friday.  Our driveway and road, still heavy with puddles my actually dry out by the end of the week.

Lots of little errands today, put my martin house in the water again, get my tire fixed, pick up a new dock piece, and somewhere in there, go for a walk in the woods of Long Point Park, hopefully to see some interesting wildflowers.

Last night's chicken was mediocre as the beer can holder was too tall for the grill, so I had to roast it in a pan on the grill.  The white meat was moist and good, the dark meat a bit stringy for some reason.  And the rub I put on was non existent, so I had to salt and pepper my serving.  Obviously, I have yet to perfect the 'great roast chicken' recipe.  I will keep trying.

Not quite the day I expected though I did get the martin house up, and we have already seen some martins flying around the house.
  I had to take both cars in unexpectedly, with a nail in the tire of one, and I needed a new battery for the other.  Fortunately, it was still on warranty, with one month to  go, so I got a new one free.  We worked in the yard, cleaned the garage, got some summer chairs down from the attic, and both of us read in the yard.  It feels so good to have a blue lake, sunshine, and some warmth in the area so you can sit outside.  The high today was in the low 60's, but it will get warmer tomorrow.

Lake At Historic Levels on Mother's Day

ED AND HERMINE 1950'S

BETTS AND FRANK IN HAWAII, 1969

Two pictures of our parents, especially a remembrance of our Mom's.

The lake continues to be at record levels, as April saw it rain 27 days, and the first 8 days in May certainly saw rain almost every other day.  The lake reached a level of 1309.5 this past week, a threshold established by the National Weather Service as a flood stage.  Last year, it was a foot lower at its height, 1308. 3, which seems to be normal.  The Warner Dam in Jamestown, which regulates the height of the lake, is fully open and peaked last week at 1470 cubic feet per second, the highest measured recently, and this is the highest the lake has been since 1990.  Normal discharge for the lake through the dam is 900 cubic feet per second, in the summer it gets as low as 60, to keep the lake level at its summer ideal. between 1306 and 1308.  In 1976, the record discharge was around 2000cfs and the lake level exceeded 1311, supposedly a once in 500 year event.  This past week is a once in 50 year event.  We will have to wait and see if this holds true.

We didn't do much yesterday, both of us were tired, the ennui that settles in as you get readjusted to life at home after a vacation.  We worked out at the gym, had Slovenian sausages for dinner, watched the finals of the NCAA Men's Volleyball championship, which Ohio State won, a first and an exciting game.  We went to bed early, before 10:00, a good but lazy day.

Today, we are walking at the CI this morning; I am getting a chicken ready to put a rub on, let it sit until I put it on the grill, Beer Can Style, later this afternoon, in my never ending attempt to make the perfect roast chicken.

We walked the CI, a beautiful day for a walk.  In Bestor Square, they had four pods of tulips, all in their prime, the only major colors of our walk, other than the lime green of the starting to bud trees, and an occasional Bradford Pear or Redbud, a couple of azaleas.  We are that far behind other areas.  The sun today is delicious, however, and I am getting our some of our lounge chairs, so we can sit in the yard and read.  We talked with Tom briefly, as he was at Marlena's soccer game; it's warm in KC, and they are expecting a high of 85.  I put the rub on the chicken, it's in the fridge till 4:00 when I put it in the grill.  It may take up to two hours as it's a five pounder.  

Gray Saturday Morning, Sunny Afternoon To Come

Spring Rainbow over Lake Chautauqua

We had the Miller's over for dinner last night, Marianne and her son Tom, from State College, PA, where she teaches at Penn State.  We have been wanting to have them over for dinner since they took us out last spring.  She's a widow, her husband Pastor Bob, was diagnosed with brain cancer four years ago, a week after he retired. He lived for a couple of years but now she lives alone, still loves teaching her accounting courses, both during the school year and summers, though she loves the lake too.  She is really a neat woman, energetic, outgoing, at seventy three.  Her son Tom really helps her out, usually comes with her on weekends, takes care of the chores, and he loves talking about sports.  I went out to dinner with him and our neighbor Ken Schultz and their son Kenny in February, and we had a great time talking about the good old days.

We went for a walk late yesterday afternoon, stopped at the Seezuhr House for a beer, but it was so crowed we decided to come home.  As we drove to our house, we saw the Miller's had just arrived.  We were having New York strips for dinner, had two extra, so we decided to see if the Miller's wanted to come over because we new they would be going out to eat after unpacking.  They were thrilled to come, and Evie started cooking up a few extras, cheesy cauliflower, baked potatoes, a salad, and I grilled the steaks and all was great.  We had a great time, as they left around 9:30.

We had a bit of rain over night but I talked with Bud Kinney, a neighbor, this morning, and last night when they drove from Cleveland, he went through the most severe rainstorm he had ever been in, heavy rains and sleet, just outside of Ashtabula, so we were lucky to avoid that.

A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD: JENNIFER EGAN

This Pulizter Prize winning novel reminded me of Tom Rachmann's THE IMPERFECTIONIST, at least in style, not content.  Like THE IMPERFECTIONIST, A VISIT FROM THE GOOD SQUAD at first seems like a series of short stories but you quickly catch on, realizing that in some way, all of the characters are connected, by friends or by relationships.  The two major characters are Bennie Salazar, a failed musician, now a successful record producer, and his assistant Sasha, who we meet on an off through the novel, going back and forth in time, realizing what leads to her position with Bennie, what happens to her after she leaves his employment.  As the novel opens, she has a brief hook up with a young man called Alex.  It lasts the night, we move on, and it's not till the last chapter that we see Alex again, in his 40's, married, with a child, helping Bennie Salazar remake his career as a talent sleuth.  At times, I could not put it down, at others, I did not pick it up for a day or two, whether I was busy or just not that interested, I am not sure.  

It's set mostly in New York, about people whose lives slide by so fast that by the time  they awaken, it seems almost over.  Thus, it's about time, how we waste it, how fast our lives and dreams vanish, the people that influence it, the influence we have on others, both bad and good.  Like Rachmann's novel, I liked almost all of the characters, though they did not have the connection of working for a newspaper, as the characters did in THE IMPERFECTIONIST.  One of the most interesting though annoying chapters appeared toward the end. Written by Sasha's ten year old daughter, Allison, it's all written in Power Point, about her understanding of her Mom, Dad, and her brother who is obsessed, to his father's dismay, with pauses in musical pieces, mostly rock songs.  Finally, the father graphs the pauses for his son, a sign of acceptance, and by the end of the power point, I was really into them.  I liked the text, but was not crazy about it.  Perhaps I should read it again because I did lose track of many of the characters, having to go back and figure out how they fit into the novel, like Alex, who appears only in the first and last chapters.