Fog Rising on a Crisp, Cool Morning (Heinz's)

5:01

5:15

5:42

Dinner at Wendy and Charlie Heinz's home

Up at 4:50 to an waking sky, touches of cream, then orange, some red above Long Point.  Not a sound except for an occasional bird, then a rumble---some fishermen dragging their coolers out to their boats on the Pine Hill dock.  It's now 5:49, the sun has risen but is still obscured by clouds above Long Point and the entire north end of the lake is obscured by a heavy fog though in front of our house we still have steam rising.  It's 47 degrees, a sunny day to come, high in the 70's.

Yesterday was a perfect day at the lake, crisp and cool in the morning, warm enough to sit outside in the afternoon, to enjoy the sun and sky, just being alive.  I took off for Bemus around 10:00 for a bike ride while Evie stayed home and continued with the organizing of our house, getting ready for the grandchildren.  It was a great day for a bike ride.  I parked my car at the Bridge, rode through Bemus, down the lake road, through Long Point, to Warner Bay, then cut back along the shore, to the tip of Long Point, then back through the park, down the lake road and back to my car.  I ran into the Mc Clure's as they were out walking the lake road.  It took me just about an hour, not overly strenuous, just enjoyable, with few hills, my bane.

It was actually too cool to swim, so I read, watched some soccer, Germany vs. The Netherlands, and worked in the yard.  Evie cut the grass and worked on the north side of our house, clearing out the weeds, trimming the rhododendrons, as they seem to flourish there.  Our yard looks great, as does the garden, and the flower boxes are overwhelming, filled with flowing petunias.

We went to Wendy and Charlie Heinz's for dinner, along with the Grices and Gregory's, both couples good friends of ours.  The Heinz's live in Chautauqua Shores, about five houses from Jane and Jerry Grice.  Fred and Judy Gregory live in the CI.  Fred and I played basketball together about 15 years ago in a tournament.  He still plays three on three tournaments and his team just won the medal for the over 65 group in New York state.  He has played in tournaments all over the state.  Judy is a well recognized artist and we attended her showing at Fredonia State a year ago spring.

We sat on the Heinz's porch, high up over the trees, looking at the lake, enjoying our drinks.  Every one seemed happy to be there, a congenial group, and the Heinz's are great hosts.  Jane and Jerry just returned from a river trip in Europe; the Gregory's spend the winter in Davidson, NC, so we had lots to talk about.  We, of course, shared our stories of our boat trip from London to Montreal in 1977 on the Polish liner the Stefan Batory when we braved a hurricane in mid Atlantic.  It would be interesting to chart the conversation at dinner, how it moves from one topic, say our travels, to another, perhaps books we have read, to children, but never politics or religion.  It was a  good night.  We stayed till about 10:15 then headed home, to finish my second Henning Mankell book, The Dogs of Riga.  Wallander has just returned to Riga, secretly, to solve a case, risking his life and career.  What a guy and all for a women.