The Days Only Get Nicer

7:00

Heading Down the Chadakoin with Popcorn

Enjoying the Cruise

Blue Heron on the Chadakoin

Up later than usual, around 7:00, sun already blazing, filling the house with light.  A slight chill, 61 degrees and it looks like another glorious day on the lake, like yesterday. It's as if Monday's rain washed everything, making the world bright, shiny and new.

Yesterday, the Second Annual Big Adventure took place, a trip down Lake Chautauqua to the Chadakoin, then a leisurely boat ride down the river to the city of Jamestown Pier, called Mc Crae Park.  We went with the Mc Clures and like last year, it was a lovely day for a boat ride.  We left about 10:15, taking our time to enjoy the scenery, especially all the interesting houses on the west side of the lake as we made our way to Celeron, to the mouth/source of the Chadakoin River.  It is amazing to see how built up the shore line of Lake Chautauqua is, how little green is left though, from a distance, most of the shoreline looks lined with trees.  The cruise up  the river took close to a half hour, winding slowly along the snake like S turns.  It is hard to imagine steam boats ferrying passengers from Jamestown to spots on the lake and back, trying to pass each other on this river.  We stopped briefly at Mc Crae park, to use the facilities.  We, then, got out our lunch, and enjoyed our goodies as we traveled back up the river to the lake.  We then took our time going back on the east side, since we see little of this part of the lake, paying attention to the various neighborhoods and Points, like Point Stockholm,  Driftwood, Belleview and neighborhoods starting at the south end like Bonita, Fluvanna, Elmhurst, Sunnyside, Greenhurst, Griffiths, Driftwood, Belleview, Colburns, Lakecrest, Phillips Mill, Shore Acres, Oriental Park and Bemus Point.  I had not realized how many neighborhoods there were, how many different names.  For most of the trip, Linda and Evie sat on the front of the boat, in the fishing chairs, enjoying the sun, talking, and taking in the beauty of the lake on a sunny and warm day.  It was quite windy at times but if we went slow enough, it was no problem.  We didn't get home till 2:34, about four and a half hours on the lake, a record for us.  It was such a great day we didn't want it to end.

Later in the day, after enjoying some dock time, Evie and I went kayaking before dinner off to Long Point and then to Wells Bay, across a rough and windy lake, to the Long Point Bay, still green and algae ridden, then home.   Neither of us felt like fiddling much in the kitchen, so we had an easy dinner of kielbasi omelette's, fresh corn, salad, and home fries.  And, of course, three more episodes of Breaking Bad.