Another Sunny Morning. Unseasonably Warm

6:05

Finally, Rhododendron's in Full Bloom

 Up at 5:30, quiet lake, light blue, sun rising over Long Point, martins singing happily, the start to another good day here at the lake.  I never get tired of dawn, of the sun rising, the lake changing colors with its rise.  Today it is supposedly going up to 88º, so it looks like we will be going swimming, a chance of rain as well.

Yesterday was a beautiful day, mostly sunny, hot but not obnoxiously so, in the low 80's.  I did go to yoga, the only male of fourteen students.  A good class, as Danielle asked for any suggestion and I always tell her, the 'back.'  So, we worked on lots of poses for the lower back, and I left feeling better, more energized.  Because of the rains, the grass had really grown, as well as the weeds, so Evie worked on cleaning up her garden, and cut the lawn because we will  be leaving tomorrow morning for Darien, for our oldest grandson's graduation from Fairfield Prep High School on Sunday morning, an exciting day for all of us.  I have a grandson who is a high school graduate.  Hard to believe.  I also starting setting up the ropes for my boat, making sure the poles and ropes are secure.  And I went swimming for the first time, since I was already in the water.  I took my fishing rod out as I waded, tossed it out a for about fifteen minutes and caught three small perch, nothing exciting but it's always fun to catch a fish.

Paddles on Casino Ceiling

Rocking at the Casino

Ron and Linda Mc Clure came over at 6:00 and we decided to take our boat over to Bemus, to the Casino for chicken wings.  It was a lovely evening to be on the lake, warm but a nice breeze, when cruising in the boat.  We did have to carefully navigate our way, as lots of flotsam, mostly wood from the heavy rains on Tuesday night, randomly littered the lake.  We sat on the Lehhart's porch for a couple of Old Vienna beers, then walked over and sat outside on the porch at the almost empty Casino, for chicken wings and a PBJ draft.  Again, it was nice to eat outside, as the sun set.  The wings were fine, the Casino has not lost it's touch, and we talked about the Mc Clure's visit to East Aurora, where they stayed in the Roycroft Inn and spent the day sight seeing in this quaint town.  We boated back as the sun was setting, hiding behind the western clouds, on an empty, lead gray lake.  It was 9:30  when I finished putting the cover back on the boat, so we watched some of the NBA game, then went to bed.

Boating Home at Dusk

Hazy Morning Sun Rise, Hot, As Rollicking Purple Martins Welcome The Day

6:00

Kayaking Victoria, Mid Afternoon

Up just in time to see the pink horizon, then the sun rise through the haze of spring heat over Long Point.  The martins woke me up this morning, as they are busy getting their homes ready for the laying of eggs, then their babies.  Their morning song may be annoying to some but both Evie and I love waking to their sounds.  It seems like home when we hear them.  No rain today, but very warm, high in the 80's, so different from this past weekend.  I might just take my first swim, go on our first boat ride of the spring.

Yesterday was another lost day, as I had a dentist appointment at 9:00 in Jamestown, for a new crown.  It took just over a half hour and I left with a much more expensive mouth.  In the never ending story of a flag pole, I picked up a new pole at Geer Dunn, returned the one I bought yesterday to Home Depot, came home and now we have a flag flying at the end of our dock, for now.  Our lake front seems empty with a flag flying, whether the American during the warm months, or the Slovenian during the winters.

The rest of the day Evie and I just relaxed, though I did clean the gutters, put in some new gutter guards, but that was about it.  We got out the chaise lounges and enjoyed the sun and warm afternoon out on the dock, seemingly the only people on the lake.  We did kayak around 3:00, off towards Wells Bay but returned earlier than we wanted because of the storm clouds gathering over the lake.  Of course, it did not rain and cleared up, so we went back out on the dock, for a beer and pretzels, enjoying the late afternoon.

A simple dinner of leftovers from our Memorial Day picnic, hot dogs, salad, potato salad and banana cream pie and we were happy.  We watched a couple episodes of the silly soap opera Revenge on Hulu Plus, another service we are trying for a month to see if it's worth it.  It surprised us because during any hour show, they have four or five one minute commercials and you cannot fast forward.  I don't think we will keep this for long.

It's a perfect morning for a kayak paddle, but I have breakfast with the boys at 8:00 so I will have to put it off till later.  And I have yoga at 10:00, so there goes the morning.

LIGHTNING, THUNDER, HEAVY RAINS LAST NIGHT...WOW!

After The Storm: 7:00 

Up later, felt good, at 6:50, and Evie's already up and outside, checkin out the yard, her garden, but there's little if any damage from last night' heavy rains.  It's 67º, supposedly getting up in to 78º today, perhaps 88º tomorrow.  Yuk...bring back winter.  We had over an inch of rain.

Back to my routine yesterday despite my words from yesterday about skipping yoga and went I did, one of two people in class.  A good class, lots of talk as usual, as Chris spoke about his personal growth, his use of yoga to deal with his own insecurities, like why so few people attend his classes.  Hmmm.  After class, I returned my costly flag pole, got another one, which I will return today because it won't work on my particular pole.  Who would have thought flying a flag would be so difficult.

Heron Skimming the Lake

We tackled one of our big problems yesterday, cleaning out he attic and organizing it so we can actually get things.  We bought huge clear plastic storage boxes, for winter coats, for winter shoes, hiking and skiing, things like that.  We gave Billy Deault, who is moving into a house, an extra office chair we had no need of...he loved it.  We did not throw out as much as we would have liked, but found things we wanted and we now can get around it easily.  Late afternoon I went for my yearly physical with Dr. Berke, a health fanatic in his own right, who has participated in Ironman competitions.  Everything is copacetic so we talked for a half hour about biking, staying in shape, his elevated square foot gardening, everything but me (just kidding but he does like to talk).  I pity his other patients who had to wait patiently.  He sent me names of a great biking shop in Erie because I am having trouble finding a comfortable seat.  A good guy, he works out every day, either biking, running, swimming or lifting, plus yoga.

An easy dinner of leftover lemon chicken, even better than the first time, with rice, salad and two pies, strawberry and banana cream for dessert.  We watched Mad Men, a pretty good episode, some of The Voice, as the lights went out momentarily because of the storm.  It was pretty wild for awhile, heavy rains on the roof, lots of thunder and lightning, lasting till 1:00.  To bed, to read and then sleep.

THE UNCOUPLING: MEG WOLITZER

I heard Wolitzer being interviewed on NPR a couple of weeks ago, saw this book on the new E book list, thought it was the book being talked about, took it out, started reading it and when I finished, I realized it was the wrong book, that the book being discussed was her newest novel, THE INTERESTINGS.  I have to admit I did not much like this book, though it's premise was intriguing, like something out of the Greek Aristophanes play, LYSISTRATA.  It's set in a small New Jersey town, the main protagonists are Dory and Robby, both English teachers in the local high school and their daughter Willa.  The major action revolves around an explained spell, a cool breeze, that infects the town's women, turning them away from their men, from sex.  Unlike the Lysistrata, where the women consciously withhold sex until the men stop war, the women in this town are puzzled by their loss of Eros.  Coincidentally, the local high school just happens to be putting on the Greek play, LYSISTRATA, directed by the new drama teacher, Fran Heller.  As the town's women, of all ages, turn away from their men, the males react in various ways, from anger, to indifference, to infidelity.  It reaches a climax, no pun intended, when in the midst of the performance of the school play, the local males charge up on stage, making clear their unhappiness with the situation, feeling that they have been demonized.  This seems to be just what's been needed, as a breeze enters the theater, the women begin to walk up on stage, and all the adults start making out, to the amazement of the kids.  A ridiculous deus ex machina, no doubt, but it led to the ending of the book, thankfully.  We learn towards the end that the drama teacher has orchestrated this sort of metamorphosis in a number of other towns like a wandering gadfly, shocking the towns out of their dull, monotonous, indifference towards each other, helping them to recapture what they felt when first courting.  The novel had some interesting possibilities but they were destroyed by the silly scene during the performance of the LYSISTRATA.  Let's hope THE INTERESTINGS is more interesting, pun intended.

Gray, Overcast, and Rainy... And I Like It

Saluting Our Veterans on Memorial Day

6:30

Up at 6:30 and surprise, no sunshine in the living room, but the sound of rain on the roof, rain drops on the front windows, the furniture on our front porch damp (I forgot to cover them), and a gray, gray outdoors, lake, sky, a line of heavy rain across the lake, over towards Bemus.  It  feels nice and cosy inside; I feel lazy and may just skip yoga this morning, as I am getting tired of it.

Yesterday was a perfect Memorial Day, sunny and breezy, but enjoyable outside, even if a fleece was necessary.  Around 10:00, I drove to Mc Clure's, parked my car, and I had decided to ride my bike, enjoy the Mayville Memorial Day Parade that my buddy Ron had mentioned started at 10:00, which he had checked out on his computer earlier in the day.  So off I went, biking the back road, but could not find a trace of a parade, thought perhaps it was later in the day.  I biked around village, off again to the lake, along Sea Lion Drive and back to Lighthouse Point, jumped in my car, bought some ground chuck at the Lighthouse and went home.  Evie, meanwhile, had made a banana cream pie for tonight's picnic and was about ready to deep fry more potato chips as well.

At 1:30, I did some more shopping for the picnic at Topps, then stopped at Mc Clures, to help Ron launch his monster pontoon boat, mentioning that there was no parade.  He assured me he had found it on the Internet, went back to his computer to show me, and realized he was reading about Mayville, Wisconsin, not New York.  He had a good laugh!  Launching the boat went easily, no hiccups, the only difficult part getting the ropes set up correctly so, when docked, the wind does not move the boat into the next slip.  I was home by 3:00, relaxed some, read, then we started to get ready for the picnic, wondering if it would be warm enough to sit outside.

The Gals, Happy to Be Back At The Lake

Well, it was warm enough till about 6:30 when it suddenly seemed to get cold, so we went inside to get dinner on the table.  We had the Mc Clures over, of course, and our two neighborhoods who just arrived for the summer, the Leonard's from Valley Forge, the Joneses from Houston.  We had lots to talk about, as we enjoyed Evie's home made chips (Dave Jones wanted to know what brand they were), with bleu cheese, as well as guacamole and tortilla chips.  For dinner, I cooked burgers and Sahlen hot dogs, to go along with Linda's potato salad, Evie's broccoli and cheese salad, Florida corn, and all the fixings for the dogs and burgers.  Everyone loved the meal, as the last time we had a picnic like this was likely Labor Day.  For whatever reason, it was the perfect meal for a Memorial Day.  And, of course, we topped it off we banana cream pie and Turkish tea, with a fire in our fireplace, a nice way to end the day.

Three Veterans, Enjoying Memorial Day

Everyone  helped some with the dishes after we cleared the table, so when our guests left around 9:30, we had the kitchen cleaned up within 15 minutes. This after dinner clean up is getting to be a habit; we like a clean kitchen when we get up in the morning.  I wonder if this is  being obsessive, too controlling, or just common sense?  An article in today's New York Times asks that question: "Is it healthy to keep our bodies and homes squeaky clean, or should we relax a bit?" You know my answer and probably Evie's!

A PERFECT SPY: JOHN LE CARRE

I think it was Phillip Roth who called this spy thriller one of the great novels of the 20th century or something akin to that and though I might not go quite that far, I did both enjoy and admire it immensely, for the writing, first, the story telling second, the amazing narrative structure third, and Le Carre's innuendo, subtly, so that you are never quite sure where he is going until it's too late.  A master, for close to sixty years, this was written in 1984, just before the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, one of the last of his novels dealing with the Russians and the Cold War.

Magnus Pym, master spy, rising star in the Firm, has disappeared, bothersome to the Brits, an anathema to the Americans, who suspect him of being 'turned.'  The novel, like all great books, revolves around what Faulkner called 'the human heart in conflict with itself."  Magnus, as we get to know him, has lived a life of lies, not surprising for a spy, but he lies to himself, to his scoundrel of a father, to his wives, even his son, only to his  secret agent, Axel,  does he seem to be true.  The novel begins with his disappearance, to a small seaside village, a secret hideaway for him, unbeknowst to his superiors, to his family. Here, we are privy to his thoughts, as he attempts to explain himself,  set down his life, from his childhood, a son in awe of his father, his disillusion with him in his late teens, to his first meeting in Switzerland with his two mentors, Axel, a displaced Jew and Czech sympathizer and Jack Brotherhood, one of the rising stars in the Firm.  Magnus looks back at his career, his life in Prague, Berlin, Bern, London and the pinnacle, life in Washington D.C., all the compromises he made in the name of a higher idealism, something above patriotism, I would say to explain it.  Axel, who turns Magnus, we are never sure of, whether it's out of idealism, love of his homeland, Czechoslovakia or Marxism.  Certainly, he's suffered at the hands of his own, both Czech and Russian, but remains true.  And we learn about Pym's lovers, his two wives, his last, Mary, whom he leaves without saying a word.  And we follow Jack Brotherhood, Axel's superior, who has stood up for him but must now find him, following every possible lead, interviewing anyone whom Magnus might of known, until he finds the key, Axel, where it all began, when Magnus was just a young man, friendless in Switzerland and befriended by both Axel and  Jack.  It's difficult to say how Magnus feels about his betrayals, of country and family because his loyalties lie with Axel more than the Firm or his wife, though his son, Tom, who he's writing this tomb for, he loves and wishes to explain his betrayal, his reasons for what he did, before he dies.  Eventually, Brotherhood tracks Magnus down to his small seaside town.  Magnus realizes it's over and as Jack rushes to the home, we hear a gun shot and the book ends.

A Bright Shiny Memorial Day

Jim and Barb Fox on their Porch

6:00

With Alex Kinney and his Fiance, Maggie

Up in time to watch the sunrise over the lake, steam rising from the water, 38º so we missed a freeze.  The lake's quiet, no fishermen or kayakers at this hour, most likely because of the cool morning.  It's going to warm up over the next couple of days, a high around 70º today, perfect for Memorial Day parades.

Yesterday was sunny but cool, highs in the low 60's and if it were winter, we would be raving about how warm it was. It's spring, however, so it feels cold to us, so we get out the fleeces.  We took our weekly Sunday walk around the Chautauqua Institute and each week, it gets more busy, with docks going in, more crowded, more families, more people out for a Sunday walk.  The azaleas and rhododendrons, the dogwoods, even some of the perennials are in bloom, so it's a much different place to walk in then a month ago, when the trees were just barely showing a green bud.  No wonder spring was so magical for farmers, for the Romantic poets, for the Greeks and Romans...a change in weather, a longer day, more sun, brings a panoply of life and color to the barren world of winter.

Marjorie, Jim, Debi, and Evie

We spent the afternoon relaxing, a leisurely Sunday, reading mostly and Evie made her specialty, home made potato chips and blue cheese dip for the Fox's porch party late afternoon.  We did not go outside much, other than our walk, and for once, we did not work in our yard, just enjoying a day of rest, what Sunday's are for.

Enjoying the Appetizer, Sun, and Lake

Bergens and Jim Fox's Sister and Husband

Mary Ann Miller, son Tom, and daughter in law

At 5:00, we went to our neighbor's home for their porch party.  Because it was so cool, everyone was in jackets and fleeces and we spent no time on the porch, but in the sun where it was warmer.  It was a glorious afternoon, breezy, sunny skies, blue lake, as we all reconnected after a winter of hibernation.  Barb and Jim are welcoming hosts, fun to be with, and we enjoyed seeing our neighbors, most we have not seen since last Summer.  Everyone brought tasty appetizers, the highlight being Barb Fox's deviled eggs, marinated in wing sauce, topped with blue cheese. The major topic of conversation was the Kinney's new sailboat, trailered a couple of weekends ago from Long Island and just launched Saturday afternoon, now ready for a summer of sailing.  As the sun began to disappear behind the trees, Jim Fox built a fire and we all gathered around it, on benches, to enjoy the setting sun and the fire's warmth.  Evie and I went home around 8:30, to relax and read, before going to bed around 11:00.  The party was a great way to end the day, welcome late spring, the coming of summer.

Love My Pink Gloves

Sunny Morning, Blue Skies, Shimmering Lake...Get Ready for Summer

7:00

Last Night's Amazing Spring Moon

I woke later than usual, at 7:00, to a living room filled with sunlight.  It's amazing how it picks up your mood to come downstairs to this.  A couple of kayaks are paddling by, a few fishing boats are out, so it's a real beginning to the Memorial Day Weekend.  Last night, again, there were freeze warnings, so we covered all our plants with a sheet but I just checked the temperature and it was 45º, surprisingly warm considering the forecast, and I just heard another warning for tonight.

Since we had no major plans for yesterday morning, I went to yoga with Chris, a decent size class and he was very happy to see me again, after a hiatus of about a month.  Either I could not go to his class or he canceled it.  He's the talky one, tries to be our guru, always writes on his Facebook page about class.  An example from after yesterday's class.  " Today was such a nice day at the studio.  I feel like I have moved a major obstacle in my life and my practice both as a teacher and a student.  Thanks to all of you so much for being a part of my journey and I'm so thankful that I can be part of yours  OM and Blessings"  I  guess all my yoga teachers preach the ethics of yoga, read a passage from a text but he's the most garrulous, the most difficult to take seriously.

After class, I went to Home Depot, as we have been having trouble with our flags and flag pole, and we miss not having it flying on our dock.  So I bit the bullet, bought a very expensive flag and flag pole, aluminum and sturdy, to put on our dock.  I got it home, put together the five aluminum pieces, took it out on our dock very carefully, and as I started to raise it, the bottom piece dropped into the lake.  Only I could manage this kind of fiasco.  So, I ran into the house, put on my suit, and over my wife's protests (worrying that I might have a heart attack), I jumped in the water, waded under the dock, and retrieved the missing piece.  I climbed up the ladder, put the pieces together again, more carefully this time, raised the pole and we both realized it was obnoxiously tall for our dock.  It looked ridiculous, needed to be in a yard in front of a mansion. So, I took it down, took it apart, packed it back in the box, and the next time I go to Home Depot, I will return it.  What a waste of time and energy.  So I put our old pole up, with a new flag, and will see how long it lasts in the strong winds.

Dinner with Leonard's(last year)

Our neighbors, the Leonard's were arriving Saturday afternoon, and we both try to help them out with the upkeep of their yard when they are gone and the opening of their cottage.  So, Evie cut both our lawn and theirs, so that it looked amazing for their arrival.  And we decided to have them over for dinner because they would not get to the lake till late afternoon.  So she made a fresh strawberry pie, with a short cake crust, and vanilla cream between the strawberries and crust.  The Leonard's arrived about 4:00 and we went over and helped them bring their clothes and things into the house, had it done in about a half hour.  Around 6:00, they came over for dinner, of Evie's Greek lemon chicken, spinach, rice, salad, and the delicious pie.  We had fun catching up with them, and they really appreciated not only the dinner but our help with their moving back in to the lake house.  They stayed till about 9:00.  Evie and I then washed and dried the dishes, watched a little TV, read, and went to bed.

Few plans for today other than helping Ron Mc Clure put his boat in the water, and Evie's making potato chips, to take to our neighbors, the Fox's, porch party at 5:00, an annual affair.  Tomorrow, Memorial Day, we are having a picnic at our house, burgers, potato salad, and dogs, perfect for a cool afternoon at the lake.

Sunshine and Cold

6:00

5:55

Up at 5:45, in time to see the sun rise over Long Point, steam rising from the lake, an unseasonably cold morning, 36º and fortunately, no frost.  We did bring all the plants on to our back porch and covered them with a sheet, just in case.  It looks like it did get below freezing in some areas south of us but fortunately, not around the lake.  The local wive's tale suggests not putting annuals in the ground till after Memorial Day.

Yesterday began with yoga at 9:00 and when I walked in, a woman was stretching, looked and said Hi Tom.  It was a friend of our good friends, the Cassells, from Hudson. Laura Hudak.  She lives in Hudson, has a cottage up here at the lake, and has been over to our house numerous times with the Cassells and her kids.  She is an experienced yogi, going every day to the Yoga Lounge in Hudson.  Our class, like most, is for beginners so I am not sure she was too taken with it.  For me, it was a good class and Courtney does not worry much about time, so we are there for a good hour and a half.  Today my monthly pass runs out, so I will have to decide whether to sign up for one more month or forget it.  It is enjoyable, gives me a goal for each day, but it limits my hiking.  Perhaps I can limit my yoga to two or three times a week, plan hikes on other days and enjoy both.

Yesterday for Evie was 'rearrange' the living room day.  Before I went to yoga, we moved out love seat and chairs back to their summer positions, ones with better views of the lake, less focus on the fireplace. When I returned home around 12:00, after stopping at Wegman's and Home Depot, the living room was completely rearranged, dusted, vacuumed, with some nice touches, tables moved, lamps and pictures  rearranged, less clutter, more simplicity.  It looks great.  We then worked on the book cases together, always a challenge as it tends to collect more books obviously, but also knick knacks.  So we rearranged, threw out, and dusted, so now I have a stack of books to take to the library book sale, and lots of trash to throw away.

It was overcast and cold most of the day, with occasional rain, so we did not venture outside. Around 4:00, however, it started to clear up, a few boats appeared on the lake, and it was sunny but cold when we had our wine and cheese, this time a Castello, a combination of blue and brie, another one of our favorites from Trader Joe's.  Before dinner, Evie had put together a eggplant pasta sauce, one of our favorite which we started making in Istanbul back in the 1970's, a time when we both discovered the virtues of egg plant because Turks have hundreds of egg plant or aubergine dishes.  We had it over pasta with a salad and the eggplant was done just right, so it melted in your mouth.  Perfecto.  We caught up on Stewart and Colbert, marveled at the creativity of their writers, loved the spoof of former Reagan speech writer Peggy Noonan...it was wonderful, pointing out her hypocrisy, what they called Noonocrisy.

I particularly enjoyed it because I have always disliked Reagan (since the late 1960's) and am appalled at his apotheosis (the glorification of a subject to a divine level) over the past twenty years, into one of the 'greatest presidents.'  The conservative efforts to rebrand him have been amazingly effective if not based on the facts, like the belief that he did not raise taxes (he did it thirteen times, something conservatives have conveniently forgotten or erased from their version of history, like Big Brother in Orwells's 1984).  

Wet and Wild Morning On the Lake

A Nasty 'Day Peep' at 6:15

Calm After Yesterday's Storm

Heavy winds, light rain, choppy lake,  and a rapidly moving fog are the makings for a nasty beginning to a Memorial Day Weekend.  It's 38ª, 50º lower than three days ago.  Fortunately, it's supposed to clear up but remain cool later today and over the weekend.  Right now, though, no one would want to boat on the lake.

Back to Yin yoga yesterday morning at 10:00, with Danielle, lots of people as usual on Thursday, so I had to squeeze my mat in to a corner.  We did most of our work on our back, one where we used a block mid back, then laid down on it, resting our head on another block, stretching our lower back and upper chest.  It was difficult to release from the position.  We also did some thigh stretches, something I  have trouble with.  I stopped at Ryder's Cup, and when I got home, Evie was ready to do some shopping since she had not left our house in four or five days, preferring to enjoy our house, lake and yard,  and our cupboard was bare.  She was able to find come cute matching outfits  at Old Navy for our granddaughters for the summer, something we have done for the past five or six years.  I finished Le Carre's THE PERFECT SPY, and was able to download the new novel, THE UNCOUPLING by Meg Wolzer, reviewed recently on NPR, from our local library.  It was a good afternoon to either shop or stay in and read as we had rain most of the day, over a half inch.

Just Like The Seezurh House

Delmonico Steaks Ready for Grilling

A Great Spring Fall Like Night Dinner

At 6:00, we went over to the Mc Clure's for a steak dinner.  They had attended a benefit Saturday for one of the cashiers at the Lighthouse Grocery who had suffered and aneurysm and won an eight pound rib roast in a raffle. They had Norm cut it into steaks and invited us over to enjoy their good luck.  It was a rainy night, cold enoough to turn on a space heater.  Ron was able to cook the steaks outside, running out of propane, quickly changing cylinders, to the dismay and giggles of the wives,  something that happens to me at least once a year, usually when we have a crowd over for dinner.  The steaks were great, with bourbon mushrooms, salad and a nice Frei Brothers pinot noir. For dessert, Linda made a and Italian dessert called a Tortoni, a light, fluffy frozen mousse, with toasted coconut, almonds, and apricot liquor. Both Evie and I loved it.

It felt like a fall evening, as we sat enjoying our dessert,  and Ron could have easily built a fire.  We got home around 10:30, read some and went to bed around 11:30.

A Quiet, Overcast Morning, As Temperatures Drop

First Blush, 6: 15

Boat's Docked, Ready for Summer

Up at 6:10, just as the sun peaked, briefly, out of the cloud bank off over Long Point.  The only sounds, purple martins and NPR.  I am tempted to kayak but I have breakfast at 8:00.  A slight wind moves the leaves, a sprinkling of rain last night, hardly dampening the ground.  Low tonight, 39º, 69ª during the day, and at the moment, it's 64º.  Enough weather news.  O, yea, showers are expected on and off during the day and, in fact, it just started raining, hard,  the lake rippled, peppered by rain, Long Point blurred as well  I have not seen this hard rain in many months.  Evie's excited, too, screaming "Yes, yes, let it rain"!

Yesterday was a dreadful day, spending close to three hours in a dentist chair in Jamestown, getting a new crown, not fun.  Lots of waiting, but I did bring my book. I  got home around noon, after working on my boat, getting it ready to launch.  I was having trouble getting it to start but Joe Deault, who is always willing to help me launch it, realized the leads on the battery were corroded and needed to be wire brushed.  I had done it earlier but not enough to clear all of the corrosion.  I did have the trailer registered but the lights would not work, typical, so we risked it, hoping to avoid the law.  The launching went easily, the motor started, the impeller worked, something I have always had trouble with.  Maybe the eight hundred dollars I spent last fall on the boat was worth it.  Probably not, as a boat, like a house, is a deep hole in which you throw money.  Anyways, I braved a heavy wind, pulled into the calm waters of our bay, tied the boat up and was ready for summer to begin.

Poseidon, Zeus or Biff?

The rest of the afternoon, I relaxed, as did Evie, both of us exhausted from our morning labors.  I feel no guilt but Evie always feels uneasy relaxing, thinking there is something else should could be doing, the Petkovsek gene I suppose.  I am certainly my father's son, more than happy to sit and enjoy the afternoon doing nothing, usually reading a book.

We had a beer on the front porch, enjoying the waning 'quiet days', as Memorial Day and the summer residents, are poised to ascend on the lake.  Almost no action on the lake, no neighbors in there yards, no people on the dock, a boat or two over towards Long Point, the good life.  For dinner we had breaded tilapia, with homemade bread crumbs, spinach and salad, and the fish, especially, tasted great, why I am not sure, perhaps the seasoned bread crumbs, the crispy outside.  We watched Stewart and Colbert, Smash and read some before bed.  I am glad this day is over and look forward to today, where I don't have anything that I 'have to do,' other than help Ron Mc Clure launch his boat, easy enough and I usually get a beer as payment, probably at the VFW, where it's only a buck, the big spender!

Finally, Rain Last Night, Overcast Morning

Yesterday morning at 6: 20

6:00

I am up early again, anxious, I suppose because of a dentist appointment this morning.  And I am putting my boat in the water this afternoon, weather permitting and with it, the summer officially begins for those of us on the lake.  It's warm already, 65º, a high today of 83º, though the weather changes in the next few days, cooling off for the weekend.  We did get about 3/10ths of an inch of rain last night, some thunder storms, nothing severe.

Yesterday, I vowed to kayak early, weather permitting, so I was up and out on the lake by 6:15, a wonderful way to start the day.  Not a soul on the lake, just me, quiet except for the honks Canadian geese, 'the liquid gurgling warble' of the martins, the caws of the crows, but no motor boats, no fishermen.  I meandering down towards Wells Bay, fishing when I felt like it, a couple of bites, one perch.  Then, I paddled across the lake, to Long Point, along it's tip to the Pavilion, then back across the lake to Woodlawn.  I stopped to talk with Jeff Vigliotti, a neighbor, also up early, who is usually up skiing at this time. He's up for the week, getting the house open, boats in.  I paddled home, happy to have been on the lake.  The rest of the day was filled with little tasks, as I got a blood test in Mayville early, for my yearly physical next week and since I was in Mayville, I went to the DMV to register my boat trailer for the year, silly since I use it twice a year, for about an hour each time but I don't want a ticket either for not registering it.  I also stopped at Hogan's, bought my yearly fishing license, $ 29.00 for a local but next year, when I turn seventy, it's $ 10.00...cannot wait.

Greening Up

When I returned, Evie had painted a couple more chairs, a table, and was in the process of cutting both Leonard's and our lawns, as it was supposed to rain later.  While she cut, I did some weeding along the privets, the lake wall, and we worked at creating climbing lines for the clematis, up the sides of our house, round the windows.  We can never quite find the right twine, so we are trying fishing line this time, to see how it works, if the plants will cling to something that fine.

The rest of the day, we spent relaxing, mostly in the yard or dock, enjoying the sun but for only short periods, as it was unseasonably warm, at least 85º mid afternoon.  Evie went swimming once again though it was 'very cold,' and she did not linger.  Before dinner, I went fishing in my kayak for about forty five minutes, a nice way to end the day.  Next door, two fishermen have 'fishing kayaks,' and were out as well, their kayaks fitted with rod holders, so they can bring a couple of rods.  I am not sure what they do with their caught fish.  I will have to ask because that seems to be the problem when fishing in a kayak.

For dinner, we had shrimp cocktails and the leftover fried rice, watched the final episode of the first season of Rectify.  Nothing was settled, as the six episodes are a test of audience interest and because it has gotten good reviews, I assume it will continue next year.

Hazy Morning, With High in 80's

Wonder Woman's First Swim 

Kayak Morning

Dawn

Up at 5:15, couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up, had my coffee, and was out on the lake by 6:15, the sun still hidden behind the clouds.  It's now 7:50, so I was out quite awhile, just paddling, enjoying the sunrise, stopping when I felt like it, and tossed my fishing line in.  I had a couple of bites, caught a single perch, about par for my fishing life.

Yin Yoga yesterday, and I was the only guy in class.  It was a much more relaxing, rather than physical in fact, we seemed to just relax in various poses on our sides and backs for a good part of the time.  I can do that.  When I returned to the lake, after picking up some gardening things at Home Depot, Evie had done some more painting, of our outdoor table, and she has been experimenting with our plastic out door chairs.  They turn a dirty white after a year or two, so she is spraying them to see if it makes a difference.  So far, so good, and it's much better than buying new chairs each year.  We also have been having trouble with our lawn mower, thought we might have to get a new one, but I changed the plugs, air filter, oil and voila, it started up again, ready to go.

Evie's Buddy

It was the warmest day so far this spring, a high of 85º in midafternoon, so Evie got out the chaise lounge and enjoyed the dock and sun for part of the afternoon.  I went out as well, but it was too hot for me, reminding me of a day in July or August, not May.  My intrepid wife went in the water, for her first swim of the year and it was cold, so cold she almost did not make it.  But she persevered and eventually dunked her head, saying afterwards that it was nice.  I don't think so.

We went kayaking around 5:00, off towards Wells Bay, as it had cooled off a bit and it was great to be out on the lake at this time of day.  Last fall, a fisherman literally spent two weeks fishing off of Victoria, five or six hours a day.  Well, he's back, yelled to us, reminding us that he was out fishing last fall.  Neat guy.  We came back, and because it was so pleasant outside, we had a beer and pretzels out on the dock and Evie went in for another dip, wonder women!

6:20

We had a stir fry for dinner, mixing up the leftover pork chops, cut in bite size pieces and rice, with mega veggies, to create one of our favorite fried rice dinners.  We threw in asparagus, as well as cabbage, and carrots, plus lots of Siracha sauce because we were out of hot bean paste.  We made enough so we can have another dinner or two or three lunches.  We watched Mad Men, which is getting more and more ridiculous, so that we wonder why we continue watching it but we have been through this before in some of the earlier seasons.  The haunting of Don by his past is getting old.

A Quiet Lake (except for the Martins) as the Sun Rises On Another Fine Day

6:15

Both Evie and I are up around 6:15, just as the sun rises over towards Warner Bay, on its journey north, towards Mayville.  One more month and it will reach it's extreme, the summer equinox.  We are sitting here watching the martins, in a frenzy, dive bombing a crow, sitting on Bergen's dock, in fact, one just hit the crow.  We have never seen this before and wonder if crows are predators or just an irritation to the martins.

Yesterday was a warm day, a busy day on the lake, as the fisherman were out in full force.  We decided to get a walk in mid morning, so went off to the CI for the first time since we returned from Darien.  The CI was transformed, all trees green, in full force, flowers in bloom, lots of dogwoods, mostly white, spotting our walk.  Not much action though you can tell the summer residents are starting to return, like the martins, for their three month stay.  It was good to be on a familiar walk, to take our Sunday counter clock wise walk.

Rainbow at 6:00 PM

Yesterday, we were having the Mc Clures for dinner, so we both worked in the yard and kitchen, getting things ready.  We finally got out all the summer chairs and tables, washed them, put them in the yard, hoping to sit out side, even eat outside if we could.  And Evie finished baking her lemon meringue pie and cut up the vegetables on her new mandolin for Japanese vegetable pancakes.    Late afternoon, Billy and Chris came to put in the poles for our boat, hang the ladder (so Evie can swim), and level the dock.  As usual, their pump malfunctioned, they lacked the necessary tools, so I got out my power drill for them to use.  Some things never change.

Frying Japanese vegetable pancakes

The Mc Clures arrived at 5:15, just as the sky was darkening, the wind picking up, so we sat on the front porch, having beer or wine, with pretzels and one of our favorite cheeses, St. Andre.  We sat outside until Evie asked when we wanted to eat.  I said, 'How about 7:00.'  I looked at my watch and it was already 7:15, surprise. So, Evie and Linda went into the kitchen and fried the Japanese pancakes, while Ron and I went outside and grilled the teriyaki pork chops.  The hit of the dinner was the pancakes, like Chinese scallion pancakes only better.  All four of us loved them.  The sauce they recommend got mixed reviews.  I would liken it to a tonkatsu sauce the Japanese use on pork cutlets.  It was very spicy ketchup like.  I would have preferred a ginger/soy/sesame oil dipping sauce.  We finished dinner with Evie's lemon meringue pie and though we were all full, we had to have a piece.  It has become my favorite dessert.  Mc Clure's left about 10:00 and we stayed up and washed and dried the dishes, which always reminds me for some reason of a 1950's movie, the husband and wife in the  well lit kitchen, after a dinner party, cleaning up the kitchen, surrounded by the darkness of the night.  We were in bed by 11:15, tired from a busy day.

Evie's Lemon Meringue Pie

We like the pancakes so much that I am including the recipe.

Japanese Vegetable Pancakes (From Smitten Kitchen)

Directions: 

Japanese Vegetable Pancakes [Okonomiyaki] with Cabbage, Kale and Carrots

Adapted, just a little, from Josher Walker of Xiao Bao Biscuit, in Charleston, SC viaTasting Table

Okonomiyaki are traditional served squeeze with a generous criss-cross of Japanese mayonnaise and a okonomiyaki sauce, tangy-sweet-salty mixture I’d liken to Japanese barbecue sauce, which is sold in bottles but I attempted to cobble together a version from recipes I found online, below. Please forgive me if the flavor isn’t perfect; I am new to it, but we loved it, just the same. Pancakes are then sprinkled with bonito flakes, seaweed flakes or even pickled ginger, but we enjoyed ours with a finely slivered scallion and toasted sesame seeds. I imagine they’d also be good with bites dipped in a simpler dumpling dipping sauce.

Yield: 4 large pancakes or I am really sorry, but I forgot to count, but I’d say at least 12, probably 14, smaller ones

Pancakes

½ small head cabbage, very thinly sliced (1 pound or 5 to 6 cups shreds) which will be easiest on a mandoline if you have one

4 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

5 lacinato kale leaves, ribs removed, leaves cut into thin ribbons

4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp Siracha sauce or to taste

Canola, safflower or peanut oil for frying

Tangy Sauce

¼ cup ketchup

1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (note: this is not vegetarian)

¼ teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon rice cooking wine or sake

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey (use 2 if you like a sweeter sauce)

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

Make the pancakes: Toss cabbage, carrot, kale, scallions and salt together in a large bowl. Toss mixture with flour so it coats all of the vegetables. Stir in the eggs and Siracha. Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with oil and heat that too.

To make a large pancake, add ¼ of the vegetable mixture to the skillet, pressing it out into a ½- to ¾-inch pancake. Gently press the pancake down flat. Cook until the edges beging to brown, about 3 minutes. 30 seconds to 1 minute later, flip the pancake with a large spatula. (If this is terrifying, you can first slide the pancake onto a plate, and, using potholders, reverse it back into the hot skillet.) Cook on the other side until the edges brown, and then again up to a minute more (you can peek to make sure the color is right underneath).

To make small pancakes, you can use tongs but I seriously find using my fingers and grabbing little piles, letting a little batter drip back into the bowl, and depositing them in piles on the skillet easier, to form 3 to 4 pancakes. Press down gently with a spatula to they flatten slightly, but no need to spread them much. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the edges brown. Flip the pancakes and cook them again until brown underneath.

Regardless of pancake size, you can keep them warm on a tray in the oven at 200 to 250 degrees until needed.

If desired, make okonomiyaki sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and thick.

Serve pancakes with sauce and any of the other fixings listed above, from Japanese mayo to scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

Do ahead: Extra pancakes will keep in the fridge for a couple days, or can be spread on a tray in the freezer until frozen, then combined in a freezer bag to be stored until needed. Reheat on a baking sheet in a hot oven until crisp again.

Still Gray and Overcast and No Rain

6:50

Geraniums

First Family Sighting

Up at 6:50, expecting it to be wet outside because of the forecast but no luck, just threatening skies for now.  Later, however, it's supposed to clear up and get warmer, perhaps as high as 77º.  A great day for  a barbecue with the Mc Clures.

Yesterday was overcast early and though I had decided to skip yoga, the weather changed my mind but, alas, class was cancelled, again, by the same teacher who always seems to cancel his classes, angering many of his students, me included.  I  know, anger is not very yoga like, and I will try to avoid or conquer it, but for now, it feels good.  No big plans for the day, just potsing around, I like the word 'potsing' because it accurately describes me, meandering and shiftless, accomplishing a few tasks, none planned, just falling in my way.  Evie, however, in contrast to me, always has plans, a to do list, things she wants to get done that day.  Thus, she finished scraping and painting the benches, filling the window boxes, and made a pie crust, mixed up the teriyaki marinade ready for the pork chops, while I hit the Transfer Station (the old building just demolished), thought about organizing my messy garage, moved the geraniums, which wintered in our house, outside for their first taste of spring.  We had around 15 plants in pots inside, some in our front window, a few in our TV room, an others upstairs in a spare bedroom.  They seem to a weathered the winter well, despite our prolonged trips to visit our kids, denying them timely watering.  And I went into Mayville, to shop for today's dinner, stopping at the Lighthouse as well to pick up pork chops.  I ran into a couple of my students from Reserve, Brad and John Kinney.  Their parents own a house over at Chautauqua Point.  Brad, a musician,  lives in Austin, TX, John just graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder, and  both were up for their cousins engagement party.  They said we were welcome as well but we were happy to just stay home.

Happy To Be Kayaking

Sundowner Time

We did get in our first kayak paddle of the spring, and it was a busy afternoon on the lake for a mid May Saturday.  Lots of fishing boats were out, many targeting the bass under the docks, though they had to throw them back because the season has yet to begin.  We also heard and saw sea doos, and even a few people water skiing, in wet suits.  We paddled as far as the Powerboat Club and back along Woodlawn, leisurely, enjoying being on the lake for the first time in months (January 20th was our last paddle).  We enjoyed wine and cheese and crackers on the front porch before dinner, watching the martins house making, the action on the lake.  For dinner, we had the frozen cabbage rolls we made back in February when the Bissells and Albarrans spent a winter week.  This is the third meal from the batch and with mashed potatoes, I am a 'happy camper.'  We watched some Jon Stewart and The Office retrospective, then went to bed.