Kayaking with the Evangola Park Staff

7:20

Seeing some sunlight in the bedroom as I awoke, I knew it was later than usual, 7:15.  A heavy bank of clouds to the east, the sun behind, rising, creating a streak of light, a glimmer on the lake.  It's 64º, a high of 80 predicted later in the day for the area.  And rain is predicted for the next couple of days, and after today, the temperatures will drop to the 40's and 50's.

Friends from Evangola State Park

Canoeing

Yesterday was overcast early, and it even rained some.  But we decided to kayak because I thought I had read about a paddle from Long Point to Midway Park, sponsored by the New York State Parks. So, we paddled over to the tip of Long Point, a foggy, wet paddle, thinking no one would be there. When we got to the tip, a kayak and a canoe appeared.  That was it for the paddlers.  We asked if they were part of the group and they said yep, come join us, so the five of us paddled north, leisurely, as we talked and got to know each on the way.  The organizer, we found out, was Dave Mc Quay.  He's the Educational Director for the Evangola State Park, a 700 acre state park on the shores of Lake Erie, about 20 miles east of Dunkirk.  His girl friend, Gabrielle, and a staff member, Jeff,  also came along in a canoe. It was fun talking with them, as they told us all about their park, how great it was for hiking, cross country skiing, as well as swimming and camping in season.  We parked our kayaks at Midway, and they decided to have lunch.  We paddled back, as they were going to explore the area more.  They gave us their phone number, said to call any time and they would show us around the park.  The park seems to be open all year, and they talked about how fantastic the ice volcanoes are on the lake, with people coming from all over to see them.  Evangola State Park is going to be one of our next outings, about fifty miles from our house.   Good people,  and serendipitous meetings are the best.  

 Lady of  the Lake

The afternoon was easy, relaxing out on the dock,  as Evie swam again, and watching some football on TV and reading.  Evie wanted to experiment with her pasta making, to see how long they could sit before cooking them.  About 4:00, she put the dough together, waiting till 6:00 to make the pasta, and in the interim, made brownies and a hot sour shrimp and vegetable stir fry, for the noodles.  I took a hike through the Woodlawn/Victoria woods since she did not need my help.  The pasta was sticky and difficult to work with after two hours though Evie was able to put in through the pasta machine, with some effort.  The dinner, however, the hot sour shrimp and noodles, was amazing, tasting like a dish from an authentic Asian restaurant, the noodles having a bite but not tough, the sauce rich with a lingering hotness.  With brownies and ice cream for dessert it was the perfect night for us to finish the Nurse Jackie  series, which ended with a surprise.  Just before Jackie celebrates with friends a year of being drug free, she pops a pill. Bummer.