Heat Wave Arrives, Four Degrees, An Apricot Haze Rises From The Shoreline

6:35

Up at 6:15, Venus once again bright in the south eastern sky, as dawn slowly arrives, the sky brilliant blue above, our tree a silhouette of falling branches of chaos and random natural disorder, difficult to capture in picture, with a beauty all its own.

I had to laugh at the final lines of this poem from today's The Writer's Almanac.  Most of us have been there, at the at uncomfortable high school reunion, wondering if you were still one of the 'coolest.'

The Reunion by Jack Ridl The last time I saw them we were young. Ginny was a cheerleader. Ben was getting A's in trig. Tonight we glance at nametags. Around the cheese tray, we say, "Of course I remember you." "Yes, four years ago. Things are better now." "No, she never graduated, moved. I don't know where." We look good. The food is just fine. The music brings it all back, and we dance the latest steps across our brain's prom floor. It's all the same. And nothing is. We're still dumb kids, just gray and tame. If we had it to do again, we'd get it right. Some are sure they got it right the first time. They ask for another Manhattan, dry martini, scotch on the rocks. They glisten in their tans. They watch the rest of us, the ones with comb-overs, two divorces, the ones who look for lower gas prices, a good night's sleep, group tours.

Also, today is the writer Richard Bratigan's birthday, the author of one of my early favorites, TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA.  I really like his description of the sun so I included it below:

"The sun was like a huge 50-cent piece that someone had poured kerosene on and then had lit with a match."

7:43 Here Comes The Sun

Yesterday continued to be cold though by afternoon, it was in the low teens yet most schools in the area were closed; open today, however,  according to NPR.  Yoga with Elise was fun as she tried some new stretches, one on our back, using two straps, working our hamstrings and thigh muscles. Everyone enjoyed it because we were not standing but  relaxing on our backs.  I did treat myself to a coffee at Ryder's Cup, then headed home to enjoy the afternoon of a living room filled with sunlight, the skies out our front windows a brilliant blue, rare for winters here at the lake, so we better enjoy it even though it was cold.

Cross Country Skiing the Campground

Lunch was a hot dog and vegetable soup, and we have just enough left for today's lunch, then tomorrow, we head of to Ohio University, in Athens, Ohio, for the weekend.  We watched Stewart and Colbert while eating lunch, then I read for awhile, napped, then around 4:00, decided I needed to do something so bundled up, put my new ear buds in my ears, turned on my mini iTouch, strapped on my skis, and went off in the 14º winter afternoon.  I did a loop around Woodlawn and the campground, following the roads though the woods, then down through the north end of Chautauqua Escapes to the lake, then back to our house, about a forty five minute trip.  It was cold but bearable, only my face feeling the brunt of the wind, but I loved being outside, sliding along the packed snow, listening to a playlist I made back in 2009, the tunes I had not listened to in a couple of years.

Enjoying The Seezurh House

Ron, with a Beer and Extra  Butter

At 6:00, the McClures came over, for a beer and appetizers before going out to dinner at the Seezurh House.  They had driven up yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, and hope to enjoy the lake for about ten days.  We had not seen them since the beginning of the month, so it was great to have them up here again.  After a beer, we went to the bustling village of Bemus Point, walked into an empty Seezurh House, only two or three patrons at the bar.  This happened to us once last year, as we felt like the only souls left at the lake.  We enjoyed ourselves, and our waitress Jill, a gal we have known for years, followed her career as she moves from one restaurant to another, as bartender, manager, now waitress on her off days from Wing City Grille, a busy girl, trying to make it on her own.  She is a snow mobile and jet ski aficionado, owns one of each, and had spent the previous night on her snow mobile, cruising on the lake and on the trails.  We had the ribeye special, no chicken platter for Evie this time, and enjoyed them. We caught up on what was happening in Murrysville, PA, and we filled them in what's been happening here at the lake... not much.  We stayed until about 9:00, came home and watched some of American Idol before heading up to bed, ready for a good night's sleep.