Hiking The Westside Overland Trail, Kayaking On Chautauqua Lake

6:37

7:10

I was up at 6:30, a streak of pink above the shore line, a partly cloudy sky, 39ª, a high in the 60's, and mostly sunny.  I woke to what I think was the call of a loon, through our open bedroom window.  We have been hearing their call the last few days but have yet to see them.

A Well Prepared Hiker

Cathedral-like Trail

Because there was no yoga yesterday morning, I wanted to do something fun and the thought of hiking in the woods grabbed me.  Despite the cloudy sky, Evie was up for it, so we drove ten miles to Panama, to the trail head, just west of the city.  Just as we parked the car, it began to rain in earnest and we even pondered throwing in the towel.  But we decided we had driven this far, we would walk for a bit and if it was too miserable we would head back.  Fortunately, the first twenty minutes was in a wonderful pine forest, so we had an umbrella of pines for awhile.  Then, it stopped raining, and the rest of our walk was fine, naked woods still, antlered trees, often muddy paths, leaves strewn on it, with ferns beginning to stretch their arms on the forest floor.  We walked out to Warner road, just short of two miles, then back, a great hike, mostly flat, perfect for cross country skiing, and by the time we got back, the sun was starting to peak through the clouds.  Like most of our walks, we never saw an animal, no deer, squirrels, or bears,  though I was armed with my anti bear pepper/mace spray.  Be prepared!  We were both excited by our first spring walk on the Overland Trail, vowed to continue walks like this in various forests over the rest of spring, before it gets warm and mosquito ridden.

Spring Ferns?

Spring Greens and Browns

We did not get home till 1:00, a good part of our day already gone.  So we had lunch, watched some Stewart and Colbert.  Around 3:30, since the sun was out, the sky blue, the wind had died down, we decided to go for our first kayak paddle of spring, the day after the ice broke.  Like our morning hike, it was amazing to be out on the lake, the sun warming our faces, on a surface that one month ago,  I was cross country skiing.  We meandered along the shoreline, down to Wells Bay and back, about forty five minutes of sun and water.  Just as we were putting our kayaks away, our neighbor John Johnston, paddled by in his canoe, with the same idea as us, to enjoy a day on the lake.  It was a perfect way to end the afternoon.

Kayak Afternoon

Evie Of The Lake

At 5: 15, we drove over to Mayville, picked up our friends the McClures and drove to Fredonia, about a half hour drive, through mostly open fields, many people heading home from work.  We had a great dinner at the Ellicottville Brew Pub, in a neat reconverted and modernized brick building, just off the main square.  It was quite crowded at 6:00, many large parties enjoying the end of the week, the beginning of spring and warm weather.  At 7:30, we went to the 1891 Opera House for a Folk Music and Clogging Program.  The theater was just over half full, the show a mixture of blue grass music, and various dances, mostly tap or clogging, with some Native American, Appalachian, Black, African, and Hungarian influences.  It was a fun way to spend an evening, good to get out of our winter hibernation, and do something different.

Dinner With McClures at EBC Pub in Fredonia

We were home a little after 10:00, enjoyed some marvelous chocolate covered  Easter eggs that Linda Mc Clure had made the day before, filled with coconut, cherries, nuts, and other good things.

Adieu