A Steamy Morning Of Heat and Humidity

6:46

Up at 6:10, to an overcast morning, lots of rain last night, over a half inch, and the air is sticky even this early in the morning, with relative humidity over 90%, with a predicted high temperature of 88º.  That's about as humid a forecast as I can remember in June here at the lake.  A year ago, it was equally wet, as we had two inches of rain over a two day period, the morning humid and warm.  And we had the Leonard family over for dinner, five of them, and made homemade fettuccine on the pasta machine.

Yesterday was for the most part, a sunny and warm day, a day of lots of dips in the lake to cool off in between reading, watching the World Cup, and relaxing.  We were both up early, so we decided to  go off for a kayak paddle before it became to warm.  So, around 9:00, we went off, paddling to the Power Boat Club and back, meeting paddle boarders and other kayaks along the way.  It was a good morning to be on the lake early.  We then went for a swim, then Evie went out on the dock for a bit before coming in and making breakfast around noon:  eggs, bacon, and a bagel.  Evie has discovered that a sesame seed bagel tastes like one of our favorites breads in Turkey, a Simit.  Though a Simit is a different texture, a sesame bagel is as close as we can get.

Isabel and Chris

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading, watching the World Cup, as the Netherlands eked out a victory over Mexico.  I watched two games this week, and both days I thought the better team, the one who dominated the game, lost.  Yesterday's loss all depended on a silly penalty call by the referee who can determine the winner of the game in ways like no other sport.

About 3:30, it started to rain so I invited our neighbor's son in law, Curt, for a beer at our local brewery, the Southern Tier.  I thought he might like it since it's not something you would expect to find in Jamestown, New York.  He loved it, as we had a couple of pale ales, and spent the afternoon conversing about just about everything.  When I got home, it was sticky because of the rain and the sun was out, so both Evie and I decided to go for a swim to cool off.  It felt great, so we took our bath in the lake, washing our hair, soaping up with Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap.  We sat on the dock for awhile and just as I asked Evie if she had caught a fish this summer, she pulled up a 12 inch bass, answering my question.  She also pulled in a perch a couple of casts later; I caught nada as usual, another example of my Zen approach to fishing, goal less, 'empty and marvelous.'  It's the only way  can convince myself to keep fishing.

8:15 PM

For dinner, we had an Evie special, taking what ever was available and seemed to compliment each other, put them in a pan, and cook.  So we had penne with  garlic, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, and spinach.  We sat out on the front porch, with a glass of wine, eating our dinner, enjoying the quieting lake, as people head home for the week.

8:17 PM

Just as we finished up dinner and the dishes, around 8:15,  heavy storm clouds rolled in, then the rain began pelting the lake, an amazing and quick change from a few minutes ago.  We sat on the porch and watched the storm,  then watched some TV, the final episode of Nurse Jackie, one of our favorite episodes as Chloe turns Jackie in for drug use, and Jackie decides to disappear to save her nursing job but things fall apart, she gets in an accident on the way to the airport.  The last shot of Jackie is of her getting a mug shot at a police station.  We will have to wait another year to see where she goes from there.

A Lazy Sunday Morning As The Clouds Return

6:01

I was up at 5:45 waiting for the National Anthem and bass boats but, alas, no National Anthem and a sprinkling, or so it seemed of bass boats.  The sky is lightly overcast, the sun filtered some by the clouds, the lake fairly quiet for now, the water wrinkled, the wind from the south, as thunderstorms are forecast.  It's a pleasant  63º, with a nice breeze.

Yesterday was warm and humid, the temperatures in the 80's, a good day to be on the lake, the water, the yard and we took advantage of all three.  I did go to yoga with Chris, a well attended class, a surprise to all of us because usually Saturday's in the summer are not well attended.  We did various postures intended to extend our spines, limbs, and muscles since we spend most of the day in curled positions, sitting or sleeping.  I never thought of that but it's true.  Since I had a hankering for enchiladas, I went to Wegmans to pick up the fixings for them which Evie kindly agreed to make.

Isabel Fishing

When I got home, Evie was in the water, playing with our next door neighbors grandchildren.  Summer really is here.  I finished off the leftover chicken picata and rice for lunch, then watched the entire Brazil/Chile futbol game, mostly because it was so hot outside that I enjoyed the cool and shade of our house.  It went to a shoot out, the pressure on the five players involved was intense, with Brazil winning only when the last Chilean player hit the bar.  I would loved to have seen Chile win because the game was obviously in Brazil and I thought the Brazilians were outplayed.  While I watched the game, Evie read on the dock, swam with the kids, and talked for a good while with Joyce, our neighbor.

Our Neighbor, Bill Leonard, and Maggie

Late afternoon, we both sat with our neighbors, in their yard, talking with their daughter Cris and her husband Kurt, from Portland, Maine, who are here for a week enjoying the lake.  They brought their black lab with them and a portable electric fence, to keep the dog in their yard, a good idea with all the people around this next week.  It works well but scares the heck out the dog if the alarm goes off.

We went home around 6:30 and Evie had already made the chicken, onion, salsa, black bean, and cilantro filling, so she just put the filling in each tortilla, rolled them up, put them in a small glass dish, covered them with cheese, and 15 minutes later we had a great dinner.  It was just what I wanted, cheesy, tasty and filling.  We watched the much acclaimed movie HER, the story about a strange guy who falls in love with OS, an operating system on his computer.  He's recovering from a divorce and reads about OS, a personalized operating symstem which mimics a human.  He downloads it and begins to establish a relationship, via a voice on the computer, with Samantha, the OS's name.  Scarlett Johansson is the disembodied voice.  The movie starts slow, as we are not quite sure what to expect, but, like LARS AND THE REAL GIRl (where Ryan Gosling falls in love with a life size blow up woman), we get pulled in, forget about the fact that Samantha is just a voice, and are entranced with this strange but touching relationship.  Joaquin Phoenix is amazing, the relationship feels real, and when Samantha decides to move on (she's having over 8000 relationships with other users among other changes), to larger things, we are devastated as is Joaquin when the computer goes blank.  The movie ends with him sitting on an apartment roof, with his good friend and neighbor, played by Amy Adams (who also has had a similar relationship), as they contemplate what they have just experienced, what are the consequences.  We, as the viewers, are not sure what's next.  At first, we thought it might be suicide but now we think it's the beginning of a relationship?  An original, spectacularly daring film, a love story essentially, well worth watching.

A Serious Fisherman In A  Kayak 

A Warm, Hazy Sunny Morning

5:42--'Gentlemen, Start Your Engines'

6:02

Well, it was 5:30 in the morning and I thought I was at the opening of the Indianapolis 500, the loud speaker blaring The Star Spangled Banner, then the roar of the engines, bass boats, not cars.  Then, they were off, perhaps 50 or more boats, racing to get to that sweet spot.  I got up, made some coffee, went outside and the boats were still emptying out of the Long Point Marina Bay.  A big fishing day at the lake, we will have to check out the final weigh in tomorrow afternoon.  It's 64º, and a great weekend ahead, a boating sort of day, with temperatures in the 80's.

Yesterday was a warm, humid day even though it remained in the high 70's, at least here at the lake.  It was The Fault In The Stars kind of day, as I finished the book, and Evie started and finished it all in one day, a record.  Besides that, I did manage to make it to yoga early, at 8:15, the typical Friday morning class of two, kind of depressing I would think for  Courtney.  When I  got home, Evie had already starting cooking for the family visit in three weeks, as six pounds of ground chuck was used to make my sister Linda's famous sloppy Joe recipe.  Yum.  And Evie was already on the dock, reading in the morning, unusual for her.  No futbol yesterday, so I ate lunch and watched the highlights of yesterday's NBA draft, one in which the Cavs picked Andrew Wiggins, a freshmen who played for my son Tom's favorite college team, Kansas.  Let's hope he's productive.

A Purple Martin Dad

I joined Evie on the dock, finished the book and started another, LEAVING CHEYENNE, by Larry Mc Murtry of LONESOME DOVE fame.  I heard Don Imus talking about McMurtry on his TV show a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned that LEAVING CHEYENNE, was his favorite McMurtry book, so I decided to try it. Now I am in the world of a young rancher in Texas after having spent a couple of days among cancer patients, the joy and sadness of books, which can take you anywhere. Mid afternoon, we both took a respite from the sun and reading.  I went out for a kayak paddle, fished some with no luck, of course and Evie cut the lawn, twice, once north to south, the second time, east to west.  It looks like something out of Home and Garden.  We then relaxed in the yard and porch, and Evie finished the book, without major tears, unlike the sentimental me.

Our neighbor's daughter, Kris arrived around 6:00, from Portland, Maine, with her family and their dog, Maggie, a black labrador, so we went over and said aloha and watched both the dogs and kids frolicking in the lake, no more than a half hour after they arrived.  I think they were all excited to get back to the lake.  For dinner, we had sloppy joe's, with dill pickles and a salad, tasty as always and always a surprise at how much we enjoy this sandwich.  We watched a new TV pilot called TYRANT, a rip off on both HOMELAND and THE GODFATHER.  The son of a Middle East dictator,  a pediatrician living in the US for twenty years, returns home and finds himself in the middle of a power struggle, as his father dies, his brother is injured in a car accident, leaving a power vacuum.  I have a feeling we are not going to stick with this series for long.

AMERICAN ROMANTIC: WARD JUST

This the fourth or fifth book by distinguished novelist Ward Just that I have read.  Most of those novels, though he has written probably fifteen, are set inside the workings of Washington, D.C. this time with an employee and eventually Ambassador for the State Department.  Harry Sanders is a young foreign service officer, somewhere in Indochina (probably Vietnam) in the 1960's. He already realizes that the United States has lost its way, and will eventually be dragged into a war it cannot win.  One cannot help but feel Just's book is influenced by our recent debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The book begins with a love affair, between the young American and Seiglinde, a scarred German beauty, with a background so different from Harry's.  They have a brief though passionate couple of weeks together, until she realizes the gulf between them, his innocence and optimism, her baggage from having grown up in Nazi Germany, are too much, especially the guilty that all German's carry.  Thus, she leaves, without a note and Harry is devastated and hears little from her the rest of his life.

After she leaves, Harry is asked by the Ambassador to undertake a 'quiet mission,' to attempt a reconciliation with the enemy; if successful, they will be heroes, if failures, it could destroy their careers. He is blindfolded, taken to meet with an enemy agent in the jungle and finds them unwilling to compromise: they want the US to depart, period, no deals.  Harry is then left alone, in the jungle, to fend for himself and find his way back to the city.  Eventually, he is picked up by a mysterious Chinese merchant, and dropped off in front of the Embassy, but only after floundering and lost in the jungle.He also is forced to kill a young soldier who accosts him.  This killing of the young soldier haunts Harry the rest of his life and becomes the Achilles heel of his career, as he's stereotyped as 'reckless, even dangerous,' a result of the failure of this mission. The Ambassador is transferred to Washington and Harry, too, moves on, to keep quiet, as the American troops begin their build up in this country.  We also follow Seiglinde briefly, her leaving, her trying to find a life in Madagascar, then Northern Africa. She then disappears from the book/

Part II is brief; an introduction to May, Harry's wife, her introduction to the protocol of being the wife of someone in the State Department and we feel her unease.  She, however, as a young wife, is game for a new life and looks  forward to their many years together.

Part III, the last third of the book begins with Harry retired, living alone in France, on the southern coast after a fairly successful career.  He thinks back about his various postings, the loss of his wife in a car accident a few years before he retired and the other single most pivotal event in their life, the loss of May's baby during child birth while posted in Africa, a loss she never quite recovers from, understandably.  We get the sense that something was missing from their life together,  even before this loss, perhaps the seriousness with which Harry took his job, its always coming first, leaving May at home, bored, often lifeless, though enduring.  We also find that she takes a lover and are never sure if Harry knows about this, and wonder if he would care.  He would certainly understand, I think.

The novel unwinds slowly, as he reminisces about their life together in various parts of the world.  It ends with a yacht having moored just off the shore, just below the climb to Harry's cottage in France. An elderly women is rowed ashore, then climbs up the path, through the rocks to where Harry is sitting, outside in the sunny garden, with his cane. When she approaches him, he says one word: "You," and she answers, "Me," and the book ends.  I liked it because I enjoy the inside look at how Washington works. For me, the most interesting part was the time spent in Indochina, as the Americans try to make sense of things and get sucked into a war they can never win.  The looking backward at one's life is always somewhat depressing, as we tend to have scars that never completely heal, like Harry's killing of the young soldier, his wife's death or suicide.

A Foggy Stillness

6:30

Up at 6:00, to a foggy morning, best described, I think, in today's poem from The Writer's Almanac by Wendell Berry.  The third stanza is particularly apt for this morning.

VII by Wendell Berry Again I resume the long lesson: how small a thing can be pleasing, how little in this hard world it takes to satisfy the mind and bring it to its rest. Within the ongoing havoc the woods this morning is almost unnaturally still. Through stalled air, unshadowed light, a few leaves fall of their own weight.                                        The sky is gray. It begins in mist almost at the ground and rises forever. The trees rise in silence almost natural, but not quite, almost eternal, but not quite.                       What more did I think I wanted? Here is what has always been. Here is what will always be. Even in me, the Maker of all this returns in rest, even to the slightest of His works, a yellow leaf slowly falling, and is pleased.

A great poem

Yesterday ended up being pretty nice, though the middle of the day was  all FUTBOL!!!! USA, USA, USA.  Morning began with yoga, a small class which is surprising for Thursdays, but Danielle is always inventive when class is small, so we did some interesting and different asanas, mostly what she called chest openers, some using the wall.  Then on to Wegman's, to pick up some things for dinner and a Danny's Sub, big enough for lunch for two days, and some chips, just the perfect lunch for watching the USA vs Germany, starting at noon.  The game was a bit disappointing as it was clear that Germany was far superior to the USA, with its individual skills and passing the best I have seen, but the USA hung in there, despite the German team holding the ball close to 70% of the time and outshooting the USA by a wide margin.  My favorite player, Mesut Ozel, a Turk born in Germany, is a pleasure to watch, a great passer, subtle ball handler.  Anyways, even though USA lost 1-0, they qualified for the Knock Out Stage because Ghana lost to Portugal, pushing the US into the second round.  It was great to see some of the outdoor venues in the States, Chicago, Kansas City,  and Buffalo go wild when the US took a shot on goal.

After the futbol game, our lunch, we both relaxed outside, on the dock till it got too windy, then in the yard, in the warm sun.  We are both now reading the same book, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. I am in the last quarter and just want to finish it, tired of fighting back tears, unsuccessfully I might add.

Late Afternoon Clouds: 6:30

Around 4:00,  I drove over to Bemus once again, and took the bike ride I wanted to take the day before but cancelled because of rain.  It was a windy ride the first part, but once I got on Lakeside and Long Point Park, it was fine.  And I was the only one riding on the road, in the park, which was nice.  A few hikers were out on Long Point but that was about it.  I checked at the Marina and they were having a band that night, a special dinner of two fajitas and rice for seven bucks. We thought about going but it was too nice in our yard.  When I got back, I joined Evie and we stayed outside until 6:30, as it was too nice to go inside and get dinner ready.  Evie made BLT's for dinner and a strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing.  We caught up on Stewart and Colbert, both seem a little tired this summer, then watched a new episode of Rectify on Sundance, a show worth watching.  This is the second season and it was picked up by Sundance.  I also read that our other favorite show The Killing, which was cancelled has been picked up by Netflix and will start anew in August.  Cool.

An Overcast Sky, A Misty Morning

5:58

6:35

Evie and I are both up at 6:00, to a damp morning, trees dripping moisture, from yesterday's rains, with more to come today.  It's 64º this morning, more rain later (good futbol watching weather), but clearing over the weekend, getting very warm again on Saturday.

Yesterday was mostly overcast and wet until mid afternoon, but then it clouded up again and rained, a good day to stay inside, get things done, and read, read, read or watch the World Cup on and off, which I did.  The morning for me began with yoga, our new guru Jen, and believe it or not, I was one of three guys in a class of six.  Class was good, and I even worked up a sweat because Jen has us doing some more vigorous asanas, which is good.  It was very humid in the studio, however, making it uncomfortable at times though we have fans (no air conditioning).

When I got home, Evie had done all the bedding from our visitors bedroom, the bedrooms all ready for kids in a couple of weeks.  Nothing like fresh sheets, a clean room, for a welcome.  Neither one of us was of much use the rest of the afternoon.  About 1:00, however, Evie decided to ask our neighbors, the Leonards over for dinner.  We had not yet had them over and their kids are arriving tomorrow, so we both thought it would be a good time to have them over.  So what looked like a lazy afternoon for Evie turned into one of getting another dinner ready for guests.  We were having chicken picata, so she was able to get lots of the prepping done before they arrived, and even enjoyed reading outside for an hour or so before it rained.  I did the usual, washing and drying the dishes as Evie prepped, then watched some futbol, then decided to go for a bike ride in Bemus.  As I threw my bike in the car, it started to rain but I thought it would stop.  It did not, as I sat in the car in Bemus for 15 minutes waiting for a break that never came.  So I drove home, did some reading and by then, it was 6:00, time for the Leonards to come over.

Dinner With Our Good Neighbors, Bill and Joyce

We enjoyed a class of wine before dinner, talking about the coming of both of our families in the next month,  a busy time for both of us.  Dinner was great, the picata tender and lemony, and with rice, roasted cauliflower, and a poppy seed and strawberry salad;  Bill even had seconds, with a bowl of gelato for dessert.  Needless to say, we all enjoyed the dinner.  The Leonards stayed till about 8:45, as we sat talking at the dinner table until then.  After they left, Evie and I did the dishes, then sat in the living room talking and surfing the Net until time for bed, a fun night.

I am reading the tear jerking THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, the young adult novel and now hot movie at all the theaters (my granddaughter Hayden Bissell loved the book and the movie).  I can see why its so popular to teens, as it combines a love story with young cancer patients, both attractive and funny and acutely aware of their conditions, especially its effects on family and friends.  It is worth reading if you don't mind the tears.  I recently heard John Green the author talk about writing the book, how he was often in tears as he wrote it.

Gentle Rain, Gentle Rain

7:16

New Camera Photo From Our Front Porch

Slept in some, as both of us did not get up till after 7:00.  A gentle rain on the roof, trees dripping, the lake and sky, shades of gray, the coastline of trees colorless, a light charcoal.  We haven't had a morning like this in quite a while.  I like it.  It was a humid night, however, no covers needed though it's cooled off some this morning, 66ª.  More rain and thunderstorms are expected during the day.

Our friends, Vickie and Ron Armontrout, left for their family reunion yesterday around 9:00.  As always, the house seemed empty after they left, life boring, as always after friends or family depart for home or other destinations.  It took us a couple of hours to adjust to an empty house.  Back to normal, to our routine, I guess.  I went to yoga hoping since I strained my back over the weekend trying to pick something up.  It did, at least I felt much better after class and it has not bothered me one bit.  Class was just two of us, a women from Southern California, complaining about the lack of Mexican food in the area.  The quality of tortillas is so poor that she brought a packet of hundred with her.  I guess she won't like our favorite Mexican place Taco Hut, with its imitation Mexican food which we, with our amateur palates, tend to like.  My motto: crappy but cheap.  I stopped at Ryder's, said hello to Joyce, the barrista, Donna Nelson, the bookstore clerk, and dropped of my ring at the jeweler since the lapis lazuli stone fell out.  Then, homeward, for lunch, ramen with an egg dropped in once the soup was done, letting it sit for a couple of minutes and cook.

Old Glory

Evie had a dentist appointment at 11:45 so she passed me on the way home and after appointment, she did some major shopping, filling the pantry, as she's beginning to think of the invasion of family in a month...she cannot wait obviously.  When she returned, we quickly put away the groceries because the Summer, 2013 photo album, which Evie has worked hard on for a week, had arrived from Shutterfly. We were anxious about it, the quality of prints, the choices she made but were both thrilled with the results.  Amazing photos, much better than we thought, and the organization and variety of photographs was perfect.  I think this means she will be doing this every year from now on as it's really worth it. After looking at the album we both relaxed, Evie in the yard, reading and talking with our neighbor, Joyce Leonard.  I potsed around in the garage, straightening it, then went off to mail some letters, put a check in the bank, getting things done that  I have put off the past few days.

Yes, There Are Bass In The Lake

We relaxed on our porch with cheese and crackers, marveling once again how lucky we are to have a house on Lake Chautauqua, with such an amazing vista.  We never get tired of it, even this morning when its gray and rainy out.  Evie made one of our old standbys from summers past, pasta with zucchini, Italian sausage, and mushrooms, with chicken broth and sherry sauce.  Yum.  We got caught up on our show from the past five days, as the storms moved in to the area, with some thunder and rain. We went to bed around 10:30, both hoping for a good night of sleep.  We got it.

Late Afternoon Storm A Brewing

My plan for today was to go listen to Elizabeth Strout, author of one of my favorite books, Olive Kitteridge, be interviewed by Roger Rosenblatt at the Chautauqua Institute this morning but since it's raining, I will probably just go to yoga. So far, we have a half inch of rain since yesterday evening.

Back To Our Routine As Our Good Friends Head To Ohio, Sad To Say (Really)

Wings At The Casino With Armontrouts and McClures 

6:05

It's 6:40 and I have been up since 6:00, awake at 4:45 for some reason but went back to sleep.  It's a cloudy morning, with streaks of light, of sunshine, off over Long Point, rain predicted later, and warm and humid, 66º at the moment.  Evie just came down, for coffee and iPad, our friends are still upstairs sleeping.   They head to Byesville, Ohio, this morning to visit with Vickie's ninety year old cousin before the family reunions begin this weekend.

We were lucky again yesterday with the weather though as the day progressed, it did get warmer and more humid.  I was up early, as usual, and by 8:30 everyone was up, reading on their iPads or computers, de riguer in today's world.  Evie fixed pancakes for breakfast, her usual recipe, but for some reason they did not turn out right...too dense and heavy, not the light and fluffy cakes were are used to...is she losing her touch?  We ate them, in fact, devoured them with the syrup the Trout's brought us from Maine, almost as good as our local maple syrup but we won't complain.

The Guys Crusing

Around 10:30, we took the boat over to Bemus Point and decided to take another trip down nostalgia lane, walking the Lakeside Drive, looking at the homes, wondering who lived in them, how much they cost, whether we could ever afford one, which is what we used to do back in the 1980's when they would visit.  We made it almost to the end but it was so humid we turned back, stopped at the Seezurh House, sat on their front porch, a lovely breeze, and had a couple of beers, even though it was not yet noon.  A radical move but refreshing.

Having A Late Morning Beer at Seezurh House

We were home back 12:30 and Ron and I then drove to Chautauqua Brick, to pick up a few things we needed because my good old buddy, Ron, does not like to sit still, volunteered to help me with the broken slides on our kitchen cabinets.  We then returned home, had lunch, then the two of us worked on three drawers, fixing them in about a half hour, saving my marriage, at least for the summer.

Fixing Kitchen Drawers With My Good Buddy, Trout

The rest of the afternoon we all relaxed, either in the yard  or house because it was too humid, too hot to sit out on the dock.  In fact, three of us took naps, a retirement thing.  I watched a bit of soccer, then we all took showers because we were again, hitting the nostalgia trail, with beers on the Lenhart Porch, then wings at the Casino with, who else, Ron and Linda.  The beers and view were great, but we all agreed the wings at the Casino were mediorce, not what the Armontrout's remembered.  For one thing, they no longer serve them in baskets, but on a square white plate, even if you get a so called bucket.  Plus they were measly little wings, and though the Casino was not crowded, they were not piping hot.  So we all were disappointed, somewhat mitigated by the great table, outside on their porch, overlooking the water and bridge, and a couple pitchers of beer.  After wings, we walked back to the ice cream counter, next to the Seezurh House, for ice cream cones before driving home.

Ladies on the Porch

Old Guys Enjoying An Old Vienna On The Lenhart Porch

We stayed up till about 10:30, talking and listening to old tunes, mostly Johnny Cash and Cat Stevens. Neither one of us had listened to either in quite awhile so it was fun.  And Ron downloaded a Johnny Cash album which he did not yet own, Cash's last album, with a god/sin/death theme.  We even really like it.

Three of us are now, sipping coffee, talking about who has he cutest grandchildren...we agreed we both do, conflict solved!

Ron and Vickie, Our Mainiacs,  Depart

A Quiet Monday Morning On The Lake

Evie And Her Two Besties 

5:45

It's getting to be a bad habit...getting up before 6:00--- this morning at 5:40.  I admit to some excitement at getting up at this hour, especially if it's a clear morning.  Today it was, the sky a bright orange, just before the sun began to appear over Long Point.  It's a pleasant 57º, going up into the 80's later in the day, with lots of sunshine forecast before rain returns tonight. No boat traffic to speak of,  just the sounds of martins fill the air.  And, interestingly, at least to me, when I walk out in the backyard, to Evie's garden, it's filled with entirely different bird songs.

Walking At The Chautauqua Institute

Yesterday was a perfect day for our friends, Ron and Vickie, to visit the lake. For them, in fact, it's a trip of nostalgia, as they often spent time with their young children at our lake home in the early 1980's, until they moved East.  And they have not been back in ten years, but have fond memories of summer's spent here.  So for them it's a return of sorts to their early lives, of parenting and teaching, where Ron and I were both teachers at Western Reserve Academy.  Anyways, they remember many things about Chautauqua, so we are trying to get to as many of their memories as we can.  We started yesterday with a light breakfast of bagels, before jumping in our boat and going down to the Chautauqua Institution, where we moored our boat, then spent a good hour, walking the grounds, listening to the choir practice, generally reacquainted ourselves with the many interesting homes.  The Institution at this time of year always reminds me of a movie set, with its Victorian houses stuffed into narrow lots, front porches, and always a well tended garden of sorts to welcome visitors.  It was another perfect morning, just right for an early walk.  We went back around 11:00, taking our time, again viewing all the neat homes on the west side of the lake, especially the north end of the CI with the Purell Home, hidden at this time of the year by trees, then Prendergast Point, with it's million dollar row of homes.

Cruising The Lake

Armontrouts and McClures

When we returned, Evie put a rash of bacon in the oven, got out the bagels and melons, scrambled some eggs, hash browns, and everyone helped get things ready for breakfast al fresco, in our front yard.  Every time we eat outside, it makes me wonder why we don't do it more.  I guess sunny and warm weather has something to do with it.  After breakfast, we cleaned up the kitchen, then everyone went their own ways for a few hours, some to the dock, to sunbathe, others to the yard, to read in the shade, others upstairs for a nap.  Around 3:30, Ron and I drove off to visit the iron worker's yard, the home of stone sculptures, ants and spiders made of steel and rocks.  The owner's wife was there and went around with us, telling us all about her husbands hobby, and all of us wondered how he comes up with some of his stuff.  We then drove to Southern Tier Brewery because I wanted Ron to see what a neat place it was. There were few people in the timbered bar, most sitting outside in the sun, enjoying their hoppy beers. We got two growlers of 422 ale for the price of one, a special that day, and took them home, put them on ice in our outdoor cooler for later in the afternoon.

Bean Baggers

The Girls Enjoying Bean Bag

The Not So Humble Winners 

The Ron and Linda arrived around 5:20, so we quickly opened the growlers, enjoyed the beer, and sat out on the front porch, then the yard, before beginning some hotly contested games of bean bag.  Evie and Ron McClure won the championship though just by a few inches.  Vickie and I managed to win one game, and Trout and Linda lost both...they were pretty sore!  For dinner, we had Evie's baked ziti, with salad, asparagus, and garlic bread, ate outside as the sun began to hide behind the trees, and talked and talked and talked, about the good old days, in Ohio, in our youth, our travels, and our lives now, all six of us retired, living on lakes, enjoying the freedom to do what we like.  After the dishes, we sat on our front porch, telling stories of silly, stupid, often dangerous escapades when we were younger, less conscious, and definitely immature.  Trout gets the award for being the craziest, no surprise.  Around 10:00, the McClures were ready to go home, said their good byes,  and then Evie and I finished up the dishes before all of us went up to bed.  It was a great evening, as the McClures and Armontrouts really hit if off, and Ron, of course, has invited the McClures to visit them in Maine...somethings never change.

Sounds of Boats and Birds, Lots Of Sun

5:57

Lunch With Ron and Vickie

Evie and I are both up before 6:00.  I was out on the front lawn taking a picture as the sun rose, just as the boats starting booming out of Long Point Marina, heading points north and south.  I worried that they might wake up our guests but it's now almost 7:00 and they are both still sleeping in despite the smell of coffee filling the downstairs.  At the moment it's 56º, the lake quiet (where did all the bass boats go), a high later of 77º, a great beginning to a Sunday.

I skipped yoga yesterday morning because we had lots of chores to get done before our friends from Maine arrived.  We tided up the downstairs,  and Evie was also busy in the kitchen getting things ready for dinner so that she could enjoy our guests.  I went off to the Lighthouse around 9:15, to pick up ground chuck for our Turkish koftes, small cigar shaped spiced meat patties, for dinner.  When I got home, Evie had already put  together most of the baked ziti for Sunday, then she made the koftes for Saturday, and put them in the refrigerator for later.  I also worked on my garage, cleaning it up once again as it always becomes a mess after two or three weeks of its being ignored.  

Our friends, Ron and Vickie arrived just about 1:00, having spent the night in Binghamton, NY, after their drive from Oxford, Maine on Friday. It was  great to see them, and we figured they had not been to our house for at least ten years.  They were constant and helpful friends and visitors for our first seven years her at the lake, before they moved East to teach.  They, like us, are retired, living full time now on Lake Thompson, about forty five minutes west and north of Portland.  It was a nice afternoon, so we ate outside, having to move the table into the shade because of the hot sun, not a surprise since 'summer' had officially arrived.  We had Sahlen hot dogs, with Cleveland's Stadium mustard, of course, and one of my favorite soups, Indian cauliflower, perfect for their return to the area.  We sat out on the dock, catching up on their children and grandchildren, and especially, their first year of retirement in Maine.  

Trout

Victoria

Biff

Around 3:00, we took a hiatus from talk, with Vickie taking a nap, me watching some soccer and napping, Ron and Evie sitting outside, reading and talking, under the shade of our maples.  About 5:30, everyone was ready for a booze cruise, so we hopped in our boat and slowly cruised the shoreline to the Casino, where Vickie took a picture of it for her son Ronnie, who loves the wings, and sent it to him in Doha, Qatar, where he's now working as a paramedic.  It was a lovely night to be on the lake, a light  breeze, so we needed a jacket.  We were back around 7:00, so since everything was mostly done, I fired up the grill for the koftes, Evie fried some zucchini slices, and within a half hour, we were drinking some of Ron's French wine, happily devouring our version of an Turkish Iskender kebab, toasted pita, topped with koftes, a tomato sauce and yogurt.  Amazing.  The only thing it was lacking was a waiter walking by with a pan of sizzling butter, ready to be poured on your kebab!  We sat around eating  and talking and finished our dinner with Evie's homemade baklava.  

Wing City

Evie quickly put the dishes in the dish washer, and we sat around till about 10:30, talking and looking at pictures from the past, even some videos Evie had taken of their granddaughter when we visited them in Maine in the fall of 2011.  We all were in bed by 10:30, tired from our day, but looking forward to a couple more days of reminiscing and eating and boating and walking, the life of retirees, no doubt.

Enjoying Old Pictures

Bass Boats Rising On The Summer Solstice

5:40

6:04

I was up at 5:40 for some reason, in time to listen and watch at least 35 bass boats roar around Long Point, as they are off to catch their quota of fish.  Summer is here, finally, and the fishing season has officially opened, today, the longest day of the year, the shortest night.

I began yesterday with an early yoga class, just two of us, me and another guy, a first, an 'all guys class of two,' with Courtney.  Whether male or female, the routine does not change, lots of work on the back, strengthening it, with various cobras. After class, I picked up some beer and some bread at Wegman's for the weekend and was home ready to clean by 10:30.

When I arrived, Evie was busy cleaning, getting the bathrooms and bedrooms ready for our guests from Maine. She had already made a cauliflower soup for our lunches, put together our dinner of chicken and broccoli and made the beginnings of the baked ziti, a busy morning. While Evie cleaned the bedroom windows, I took out the screens and washed them,  a kind of spring cleaning in June I suppose. By noon, Evie was ready to hit the dock, and I had lunch, leftovers for the most part, and watched the World Cup.

We took it easy for a few hours, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather.  It began to cloud up around 4:00 and thunderstorms were predicted, so Evie decided to cut the lawn, rather than wait for Saturday morning.  While she cut the lawn, I kept busy, washing our front windows, then sweeping and vacuuming both porches.  By 6:00, everything was spiffy, the lawn, the windows, the house, the bedrooms, ready for our friends.  We relaxed for an hour, with a glass of wine, on our front porch and I presented Evie with an early birthday present, a new Nikon CoolPIx camera with a 30X zoom.  Rather than wait till September,  I wanted her to have it for the summer since she is becoming such a good photographer and loves taking pictures of the grandchildren.  An early happy 70th!

We had the chicken curry over rice, easy because Evie put it together in the morning, and we caught up on a couple of shows, and were happy to see that one of our favorite series has returned on Sundance Channel called Rectify.  It's well worth watching, about a guy who is accused and convicted of murdering his girlfriend (though innocent), who eventually is paroled because of DNA evidence.  The townies, however, think he's guilty so he's met with suspicion and anger at his release, even hatred.




Random Think:  

This quotation hangs in the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs locker room, in four different languages: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese). “When nothing seems to help, I go back and look at the stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it — but all that had gone before.”  Jacob Riis

Steam Rising At Dawn

6:05

Evie and I are both up just after 6:00, a sunny morning but chilly, 46º, the reason the steam seems to moving above the lake, blurring the shorelines.  It looks like a nice couple of days, gradually getting warmer as we move into Sunday.

We both enjoyed yesterday, a perfect June day on the lake, the kind we love, sunny but not too warm, perhaps too much breeze, but a clear sky, deep blue lake, the kind of day which makes you want to be outside, either relaxing or working.  We chose to relax.  Before, however, I went to yoga, a crowded class, and Evie did 'big shopping' for the weekend, as our good friends from the Portland, Maine area, the Armontrouts, are visiting for a few days before heading on to Akron, Ohio, for a family reunion. After yoga, I stopped at Ryder's for a coffee, and picked up the new book on Jamestown, by local Peter Lombardi, called Jamestown, New York: A Guide to the City And Its Urban Landscape.  It looks interesting, talks about the making of the city, especially the various buildings and talks about their history (Sears Roebuck became the Post Journal), transitions in the past twenty years, and their address, so you can take it with you if you want a tour of the city's most interesting buildings.

The major decision for the day was what to have for dinners on Saturday and Sunday.  Once that was settled, Evie could make up her shopping list and drive to Wegman's.  She returned home just as I was finishing my lunch and watching more World Cup.  It took three or four trips to get the groceries in the house, but we are more than ready for the weekend.  The rest of the day, once we unpacked, was spent outside reading, as we wanted to enjoy the day to the max.  Evie tried the dock for about an hour but the wind became too much, so we both ended up sitting on chaise lounges in our side yard, away from the wind, but warmed by the sun, cooled a bit by the breeze, with the brilliant colors of the lake in front of us.  We must have sat outside for two or three hours, reading, napping for me, just enjoying the fine June afternoon.  Evie's reading a new highly recommended book called The Vacationeer's and I am reading a Ward Just novel called American Romantic. which I am really enjoying because its about American involvement in foreign wars, the absurdity of it, the idea that we can remake a country, so apropos considering what's going in in Iraq.  We really made a difference (irony).

A Breezy Afternoon

For dinner, we had the leftover eggplant parmesan, even better than Wednesday night, and a salad, watched the usuals, before going to bed around 10:30.  It was a beautiful evening, but we spent it watching TV.  I think we are going to have to change our winter habits some, to take more advantage of our summer nights.

Today we get things ready for our company.  Evie's already in the kitchen making cauliflower soup for the weekend.  It smells good, hope I can have some for lunch.

Listening To The Rhythm Of The Falling Rain

Last Breakfast Until Fall

6:55 

It's 7:15, overcast, raining gently, the lake pockmarked by the rain drops.  A large pontoon boat, filled with Amish, the guys bearded, the women in their long dresses and caps, floated by the docks, tossing their lines under each dock piece.  I have been up since 6:20, and am sitting our on our porch, listening to NPR on my mom's old radio, the sounds of martins fill the air accompanied by the falling rain on the roof.  A perfect morning actually, as I like the rain, the calmness of it, the solitude.  By the way, there were heavy thunderstorms in the area again last night, and we got over a half an inch of rain so far.

Amish Fishing, Early Morning

Yesterday, we were both up early, got some things done before yoga class, which gets in the way some mornings.  Like today, where I just realized I have breakfast in forty five minutes, then yoga, then some shopping so I won't get much done till the afternoon.  At yesterday's yoga, we had a new teacher, our previous one moving to Colorado.  I have met her before because she has been around but I was surprised when we, the various students walked in, and she remained hooked on her iPhone, neither greeting nor talking to any of us.  So, we talked among each other, waiting for her to begin.  Class, however, was fine and she introduced us to a couple of new ways of doing things, which I always enjoy.  I stopped at Ryder's Cup, then the bookstore to see if the new book about Jamestown, which came out early last week was available.  This is the third time I have checked and The Beaten Path Bookstore still has not been able to get it though there seems to be lots of interest.  Poor marketing.
After Ryder's, I went to Sam's to pick up a rotisserie chicken, some veggies, for dinner the next couple of nights.  We find that their chickens are enough for a couple of meals, even lunch.

When I got home, Evie had made a ginger/vegetable soup, using a chicken broth with ginger in it.  She added noodles, along with veggies and chicken, and we had an easy, but tasty soup for lunch.  I had toasted cheese to go along with the soup, with jam spread on it, of course, my style.  Much of the afternoon, Evie spent finishing her book on the dock, or in the yard.  I watched some soccer, read, took a nap and around 4:00, went for a long kayak paddle, on an increasingly windy lake.  I also fished some but had no luck.  When I returned, Evie had cut the lawn, making it look like something out of House Beautiful.  To reward ourselves for our efforts, we sat out on the dock with an icy beer, some hummus and crackers, and enjoyed the late afternoon, a perfect way to end the day.

For dinner, we had chicken, sweet potatoes and an Asian cole slaw, also from Sam's, and the dinner tasted really good to Evie.  We watched a couple of more episodes of Orange Is The New Black, and as I have mentioned, neither of us like this season much though the critics seem to think it's great.  One of us is wrong.  We went to bed with rain on the roof, some thunder and lightning but nothing too scary.

I am off to breakfast, in the rain, and Evie's still sleeping, enjoying a good night's rest.  I wish I could sleep in as well.