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.