Gray Skies And Canadian Geese

5:52

I was up at 5:45, to an overcast sky, literally no action on the lake but annoying Canadian geese hanging out on the lawn.  They are a nuisance, so I went out and chased them off twice, as they calmly floated away, to litter someone else's yard.  Rain is forecast on and off for the next two days, to bring to an end one of the wettest June in recent history.

Yesterday, despite the fact that we are heading to the North Carolina coast on Thursday, we did little much of the day to get ready, very unlike us, especially Evie.  Perhaps we are beginning to take things more easily, just go with the flow.  There will be time, to pack and organize for our trip.  To be honest, a good part of the morning was taken up with a visit from our financial advisor, Nan Cohen, of Creekside Financial in Cleveland.  She likes to get away from the office and has come out  three or four times over the years to take us through our financial future (we will be good for another year), sometimes even biking in the area. She arrived around 10:00, stayed until noon before heading back. It's always fun to talk with her and she usually soothes my nervousness about our future.  All of the anxiety I have feel about our financial future is now on her shoulders, as I don't pay much attention to it anymore. A good sign perhaps?

With Nan Cohen

After Nan left, neither of us felt like doing much, so I read some, lazed and napped on the dock, and Evie watched some junk TV, unusual for her.  Late afternoon, however, both of us felt guilty about wasting the day, so I went out first, and worked on the car, vacuuming and washing it on the inside, getting it ready for our trip.  And Evie, having seen the weather report of rain for the next couple of days powered up the lawn mower and cut the lawn.  It may have been her last chance to cut it before we leave.  We were going out to dinner, to the Viking Club at 6:00, had invited our neighbors, the Leonards and Pat Jones, so around 5:30, we both jumped in the lake, taking a swim, rather than showering.  The water felt great, woke us both up, and we were ready for our drive to the Viking.

Reuben's and Cubans, With Leonards And Pat Jones

It was Reuben and Cuban night at the Club, one of the main reasons for going on Monday. Surprisingly, it was not terribly crowded, so we were able to get a seat in the bar, with a view of the lake.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the club, loved the grounds, the amenities, like a sandy beach, a playground, docks for parking one's boats.  And of course, everyone enjoyed their mammoth sandwiches, enough usually to take home for dinner or lunch the next day.  We stayed until about 8:00 when we drove home, the sun setting over the lake as we drove across the Stow Bridge.  It was a fun night.  Evie and I then caught up with two new series , True Detective, which I am beginning to like more and more as I finally understand what is going on, and The Brink, which is a bit too silly at times though we will stick with it.

Neighbors At Viking Club

H IS FOR HAWK:

One of my favorite books when living in Istanbul in the 1970's was T.H. White's THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING, which led me to read his account of training a goshawk, the book called simply, THE GOSHAWK.  It made me want to get a hawk and train it myself.  I never did alas which leads me to Helen Mac Donald's work, which alludes to White and THE GOSHAWK through out her work, to my delight.  It took me awhile to figure out it was a memoir, not a novel...duh!

It starts with Mac Donald's major depression, a result of the death of her father, the major influence in her life, a photographer, who taught her how to observe.  And she loses her job as a lecturer at Cambridge, the house they allowed her to live in, so there are major changes in her life.  As a remedy to these changes, the sadness she cannot seem to shake, and because she will now have much more free time, she decides to tame a goshawk on a whim and orders one from Germany.  The goshawk arrives and the story begins, as Mac Donald takes us into the world of birds of prey, of the long, often difficult path towards gaining the confidence of a bird of prey like a goshawk, one of the most difficult birds to tame.  She installs the bird in her new digs, and Mabel, the bird's name, becomes the central figure in Mac Donald's life, taking over for her father in a way.  As she faces failure after failure, in her quest to train Mabel, she reconnects with T.H. White and his two novels which I mentioned above.  They give her solace, as her difficulties are similar to those faced by White.  And slowly, patiently, she trains Mabel to perch on her arm, to kill when released, and bring the prey back to Mac Donald to feast.  There's always the fear that Mabel, still not fully trained, will just fly away. The training of Mabel becomes an obsession so that Mabel and Mac Donald slowly become one, as Mac Donald begins to think like Mabel, and isolates herself from friends and family, in her quest to train Mabel.  And slowly, the goshawk becomes a way out for Mac Donald, a way to put the past behind, the death of her father, and move forward.  This is as much a look in the mind of Mac Donald, her depression, as it is a treatise on how to tame a goshawk.  Mabel is, clearly, a magnificent killing machine, her natural way.  She just is, that's her nature, the way her DNA has made her.  And Mac Donald, too, finds her DNA, who she is supposed to be, as she learns as much from Mabel as Mabel learns from her.

I enjoyed the book, the allusions to White's works, the struggles of Mac Donald, mirrored by the taming of the bird, to become oneself, what one is destined to be.  In the end, Mac Donald learns to embrace herself, just as Mabel does.

Some Sun, Some Clouds

6:40

6:44

7:49

I did not get up until 7:10 and Evie beat me up by a good hour.  It was surprising to see some sunshine since we have had so much rain the last few days.  It definitely has an effect one's mood although I cannot say I am full of energy at the moment, perhaps later.

Let It Rain

It rained off and on most of Sunday, as forecast.  The weather sites were right for once.  I think back to my youth when you had little if any idea what the next day would bring weatherwise, let alone the next hour.  And what good does knowing do?  You cannot do anything about it.  So it rained but we found a brief respite and decided to be wild and crazy, donning our life jackets and went kayaking, despite the fact it started raining once we paddled out, or course.  It was cool, around 69º when we went out, but we had on rain jackets and hats.  We actually enjoyed it, the rain pelting and soaking our life jackets, not enough fortunately, to set them off (they are the kind that fill with air if they get wet).  We went beyond Long Point, to see if there was any action; there wasn't, then back to Victoria and home because it really started to pour when we reached out house.  We were chilled when we got home, so we both took nice warm showers.

Finch

Woodpecker With Bedhead

Cardinal

The rest of the day is a blur, not much of consequence, other than another great Sunday breakfast and another great CBS Sunday morning, one of the best shows on TV.  It is always interesting, quirky, some politics, some art, some culture, and always ends with a nature shot.  It's one of the only shows left on regular TV that we really like.  I finally have found a book that I like, SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy.  It's a bit over the top with bizarre characters, overwritten at times, with its descriptions of Charleston, SC, Conroy's hometown but I am sticking with it.  Evie has finished the photo album on Shutterfly, so we both are going through it to make sure we have it just right.  Like any creation, it is never done, can always be improved.  We send it to Shutterfly tomorrow morning, just in time to get 50% off (Right!).

A Raft  Of Sailboats

For dinner, Evie had a brainstorm.  Since we had pork chops, why not make her Mom's Slovenia dinner, which includes pork chops seared, sauerkraut, and a simple kidney beans and potato soup. Who would think beans, potatoes, and bacon fat would be so good, but it is especially if you throw sauerkraut in it as well.  Before eating, we did enjoy the darkness and gloom of an overcast and rainy later afternoon, with wine and appetizers.  We both love these kind of days to be honest, just not too many of them in a row.  Dinner was amazing and nothing was leftover though I thought we might have enough for another dinner.  We watched some regular TV until 9:00 when the last episode of Nurse Jackie was on.  It's the end of six seasons and we were not sure how it would end.  I will only say it ended the only way it could when the main character is a drug addict.  We will miss it.

A Miserable Sunday Morning

6:11

Fishing In The Rain

3:30, Saturday Afternoon's Gloom

We have had rain now for almost twenty four hours straight, at least two to three inches I assume, lots of wind, a churned up lake, a few bass boats trying to fish, certainly no pleasure boats on the lake.  It's a cool 54º out, will be on the cool side most of the week.  I just finished listening to a podcast of Marc Maron's interview with the President.  It received lots of press, mostly because Obama used the word 'nigger,' which became the latest big story.  So, few listened to the entire interview which was really interesting, as Obama talked about his formative years, his family, life in the White House, politics, and he came across as just a normal  guy, intelligent and confident, someone who is comfortable with himself.  He talked some about the big issues, racism, gun laws, healthcare and he seems so reasonable, sensible in a world of polarity, where facts and reason matter less than passion and emotion.  It is worth listening to.  There's a comfort in listening to him speak, thoughtful and measured.

A Perky Female Cardinal

Yesterday was a wasted day, of rain and wind, sometimes a scary wind, a torrential rain, so that we were rarely relaxed sitting in our house, watching the road and yards flood, the small branches fall from the trees.  Fortunately, there seems to be no damage along Woodlawn.  I ventured out early, around 9:00, to do some shopping for Evie who was busy in the kitchen, making sloppy joes, vegetable soup and meatballs, to freeze so that when we return from Topsail, NC, on July 12th with our granddaughters, we will have lots to eat, freeing Evie to enjoy them.  So I went to Tops, then the Lighthouse, picking up five pounds of ground chuck, four pork chops for tonight and most likely, tomorrow night's dinners.  It rained both ways, both stores surprisingly busy for that early in the morning.  But the Chautauqua Institution opened last night, so the grounds are no doubt busy with residents and visitors.  No more free, easy access for us for the next ten weeks.

Despite The Rain And Wind, The USODA Regatta Tacks On

For lunch, I talked Evie into allowing me to have a couple of sloppy joe's for lunch, as she was packing up everything to freeze.  And, of course, I went to the Transfer Station before lunch, after shopping, getting soaked in the process, as I picked the wrong time to go.  The rest of the day was a waste, as I could not find a book to enjoy, so I ended up doing something I rarely do during the afternoons.  I watched TV, in fact, an entire movie, The Thomas Crown Affair, which I had seen ten or more years ago and liked.  I stuck with it, on my couch, until 5:30, when it was  time to get ready to drive to the McClures, who invited us to dinner, something at least to look forward to on this nasty day.

Kitchen Soul Sisters

We had a fun time and Linda made one of our favorites, lamb shanks, with a Lebanese salad, and polenta, with an apricot cream for dessert.  It was a great way to end an otherwise boring day.  I can remember when lamb shanks were cheap comfort food, a cheap cut of meat.  Now, they are tres expensive, sought after by foodies everywhere.  How sad.  We got home around 10:00 and I went upstairs to read, thinking I would start a Pat Conroy novel, SOUTH OF BROAD, which I thought I might like.  I started it on my Kindle when it died because it needed to be charge.  A fitting end to a crummy day.

A Man With Someone Else's Cat

A Happy Poochie, Up Close

It's now 8:00, Evie is still sleeping but I have been up for two hours.  It's raining out, a couple of martins are perched on their house, a few bass boats are visible, and a heron occasionally will drop on a dock, looking for fish.  No sunshine today, just gray, gray, gray.

A GOD IN RUINS: KATE ATKINSON

I really enjoyed this book, the second by Atkinson about this family, mostly set during WW II and after. Like many of her other books, she jumps back in forth in time, which I like, following the life of Teddy Todd, the brother of Ursula Todd, the protagonist of her earlier novel, LIFE AFTER LIFE, This is a big, old. sprawling novel, covering four generations, almost a century.  I loved it.  Teddy is the major character, brought up in wealth, at Fox Corner, before being thrust into WW II as a pilot. Much of the novel revolves around the sorties that Teddy flies over Germany, knowing that his and his crews chances of returning are ridiculously low (less than 50%), almost a suicide mission.  Teddy manages to survive 70 some missions and is considered by his crew a good luck charm.  The courage of this generation, their willingness to fly off in the sky, knowing they may not make it home, humbles the reader with admiration for the courage of these men.  These flights destroy any faith Teddy's had in mankind thus the 'god in ruins,' is his realization of the uselessness of his missions, this destruction of cities as well as the  killing of innocents, just the most recent incarnation of destruction, repeated century after century, all in the name of an idea.

Alternating between these chapters, are more prosaic narratives of Teddy's life after the war, his marriage to his 'best friend' as a child, Nancy, a neighbor.  He becomes a journalist of sorts, writing for nature magazines, mostly about birds, making just enough to get buy.  The two have a daughter, Viola, self centered, angry, never satisfied with her life, her father and as he says, "I love her to death but it's hard."  Part of her anger stems from the early death of her mother, Nancy, when she's ten and the thought that her father may have killed her . And, indeed, to a child it may have looked that way but Teddy smothers Nancy, in the last throes of life and suffering, which is what Nancy wanted.

The rest of the novel, after Nancy's death, goes down hill, as does Teddy, as he never quite reconciles himself to life alone, seeks no women, no travel, no excitement, shuffles on, being there after Viola's disastrous marriages, her having lived at first in a commune, and for her children, whom she never seems to love and regards as a burden.  Teddy, of course, steps in as a grandfather, and they live with him on and off during Viola's fits and starts in life.  Teddy's standing in as a grandparent allows both children some semblance of a secure childhood and despite Viola, they turn out well, the son a guru living in Bali, the daughter happily married, who helps Teddy through old age and various phases, from his home to independent living, to a rest home.

Viola, of course, has little to do with Teddy and ironically, she becomes a world famous writer, her first book about growing up in a unhappy household.  And the novel ends with a twist, the only one which,  if the reader has read LIFE AFTER LIFE, you will recognize as classic Atkinson.  Though both novels are about the Todd family, they are dramatically different in form and content.  I like them both but A GOD IN RUINS took my heart.

Waiting For The Rains

5:31

5:33

I was up at 6:30, after hearing the roar of bass boats.  Evie was up at 5:30, walked out on the dock to take some pictures of the sky before all the clouds took over and blotted out the colors.  It's now 7:00, the lake wrinkled from a southerly wind and it's yet to start raining but it will come, at least according to the weather man.

Yesterday morning was taken over by the grinding of the tree stump in our yard. The grinder is an amazingly powerful tool, whipping through the huge stump in less than a half hour.  The guys also trimmed a few branches, and spent the rest of the time, shoveling the wood chips into their truck and smoothing out the area.  Now we have to figure out what kind of a tree we want. For now, we are thinking of a tulip tree but will have to see what's available in this area.  Maybe we will go tree shopping when it rains.

Stumpless In Woodlawn

After the early morning excitement, the lake lay waiting, just starting to catch some wind, so we kayaked down to Whitney Bay and back, fairly easy going and coming for once.  We paddled as far as the three humongous McMansions built in the last three years on one of the last open patches of land on the lake.  They seem out of place, especially in contrast to the modest cottages of their neighbors on both the north and south side.  I would take one if given!

The Newest McMansion

After kayaking, Evie made a batch of chocolate chip cookies for our grandson, Tyler, who turns twenty on July 2.  She packed them along with some other goodies, getting them ready to mail later in the day.  I am not sure what I did the rest of the day, mostly looking for small things to do I guess.  Like making another lunch of baloney, not fried but with mayo, and some soup, as I watched Sports Center debate Thursday night's NBA draft choices.  And, because our Sonos radio system is on most of the day, we were inundated with the news that the Supreme Court made Same Sex Marriage legal in all fifty states, the twenty second country to do so, a landmark decision in the US, and the reason articulately put by Justice Anthony Kennedy. Both Evie and I liked his words enough to quote it below:

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed.
It is so ordered." - Justice Kennedy

Early afternoon,  Evie reluctantly left the lake to drive to Lakewood, to get her hair trimmed, not something she wanted to do on a lovely afternoon on the lake.  I read, napped, then went out and worked some in the yard, filling in the tracks left by the tree guys, with dirt and grass seed.  I will probably have to do it again when we get a tree.  I then went out on the dock to enjoy the sun and, unfortunately, the wind, relentless for much of the day, so much so that we did not go out cruising in our boat.

Evie returned and we spent the late afternoon on the dock, before swimming, to wake us up and get us ready to put together dinner, roasting brussels sprouts and cauliflower. We then enjoyed a good hour on our front porch, sipping wine and enjoying chips and pretzels.  We never tire of this time of day, of sitting on our porch, lake watching, ever changing and interesting, with birds, boats, skiers, changing sky, multi colors of lake and sky.

We had more chicken and spaghetti for dinner, along with the veggies and corn on the cob, surprisingly tasty, and watched another Real Time with Bill Maher before going up to bed early, at 10:00, as Evie was tired.

Stump Day

6:45

We were both up at 6:30, waiting for the tree guys to come and grind our stump.  They are to be here at 7:00, not exactly a neighborly time but Evie called the neighbors to warn them, so things ought to be all right.   It's a nice day, 55º at the moment, should go up into the 70's later in the day, a boating day I hope because rain is forecast for the weekend, up to two or three inches.  Well, it's now 8:00 and the tree guys have been here for a half hour, the stump in practically gone, and Evie had them also trim some of the lower branches of our maples, increasing our view of the sky some. The trunk at the base, is about ten feet wide, so it's taking time to get the roots that lead rom the base and level it off.. We are now thinking about trees, perhaps putting one in before we leave for Topsail.

Stumped

Yesterday was another good yoga day, again, a full class, packed like sardines in a tin.  None of the regulars are used to this.  I wonder what is bringing everyone out, perhaps summer vacation for some, or just inreased interest though I recognize most of the people.  It's my last class until mid to late July, when our families have headed home, sad to think about.  I stopped for coffee and of course, a few things at Wegman's, water for example since we are treating our well with bleach for a day, making sure our water is safe to drink, something we ought to do at least once a year.  Lunch was more of my black bean soup, and I was a bad boy,  having bought some baloney at Wegman's, so I fried it up and made a  couple of baloney sandwiches.  Yum...I added mayo to the bread, a suggestions from the White Trash Cookbook, seriously.

In the afternoon, Evie continued to work on the photo album, alternating it with working in the yard, weeding the beds around our house.  I helped some, especially the edging around the lake wall and by 5:00, the yard looked perfect once again, as Evie gave it a quick trim, knowing that rain was coming over the weekend.  I got in two kayak paddles, too, once to just paddle, the other to fish, a silly exercise since I rarely even get a bite.  Where do all the fish go?

At 6:30, we both sat on the dock, relaxed with a beer, then took a swim, the water surprisingly warm, not a toe touching temperature any more.  Dinner was easy, the leftover chicken parmesan, and some fresh corn and a salad.  We could not find much on TV to watch, so ending up watching The Daily Show, then an older Real Time with Bill Maher.  We went to bed as usual, around 11:00, already anxious about the tree grinding in the morning.

It's now 8:20 and the guys almost have the stump gone, a little over an hour job.  Now we have to decide on a tree...any suggestions?

THE CASUAL VACANCY: J. K. ROWLING

Another novel by the prolific Rowling and not a mystery this time but a social satire of a small town, an updated Jane Austen so to speak.  Rowling is a wonderful writer, adept at almost any genre.  In this novel, she reminds me of a juggler, tossing many balls, in this case stores.  The novel begins with the death of Barry Fairbrother, a member of the Pagford Parish Council.  He's been a vocal advocate for keeping the Fields, the poverty stricken section of town, as part of Pagford.  His death opens up a seat on the City Council, for those who would love to see the Fields split from Pagford, thus ridding this posh district of their unsavory neighbor.  It would also mean the closing of drug clinics and other facilities that benefit the unfortunate residents of the Fields.

Rowling takes us into the lives of four families, into their heads, including their children, all obsessed with the Fields.  Some  are with Barry and want to keep it part of Pagford, others want to see the Fields sent off on its own, saving the Pagfordians tax dollars.  Needless to say, we see friends turn in to enemies, the most unlikely end up being the most heroic.  As the election nears, unsigned letters appear on line in the local newspaper, maligning various candidates for office.  Some of the accusations are true, others myth but it tears the town apart as everyone blames their opposites.  And we find out later, these letters were written by the children of the candidates who all seemingly are at odds with their obsessed parents.

Things come to a head when Krystal Weedon runs away with her brother Robbie, because she thinks the Addiction Clinic will be closed.  She leaves her brother for a moment, to have sex with one of the candidate's son, and Robbie drowns.  The story ends with the funeral of both Robbie and Krystal, who commits suicide, blaming herself for Robbie's death.  We see how seemingly intelligent people turn into monsters, with their 'uncompromising certainty', and as always, the 'others' get hurt, those with out power, those who have fallen through the cracks.  Things don't seem to change, whether in a small town like Pagford, the world Washington politics or International politics.  As Rodney King so famously said, 'Why can't we all get along.'

This novel has been made into a mini series, now on HBO.  It's not a great book but I enjoyed it, especially watching normal people ruin their own lives as well as those of others, all for an idea.  

A Fine Morning

6:40

Up at 6:40, the sun already high in the sky, some clouds but now, at 7:50, it's overcast and still cool, a 55º.  I can hear the martins singing, a welcome sound each morning, competing with NPR's Morning Edition.

Yesterday was windy and cool but sunny all day, again, fall like.  It was nice on the lake early, so we went out to kayak at 8:30, heading across to Long Point and back to Victoria.  Because I was going to yoga, we were out for little more than a half hour but it's a great way to start the day, on the lake, the only boats in sight.  I went to yoga at 9:30, along with our neighbor's daughter and granddaughter who are visiting.  They both are yoga fans, have been to Eight Limbs Studio before, so they were comfortable, even though it was a new studio.  Afterwards, I went to the mall to look for some water shoes, stopped at the Discount Shoe store, and walked out with some Krocs as well as Teva's, so I am ready for any kind of water, whether on the sandy beaches of Top Sail, North Carolina (ten more days), the sand and mud of Chautauqua Lake.  Best of all, I think I got a deal!

Mom And Her Raft Of Ducklings

It was sunny and windy when I got home, making it difficult to go out kayaking, so I made lunch, heating up leftover pizza and having some of the black bean soup I made on Saturday.  I made enough for ten so I assusme I will be eating it all week, fine with me as lunch without soup is not a 'real lunch.'  I have been struggling with the book I just started, WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES, about a young girl who had something traumatic happen to her and her family at the age of five.  She gives hints that her sister disappeared but no explanation about why until about a  third of the way through, when we find out her sister is a chimpanzee.  That just about did it for me though I stuck with it for another fifty pages before putting it aside.  Since then I have started a Jane Smiley novel, SOME LUCK, though I have been put off by the first part which describes life from the point of view of the Langdon's infant son, how he goes about making sense of the world.  Boring.  So I started John Le Carre's TINKER, TAILOR, SOLIDER, SPY and am liking it so far.  Is it the books or my mood that make me so particular?

Sailing School

Anyways, mid afternoon, I went out and emptied my garage, swept out the dampness and mud, a result of the heavy rains, and left it empty to dry out.  I then went out on the dock, set my chaise lounge so the wind would hit my back, and read and fell asleep briefly.  I then gathered the lake weeds, which had dried to almost nothing on our dock, and put them in a barrel, then put my garage back together. Chores done for the day.

Burgers and Beers At Pine Junction

At 6:00, the Ron and Linda picked us up and we took a half hour drive, through the picturesque farms of Chautauqua County to Pine Junction, one of our favorite restaurants, set in the sticks, the country, just outside of Findlay Lake.  It was busy but not crowded, a nice evening to sit inside but surrounded by green.  We all had burgers, our favorite, with great sweet potato fries.  And then, the McClures told us about the heavy storm on Monday, which took down another one of their huge maple trees (the second in two years), much to our surprise because the storm did not seem that bad at our end of the lake.  So within a week, both of us have lost a maple, perhaps the only two in the area, at least that's the way it seemed since the tree guys were able to come over the next day and clear the trees.

We got home  around 9:30, in time to watch The Daily Show before going up to bed to read.  A good day.

A Diamond in the Sky Morning

8:00

Fall Colors But Dusk On June 23, 7:50 PM

I was up at 6:45, to a living room filled with sunlight and Evie followed soon after, ready for the day. It's fleece weather again, 54º out, a delicious coolness, the high should get up to 70º later in the day and no rain until tonight or tomorrow.  Mashallah!

Yesterday it rained on and off most of the morning, then turned windy and wild during the afternoon.  I bagged yoga, too lazy to get my self together early, so I hung out most of the morning.  And it was a day of contrasts, as I was out, spreading more top sail on the new  grass in the yard after some rain, and worked up a sweat, from the heat and the humidity.  So I did the obvious, jumped in the lake to cool off, something Evie has already done early in the morning, a good picker upper.  I felt energized but not enough to do something substantial.

Finally, A Photo Of A Skittish Cardinal

A Profile

Evie, however, was busy and spent a good part of the day on the Shutterfly website, and she's making amazing progress with her photo album.  Occasionally, I would help out, as it's a learning process for her as she had not been on the site for a year.  I read some, took a brief nap, then because it was sunny out, I decided to begin the annual task of cutting the lake weeds.  We work at this each year to make sure our swimming area is cleared of weeds for our grandchildrens' annual visit.  So I got out my weed rake, a basket to place the cut weeds and worked in the water for about an hour. Two things surprised me, the depth of the water as I was on my tip toes around the dock, trying to cut weeds, and the falling temperatures.  By the time I got out of the water, I was cold from the wind, hurried in off the dock and took a shower to warm up.  This is the same day where, four hours earlier, I had jumped in the lake because it was so hot and humid...the vagaries of Chautauqua weather.

Around 5:00, Evie put together her version of chicken Parmesan, adding spinach, and putting it together before finishing it off in the oven.  We then relaxed on the porch, going through more photos, picking out the best and laughing at some of the great shots from the summer of 2014.  About 7:00, Evie pulled the dinner out of the oven, and we enjoyed the chicken with a salad, and best of all, we have enough left for Thursday night's dinner.  We watched Jon Stewart, then The Nightly Show which we are beginning to enjoy more and more.  And watched a new CBS cop show, Murder In The First Degree, which is trying to compete with some of the great cable TV series.  It doesn't.  And we then watched the last two episodes of RITA, both great, and we were sad to see the series end though it did have a satisfying end, something many series lack.  I know our daughter Beth loves it, and my nephew Pat just wrote to say they have started it and liked it as well.  We both really like Rita's gay son, their relationship, and it's about the first series I have seen that treats teenage gay love with some realism and sensitivity.

BELIEVER: DAVID AXELROD

Axelrod is indeed a believer, having been there from the start of Obama's meteoric rise to the Presidency.  This book is mostly about Axelrod's life, the first third before he meets Obama, the rest details the two election campaigns and Axelrod's role as an advisor to the President.  He started his career as reporter in Chicago, where he got interested in politics, was gradually pulled into running campaigns, the most noteworthy that of Harold Washington, the first black mayor of Chicago, the man who finally broke the system.  Axelrod was responsible for his winning strategy and right from the beginning, he has sympathized with the underdog, those who fight for the middle and underclass.

He meets Obama early, when he is an organizer and is immediately impressed by his charisma, his obsession with worthy social goals, especially since he could have been making big bucks as a lawyer in Chicago.  Eventually, they become friends and David becomes Obama's strategist when he runs for for Senate  As he admits, luck plays a mighty role in Obama's being elected, as his primary candidate drops out leaving him the challenger, then his Republican opponent ends up withdrawing because of financial shenanigans, virtually leaving Obama as the only man running.

We then move to his presidential campaign, as they begin working on how to get this practically unknown black man elected President of the United States.  Once again, fate seems to intervene, as things fall in to place for Obama, as he wins Iowa, shocking Hilary, which sets the stage for his triumph in the primaries. We do see how important it is to have a creative, hip, modern, Internet savvy staff.  Two names stand out, Axelrod and David Plouffe, both are hugely responsible for Obama's winning the election.  I might add that Robert Gibbs also played an important role, much like an attack dog, ready to go after the opponents weaknesses. So luck, hard work, a charismatic and brilliant candidate, add up to victory.

We then move to the White House, where Axelrod has an office and he remains a trusted advisor to the President though he has no official role.  We get to see how policy is made, the trade offs, the difficulties this President faces with a Republican party ready to do anything to thwart his policies.  Nevertheless, they get the Obamacare though both houses, a triumph for the President though many felt this was not something to take up initially.  But Obama felt this was essential; he had promised it to the American people, it was necessary, and so they went for it and passed the bill.

As you would expect, Obama comes off quite well, rarely angry, always ready to listen, in control, right from the beginning, when he announced his candidacy in Springfield.  True, he becomes a much better candidate as he moves through the primaries, but he is always in command, the voice of reason, knowing the right things to do, the right way to go about things.  And he wrote many of his speeches, a true wordsmith,  and because of this, because he was willing to take chances, for example, writing and giving a speech on race early in the campaign, he was elected President, not once but twice.

Axlerod talks about the reelection campaign, much different because now Obama has a record to run on.  And he seems tired of it all, complacent, as we see in the first debate with Romney.  But he listens to the criticism of his staff, gets his mojo back, practices his lines even though he would prefer not to, and knocks Romney out of the ring.

This is written by a man who believes in Obama, who is as close to the President as any one other than his wife I would guess and for that reason alone, it's worth reading.  I ended up liking Axelrod immensely, and found this book fascinating as it takes us on a earth shaking journey, as the United States elects an African American for its Presidency.  I still cannot get over it.

A Veritable Summer Day

6:35

7:52

Up late, at 7:00, only to discover the coffee was made, the paper was in, and Evie was already up. Strange.  It's gray outside, with a heavy, dark cloud cover.  We had thunderstorms during the night but escaped the worst, as the Buffalo area was hit hard, with loss of electricity in some areas and trees down.  It's 64º, humid, and should clear up later in the day.  We'll see. And as we sit here each morning, the ever changing sky always amazes us, as you can see below.

Heavy Rains at 8:00

Sun Begins To Come Out at 8:11

Yesterday it actually felt like summer, sunny and warm most of the day, so we spent a good amount of time out on the dock, sunbathing and then, when too warm, we would jump in the lake to cool off. It's the first time this summer I can remember a day like this.  It felt amazing.  I started the day with yoga, a packed class, as everyone seemed to want to start summer with a class.  Danielle's classes are the best, mostly because we are always doing something different; I don't like a class where we do the same thing, in the same order, each class.  Afterwards, I had a marathon of stops, at Ryders for coffee and some free range eggs, then Home Depot, Wegman's, Walmart, and the car wash.  I did not get home until 12:30 and Evie was already out on the dock, enjoying the day.  She had, however, spent most of the morning culling the photographs from last summer, so we are ready this morning to send them off to Shutterfly, and then she can begin organizing them into a photo book.  She's good at it because she is patient, unlike me!

I had lunch, black bean soup which I made Saturday morning, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, both good.  I watched ESPN, listened to the talking heads sing the praises of the Jordan Spieth who had just won the US Open.  He seems to always say the right thing despite his age, like Lebron actually, who rarely made a mistake, always talking about his teammates, team work, and not himself.  That, by the way, has changed in the last couple of years...King James!

After lunch, I joined Evie on the dock, swam some, waterproofed the cover on the may boat by taking a ladder out into the water, standing on it, and spraying the canvas.  It worked well. Around 4:00, Evie got bored with just sitting around, not me, and cut the lawn because we had heard thunderstorms were heading our way.  The boat ride we had planned on, just before dinner was put on hold for a good reason.  It rained hard around 6:30, just as I was grilling our steaks, so that I had to use an umbrella.  The steak turned out well, one of the best we have had, and Evie baked some potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, roasted cauliflower and made a salad.  We watched the episodes from two new HBO series, True Detective and The Brink, one a complex, confusing, often violent detective series, the other a spoof/satire on international politics, with silly, unattractive politicians marking decisions that effect the world.  We ended the evening with a good Rita episode; we are going to miss her when the series ends.

It's now 8:00 and the rain has just started again, hitting our porch, pelting the lake.  No kayaking for us this morning.

The Quiet And Calm Of A Monday Morning

6:35

It's 6:50 and I just watched a couple of guys next door pull a nice bass out of the lake, just off our dock.  The one quickly held it up for the other to take a photo with his phone...instant story to be sent to all of his friends.  The sun has been fighting to rise above the cloud cover, with little success.  We will have to wait longer for the sun to hit the lake, our house.  Right now the lake's slate gray, a light fog off towards the eastern shore, hardly a ripple except when a boat goes by, a bit of a chill in the air (62º) as I sit on my front porch in a tee shirt. Oops, the sun has just lit up the front yard, a boat just went by, drowning out the songs of the happy, house building purple martins.  Another week begins.

Bass For Breakfast

Like the previous day, it was supposed to rain off and on yesterday, shaping our day.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, it never did  rain (just a few minutes of drizzle) though it was overcast much of the morning and cleared up late in the day for a beautiful late afternoon.  We decided to go kayaking around 9:30 despite the weather report, jumped in our boats and started up the lake when it started to drizzle, just enough to make us turn around.  As we headed back, the drizzle stopped so we headed down the lake, and the drizzle began again, so we said the heck with it, came home, put our kayaks on the rack and it never rained again.

Most of yesterday morning, then, and a good part of the afternoon Evie spent working on photos for the Summer, 2014 album.  She has made great progress, lots of amazing photos arranged in categories but way too many, so she will have to go through them and cull them once again.  I did some reading, went out for a paddle, unfortunately just as the wind picked up, so it was rough fishing down by the reeds and I had to fight my way home.  While I was out, Evie and our neighbors, Pat and Joyce, sat out on our dock for at least an hour, enjoying the afternoon, and catching up.

Shadows Encroach As The Long Day Wanes

When Evie was finished with her work, we relaxed on the front porch for a good hour and a half before dinner, the lake a delight of dark blue, the sky a light blue, as the lake began to quiet, as the weekenders headed home.  We had a Manhattan to celebrate Father's Day, some cheese and crackers and Evie did not have to worry about dinner because we were, once again, having leftovers, this time chicken boursin from Friday night.  We were going to watch a DVD but found it was damaged, so I will mail it back to Netflix this morning.  So, we watched the last three or four holes of the US Open golf championship, on late because it was taking place in Washington, on the west coast.  Jordan Spieth, the twenty one year old, won once again but not in a way he would have liked, as his competitor, Dustin Johnson, three putted the 18th hole, to lose the match. A terrible way for him to lose, for Jordan to win.  We then watched Nurse Jackie, one more episode to go and the series ends for good.  Will she stay off of drugs?  Keep her job?  Will Eddie go to jail?  Lots of if's for next week.

An Overcast And Busy Morning On The Lake

The King And His Court

6:58

7:00

It's almost 8:00 and I am sitting on my front porch, listening to the birds, their songs often drowned out by the roar of a bass boat, the sound of a skier flying by, only the kayaks are silent.  Though it's cloudy, the lake is calm, perfect for an early morning ski, something our neighbors partake of many mornings.  

Kayak Morning

I am listening to a podcast of Marc Maron interviewing the singer/songwriter David Byrne, of the Talking Heads fame, one of my all time favorite groups.  Of all things, he's into honor guards, the groups that usually march during a football game, brandishing the colors in certain rhythmic ways.  He became curious about them, wanted to take them mainstream, and is putting on two shows, one in Toronto, one in Philadelphia.  What differs, however, is that each of the ten groups will perform with a live band and do their thing.  He's a very different sort of artist into everything, including painting and bicycles.  He even wrote a book on biking in a city called BICYCLE DIARIES.  I remember taking my senior class to see the movie STOP MAKING SENSE, at the Cedar and Lee Theater, back in 1984.  We were all blown away by the music, the film, Byrne's 'large suit,' and the artistry of director Jonathan Demme.   Most interesting, the art work on their CD Speaking In Tongues was designed by the famous artist Dave Rauschenberg, an artist I was introduced to by one of my English exchange students back in the 1980's.

We spent much of yesterday waiting for it to rain, which it did, sparingly, and not very often.  I have a new weather app that tells you the chances of rain hour by hour, so that I can't enjoy my day because of it.  I don't think I will check it very often.  Anyways, we both worked outside thinking the rain was coming, weeding and pruning and I cleaned the gutters, filled with sailors and sludge.  I had put in the gutters a kind of mesh three or four years ago but they had filled with mud and dirt and small maple trees were growing out of it so I had to throw it away.

Evie was able to cut the lawn, still somewhat damp from all the rains but it was dry enough to be cut twice.  We were through with our chores by 1:00 and it had hardly rained, just a brief drizzle so Woodlawn was active, as everyone seemed to be up for the weekend, perhaps because of the Woodlawn picnic later in the day.

The good part of the afternoon Evie spent laughing, as she went through hundreds if not thousands of digital photos from last summer, organized the best into categories before she sends them off to Shutterfly to put into an album, a job that takes many hours and lots of patience.  I read some, took a nap, relaxed on the dock, and watched some of the US Open.

Grandma, Daughter in Law, And Grandson Arlo, Newest Member of Woodlawn

Andy Soffel Giving A Tribute To Doc Bair

Eileen, Evie, and Andy

About 5:30, we went to the Woodlawn right of way where the first gathering of the summer was taking place. Everyone brings an appetizer and their own drinks, so it's an easy way to get together.  It's from 5:00 to 7:00, so if you have plans, you can still go out somewhere.  We had about 30 neighbors, most we have not seen since last August.  It's always fun to connect once again, to find out what's been going on in their lives.  A number mentioned reading my blog which I was not aware of. It's nice to know Woodlawners are enjoying it.  We stayed till about 7:00, the last group to leave.

Son, Jack, Mom, And Granddaughter

Barb, Nancy and Ostergaards

We had not quite filled up on appetizers, so Evie cooked up a couple of hot dogs and with chips, we had dinner.  We watched Real Time with Bill Maher, a wild show since Anne Coulter was also on, his polar opposite politically.  And we watched another Rita, always championing the bullied, and for now, sad and lonely since her kids have all moved out.

It's late, 9:15, the lake mostly gray until a moment ago, when the sun came out, shining on the east half of the lake, the west half still in shadows.  Time to have my breakfast on the dock, then kayak.