A Lake Erie Morning...Post Clam Bake Blues

Good Night Cleveland

Good Morning Lake Erie

The Mayoral Candidate Pours The Beer

The Bake And The Loving Couple

I am sitting in my sister Linda's family room, on the shore of Lake Erie, waiting for the sky to lighten, the lake to turn blue, the sun to rise. Unlike Chautauqua, the sunsets here in Euclid, Ohio, are spectacular, sunrise not so.  Still, there's always something awe inspiring about a body of water as vast as Lake Erie, the sound of the waves hitting the shore, comforting.  It's 7:30 and I am the only one up, been up for about an hour.

Yesterday morning was atypical because we were going to a clambake.  My only real chore was to hit the Transfer Station, pack for an overnight, and make sure the house was picked up before we left about 12:30, on a beautiful Saturday.  We decided to go early and stop at Trader Joe's, adding an extra forty five minutes to our trip, but always worth it.  We picked up a case of two buck chuck, cheese, ribs, avocados,  and other stuff we cannot get in Chautauqua, at least at that price.  Joe's was packed on a Saturday, as others had the same idea.  Stock up on goodies and go home and have a picnic outside.

Adding Chicken To The Bake

The Granddaughters

The Nieces And Nephews

Drinking Beer, Enjoying The Bake

We drove into the Holzheimers around 3:30, just as others were beginning to arrive, mostly family and a few friends of Linda and Rich.  We could not have asked for a better day, blue skies, a slight wind, cool enough to wear just a light jacket or fleece, a lake filled with boats fishing for perch, and good company.  We love coming in because we get to see all of our nieces and nephews and their families. My sister is fortunate because three of her four children live within a mile of her house and literally gets to see her grandchildren every day, especially during the summer.  One of the best parts of a clambake is standing around the bake, a large pot, set on a fire, filled with clams, chickens, sweet potatoes and corn, and drinking beer.  It reminds me of tailgating, standing around drinking waiting for the game, in this case, the clams and other goodies.

Niece and Grand Nieces

My Brother-In-Law Rich and His Granddaughter, Grace

 Richie Jr. and Evie

It warm enough even at 6:15 to eat outside, so we spread out at the various tables overlooking the lake, grabbed the chicken, potatoes and corn, a bag of clams, and had a feast on a Saturday night. Cool beans.  We sat outside into the dark, as the kids sat around the fire, the adults out on the porch overlooking the lake until it got chilly, about 8:30.  We went in and sat around the family room with the various families, sipping highballs and talking about local politics, the ups and downs, because my niece Kirsten Holzheimer is running for Mayor of Euclid and has been campaigning now for a couple of months.  She is obviously the most qualified and sensible but that does not always translate to victory alas.  Still, she is the odds on favorite to win.  Everyone scadaddled around 11:00 and the four of us went to bed, Linda and Rich exhausted from the day, Evie and I fat and happy after a great meal and family gathering.

6:53 p.m.

7:02 p.m.

We will head home mid morning I assume, in time to enjoy our day at the lake.  But for now, Rich is in the kitchen, making his Sunday morning big breakfast, something I always look forward to on our visits, of home fries, eggs, and of course, lots of bacon.