A New Year Begins

8:00

Things don't change with the New Year.  I am awake at 5:45 and am up drinking my coffee in the dark at 6:00, wondering if anything awful happened last evening.  After hitting both the New York Times and Washington Post websites, I am relieved to know that it was a relatively peaceful New Year's Eve around the world, a small miracle considering what took place in 2015.  Around 7:00, I was shocked to see a flashing light, obviously from a boat, moving across Bemus Bay, seemingly searching for something.  As the morning became light, a dusting of snow appeared on the lawn, no accumulation of notice.  We are supposed to get up to three inches by the end of day but I  doubt it. It's a chilly 27º, windy, with gray, what else, skies.

Victoria Woods

Yesterday was a day of waiting, to go out in the evening with our friends, Ron and Linda for dinner. Evie was able to go to the YMCA before it closed at noon, so she was happy.  I took a half hour walk through the woods, always mellowing, even if it was gray, wet and cold outside.  In fact, it felt invigorating, cold for the first five or ten minutes, but then fine as my body adjusted to the cold.

Woodlawn

I was planning on watching some football, what else to do on New Year's Eve but I soon  got bored with the games, turned off the TV and read in the living room for the rest of the afternoon.  Evie showered after working out, then spent a good hour in the kitchen making a huge pot of her famous vegetable soup, enough to last us for the week.  She also marinated a pork loin, for a dinner we will have on Sunday, and vacuumed sealed the other half and put it in the freezer  for another time. Around 4:00, we realized we did not have anything special for New Year's day, so I drove just up the road to Reverie Creamery, a five minute drive, and picked up a baguette, and a Swiss Gruyere and some Shropshire Blue from England.  We will enjoy all three over the next few days.  It was nice to see the shop was busy, people coming in and leaving, with a specialty cheese.

Bringing In The New Year

We left for the Landmark Restaurant in Jamestown around 6:15 and fortunately, the roads were fine. We were lucky enough to get a seat at the bar, had a round of beers, before sitting down.  We were put near the fireplace, which was too hot for us, so we moved to another table. The fireplace was then turned off, so they moved us back. Because people complained that the fireplace was turned off, we were finally moved once again to a table we have been at the last time we were here with the Mc Clures. That was our last move.

The restaurant was busy and it was fun to be part of a happy, prosperous group of Jamestownians, most our age!  And our meals were great.  Both Evie and Linda ordered salmon picata and even though it was not on the menu, the chef said he could make it.  I had a ribeye on garlic mashed potatoes, and Ron had ravioli.  We also had a couple of bottles of wine to complement our dinners.  It was a fun night, with an overly garrulous and solicitous waitress, who was not shy about telling us how well trained and professional she was.  We dined for well over two hours and did not get home till after 10:00.  Neither one of us wanted to stay up till midnight, so we bid the Linda and Ron a Happy New Year and went home.

Just a moment ago, a raft of buffleheads, skimming just above the water, descended on the lake, dove as a group, then reappeared, then dove again.  They are so much fun to watch.  And now, they are gone, no trace of them.