Heading East In Our Subaru

6:56

We are both up early, at 6:00, as we hope to be on the road by 7:00.  Our first stop for the night will be with a good friend and English Department colleague from Reserve, Mac McClelland.  Any time we head this direction we stop to see him.

Yesterday we had a leisurely morning, chewing the fat with our friend Scott, going back over our victory the previous evening in the Trivia Contest.  Evie made a big breakfast, home fries, eggs, and bagels, to fortify Scott for his 8 hour drive to Burlington, VT, to visit his son. He left around 9:30 in a light drizzle.  We both then got seriously busy, as we wanted to be packed and ready to go by late afternoon, bags in the car, clothes for the day laid out.  Around 11:30, however, I had to take my boat down to the Snug Harbor Marina, and pull it out of the water to be winterized and power washed.  Of course, it started to rain as I started out and as we were pulling it out, it poured.  We have had probably sixty straight days of sunny and warm weather and I take my boat out on a stormy and windy day.  Just saying.

When I got home, Evie had cleaned out the refrigerator and I ate leftovers for lunch, then took a nap because I was wide awake at 5:00 this morning.  Both of us were pretty organized and in control in regards to our packing, no tantrums, no anxiety, as we are getting pretty good at packing for trips and not getting to uptight about leaving our lake home.  We will be back.  By 4:30 the car was packed and at 5:00, we were sitting in the living room, enjoying a glass of wine, listening to the pundits talk about Trump's whining.

Dinner was, what else, leftover pizza from another evenings dinner, no muss, no fuss.  We were happy to adjourn to our TV room, to catch up on our series, watch the news for most likely the last time in ten days.  Pizza tasted great, especially with Evie's salad.

We are on our way for a week on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

We Are The Champions!(Ellicottville Brewing Company)

7:19

7:25

Ellicottville Brewing Company's Inaugural Trivial Champions, September 29, 2016

A windy and wet morning, a kind we have not seen since last spring, perhaps fall.  It's not particularly cool, 59º, but the lake's choppy, whipped about by the wind.  It looks like rain for the next couple of days and probably we will see some rain on our drive tomorrow to Woodstock, Vermont, the beginning of our trip to Mount Desert Island, Maine.

We continued with our getting ready for both the fall season, when we bring in our summer stuff and packing for our trip to Maine this weekend.  I went out early and pulled all the buoys out of the water and cleaned them, so they are ready for next year.  I then drove to Lakewood to return some stuff at Home Depot, get some cash, and return some cans and bottles.  I was home by noon and Evie had already left for Lakewood, to do some shopping and get her hair trimmed.  I had lunch, watched some junk TV before falling asleep with boredom.  A good friend from Hudson was coming to spend the afternoon and night, so he arrived just around 2:30, as Evie was returning home.  Scott and I have been good friends for years, and I have taught all three of his kids at Reserve.  He's on his way to visit his son Peter in Burlington, VT, where he is in his final year of residency as a orthopedic surgeon.

Scott has stopped by her numerous times over the years which has been fun.  We caught up on all the Hudson, Ohio, happenings, then decided to take a walk around the Chautauqua Institution because it was such a nice day.  We took our time, as Scott had never really seen the CI in its entirety,  just the AMP.  He loved the trees, the architecture, the feel of the place.

We did not get home until 5:30, relaxed for a bit.  I took a shower, then the three of us went over to Bemus Point, thinking we would get a beer at the Ellicottville Brewing Company, then move on to the Seezurh House for dinner.  Well, we settled in for our beer only to find they were having a Trivia Contest and after the first round, the group with the most original name would win a pitcher of beer. We called ourselves Big Sky at first but ended up with Scott's suggestion, I Am From Turkey.

First Micro Brews Of The Night

We decided if we won the pitcher, we would stay for dinner.  Well, we won the pitcher, so we settled in for the next two rounds and ordered three appetizers, chicken quesadilla, calamari, and loaded nachos. The first two appetizers were great, the nachos not so much.  After round two we were in fifth place, but because round three has the most points per answer, we ended up winning first place and a fifty dollar gift certificate which paid for our dinner.  All and all, we felt it was a great night!

Enjoying Another Night Out On The Town Of Bemus Point

We came home and celebrated with the cinnamon coffee cake Scott brought from Costco, topped with vanilla ice cream.  We talked until after 10:00 about the ridiculousness of Donald's whining about the unfairness of the debate.  And, of course, all three of us were on our devices, texting our winning the Trivia Contest, our victory, to various people and laughing at their responses.

A Crisp, Clear Fall Morning

7:21 

7:23 

I was up just as line of light appeared in the dark early morning, above the horizon.  Slowly, the sky turned pink, then light blue until the sun blasted above the shoreline, filling the lake with its reflection, our living room with its blinding light.  Love it.

Our Trees Are Turning

Yesterday was another easy day for the both of us, no dinner to worry about because we were going out with friends, and not a lot to do other than begin thinking about our Friday get away to Mount Desert Island's Southwest Harbor for a week.  So we both began thinking about what needed to get done before we left, things like cancel the paper, put a hold on the mail, as well as what kinds of clothes, shoes, jackets, etc, we will need for a week of hiking Acadia National Park.  I start by putting things in one bedroom, Evie uses the other.  We do have a list of things to do when we leave the house but also need one for what to bring with us when we travel.  I like to start early in the week, rather than waiting for the last day which seem to be my wife's modus operandi.

Around 10:00, I wanted to get in a walk.  Evie decided to stay home and get some things done so she could enjoy the afternoon outside.  So I drove over to Long Point State Park and walked the woods even though I was not too excited about doing it.  But once I got in the woods, I felt better until I ran into a woman, trying to hold her two snarling dogs back from hassling me, not fun.  On my way home, I drove by my buddy, Ron, who was out walking the Lakeside Drive.  Where are our wives?

I got home after noon, had a lunch of leftover spaghetti squash gratin and a pork schnitzel sandwich. Since I finished with the series NARCOS, I wanted to begin the new season of Longmire.  Fortunately, I decided to watch the final episode from the previous year, which I had of course forgotten about and it ends with Longmire in bed, with his new lover, as a 'bad guy' opens the door. What happens?  I think I will wait to find out until I get home from our vacation in Maine.

The rest of the afternoon was our usual, Evie on the dock, reading  and talking with our neighbor, Joyce, me inside reading, napping, going out on the dock to join Evie, and doing little chores around the house, this time organizing the garage attic for the influx of summer items.  I even pulled down our two snow shovels, knowing I will be needing them soon enough.

Enjoying An Octoberfeest At Brazil's

Our friends picked us up at 6:00 and we drove to Jamestown, to our favorite downtown micro brew, Brazil's and had an Octoberfest beer along with pretzels for snacks.  It was fairly crowded for a Tuesday night which was nice to see.  After our beer, we walked to Taco Hut, the only Mexican joint in the area and ordered a pitcher of Sam Adams Octoberfest along with our various Mexican meals, from a portobello pizza to chicken fajitas.  I have to admit to liking both the food and the run down ambience of this place, with its tributes of Lucille Ball on the walls, one a receipt which she signed back in the day I assume.

Beer Truck (Pivo Is Russian/Slavic word for Beer)

We were home around 9:00 in time to watch most of the Frontline which had a special on the Donald and Hillary, tracing their lives from their beginnings up to the present.  It was great, a must see, and I highly recommend it.  In fact, its being repeated tonight at midnight on our PBS station, so if we wanted, we could save it again.  The early lives of both are really interesting and obviously very different, as Hilary right from the beginning, seems to have a life of service, caring for others while Trump is out to make a name for himself with his buildings.  Both are successful in their own ways.  The photographs of both, especially in their early years, are fun.

Around 10:30, I went upstairs to read my new book, a hot read, The Nix by Nathan Hall, a hefty, 620 page, dazzling debut novel.  So far, so good.

Waiting For The Sunrise On A Clear Morning

7:20

7:21

7:22

I was up at 6:00 on the dot and got up quickly for one reason, to hear the pundits respond to Hillary's trouncing of Donald last night.  And all of MSNBC agreed with me, obviously in contrast with the myopia of Trump's people who think he won.  I wonder what TV they were watching.  The Donald was himself, blustering, ignorant, and almost incoherent at times.  But it makes little if any difference, alas, as the debate will NEVER change the Trump supporters minds.  Or Hillary's for that matter.  Enough!

We treated yesterday like a rainy day, reminding me of our winters, where we stayed inside and enjoyed being cosy and secure in our house.  For me, however, I spent most of the morning in Erie, at a 5 minute doctor's appointment, then an hour at the Honda dealer to find our I needed a new seat belt clasp, which they had to order and I will have to go back to get it installed.  The good part, I don't have to pay for it as its under warranty.  I drove home the long way, to Ripley, then Westfield, where I picked up some Concord grapes for Evie.  I then stopped at the Lighthouse for a sub sandwich and picked up some Utz chips for last night's debate.

Lunch, then was easy, cut the sub in half and heat up some corn chowder.  And I watched what I assume was the last episode of NARCOS, as Pablo Escobar was finally cornered and shot by the Columbian police.  The final scene, however, suggested that there is a new cartel in town and the US and its agents are going to go after them, thus another season for NARCOS, I assume.

Because of the rain, we then did little the rest of the afternoon although Evie mid afternoon prepped dinner, making a Spaghetti Squash Gratin with swiss cheese and putting breading the pork schnitzel.  We watched some TV, listened to Julie Mason on POTUS until 4:30 when I braved the drizzle and walked the VictoriaWoodlawn woods, returning with numerous burrs on my pants.

We started our waiting for the debate around 5:30, with a glass of wine, then Evie browned the schnitzel and put the gratin the oven along with a few potatoes.  Dinner was at 7:00 and the Squash was amazingly tasty, unlike any squash I have had before.  We then watched more of the Spanish series, which passed time quickly so we could get to the debate.  To say we were nervous, would be an understatement.  I actually lasted to the very end, as Hillary seemed  in control, knowledgeable and Presidential and Donald seemed tired, defensive and  inarticulate, blubbering at times. He was woefully unprepared in contrast to Hillary. And I am continually shocked at how inarticulate Trump is, speaking in the sentence structures and vocabulary of a middle schooler.  As for the pundits, they all agreed that Hillary was the clear winner, even Steve Schmidt, a Republican strategist for both Bush and McCain.  I am sure Fox News saw it differently and they complained about Lester Holt being biased.  In the end, the debate is probably much ado about nothing because it will not change any one's mind.

Still Cool, Then Some Rain

6:30

6:50

6:53

I am up early, of course, but I am not having my nice relaxing morning, drinking coffee, reading the NYTimes on my computer and writing my blog.  This morning, I have to be on my way to Erie for an annual check up with my doctor, then on to the Honda dealer to get my Accord looked at.  A fun day ahead of me and it's starts at 8:00.   It's 53º out, clear, the moon out, and should get up to 70 later.

Yesterday, we really had a day of rest, like we are supposed to.  We vowed to take it easy and we did for the most part.  No big meals, no baking cookies, no making soups.  We did what we wanted and took a nice kayak paddle around 10:00, on a coolish morning.  Lots of bass boats out because the fog had lifted, and we paddled to the Long Point Marina, then back home.  Like always, it feels good to be on the water anytime of the year but especially in autumn.

We then had some breakfast, watched some TV,  then listened on Sonos to the morning news shows, as they geared up the audiences for the thriller at Hofstra tomorrow night, as The Donald takes on Hillary in a battle royal.  I will be so happy when this election is over and we get back to the reporting of some important news, something that's happening in the rest of the world that might just be of importance to us.

We then spent some time on the dock, perhaps one of our last days this week because rain is forecast for a couple of days.  Around 3:30, we were bored so we took a long boat ride down the lake to Mayville, then back on the other side.  We must have been gone for a good hour and a half, just cruising slowly, enjoying the going, not worrying about getting anywhere.  When we got back, Evie went back on the dock to read and I put the cover on the boat for the first time in a week, took some weeds up the hill, watered our trees and privets before it was time for dinner.

We had chicken and bacon sandwiches for dinner, along with corn chowder and we watched a couple of episodes of the Spanish Series, The Time In Between, then some news programs, just to keep up with the elections...just kidding.  I couldn't wait to go to bed.

A Whiff Of The Winter To Come

6:49

7:18

7:32

7:33

A foggy 43º morning, time to get out the fleece. The fog has been so heavy that we have seen no boats on the lake; either the fishing tournament was only on Saturday or they have put off the start until the fog lifts.  It's now 7:53 and I have had to move to another chair because the sun has filled our living room, blinding me when I sat in my usual chair.  I don't like change, even one as small as sitting in another chair.  Sounds like a 73 year old.  It's 8:12 and it looks like the bass tournament is on as the boats are off and charging around Long Point.

Rich and Sally and the Boys  (Colin, on tip toes)

The Cousins, Colin and Vince, and Best Friend, Dan

Yesterday began with a full house, two adults, three boys and a filling Evie like breakfast, of buttermilk pancakes and a frying pan full of sausage links.  Rich and Sally were up early, took a walk around the campground and let the boys sleep until 9:00.  Like good boys, they made their beds, then came down to breakfast, and a picture taking stop on the dock.  They left about 10:00 and were meeting another Dad in Barcelona, who was then going to take them to the Buffalo tournament and Richie and Sally would go home.

After the gang left, it was back to our Saturday routine, of cleaning out the refrigerator, emptying the wastebaskets, gathering up the weeks paper for the trip to the Transfer Station.  It was not particularly busy as the summer people have left for warmer climes, like Florida.  When I got home, Evie was putting together a corn chowder with the leftover corn, so we would have it for the week. Once that was done, we basically took it easy the rest of the day, happy to be back in our rut, a kind we like.  Evie hit the dock, I watched Narcos and had lunch, read some, napped then joined her on the dock.  It was surprisingly cool on the dock, a strong cooling winds demanded either a blanket or fleece but the sun felt great.

Around 3:30, we joined the bass boats on the lake and went for one of our final booze cruises on the lake, alas.  The fall clock is ticking towards winter.  We drove over to Bemus, took the lake drive home, to the Marina where there were lots of bass boats idling in front of the Marina, waiting their turn to pull on to a trailer and weigh their catch.  The lake was choppy in parts, calm in others when we were protected from the wind so it was a nice day to be on the lake, perfect for sailing actually.

Cocktail Hour On The Lake

The Rouge Of Twilight

We decided to stick with our usual Saturday at the lake, which means Manhattans and appetizers on the porch, while we listen to Garrison Keillor, a show from 2009 because he has retired.  It was a mind boggling late afternoon, as the sun played all kinds of tricks on Long Point, forcing us to take one awe inspiring photo after another.  We never get the sun setting from our house, just the play of its light on the opposite shore.  Yesterday, it brought out all the changing colors in the trees, ones we don't see unless they are highlighted by the setting sun. We also watched a hawk fly back and forth, looking for its prey and finally, it flew off with a bird in its talons. Anyways, it was another pleasant way to end the day.

Faux Fall Colors At Long Point

As Sun Sets, Shadows Darken  Long Point 

For dinner, we had lots of leftovers to pick from: soup, hot dogs, pancakes, sausage and apple pie for dessert.  We watched some news, football, then Bill Maher before going up to bed.

Today looks like another splendid day on the lake but the wet weather arrives tomorrow.   We better take advantage of it.

Chillin On A Saturday Morning At The Lake

6:34

6:49

6:50

7:

It's 53º at 7:00 and I have been sitting here counting the bass boats charge out of the Long Point Marina, hot for those prizes.  I am up to forty five at the moment at they are still coming.  It looks like a fine day for a fishing tournament, getting up to only 64º later in the day, finally, fall like temperatures come to the lake.

Evie Of The Lake

We had a surprisingly warm Friday, even though the prediction was a 70's day.  We started our day with a long kayak paddle down to Whitney Bay and back and by the time we returned, the sun was bright and warm on our backs, as we both worked up a sweat.  And by mid afternoon, it got up into the 80's once again.  We both were able to get a few things done in preparation for a late dinner, as my nephew, Richie, his wife Sally, and three boys were coming for a late dinner and overnight after a hockey game in Buffalo.  And even though dinner was practically made, frozen shells, there is always much to do to get ready.  And, mid morning, Evie decided to make an apple pie for dessert so that took up some time.  Anyways, we were both done taking care of house business by noon.  I had driven to get corn, got some gas for the boat, so by 1:00, it was dock time.  Evie made me a BLT for lunch before hitting the dock, thank you, and I did my usual, lunch, NARCOS, reading, and a nap.
At 3:30, Evie had enough sun, so she decided the lawn needed cutting and that took a good hour in a very warm fall afternoon.  I, however, put our old Adirondack chair in the car and drove up to the north end of the lake to an Amish farm, where there is a carpenter who was willing to make a pattern of our favorite Adirondack chair.   He was going to give us a price for it but unfortunately, had just rode off to a field, so I left the chair and a note to call us.  We loved these chairs because of the great arms and comfortable back.  Our daughter Beth must have given them to us 30 years ago when she found them somewhere in New England.

Dinner With The Hockey Guys

I was back around 5:30, and we then got things ready for the boys, putting another leaf in the table and setting it.  We then relaxed with some wine for next couple of hours, reading and listening to the radio.  They arrived around 8:00 and the boys quickly rushed in, like puppies, giggling and grab assing, pumped from their hockey and drive.  We knew they would be hungry so Evie had dinner ready, stuffed shells, hot dogs, fresh sweet corn, salad and an apple pie for dessert.  It was fun to see them, and they quickly devoured their food, went outside in the dark to  ook at the lake, then disappeared upstairs to their rooms and devices, coming down only after an hour for apple pie and ice cream.  We sat up with Richie and Sally until 11:00, catching up on their lives, their boys, one who is a senior and is starting to look at colleges. I am sure glad we don't have to go through that process anymore.

Our Back Porch Filled With Hockey Stuff

It's now 7:30, Rich and Sally are up and took a walk through the campground, and the boys and Evie are still sleeping, lucky dogs.

A Touch Of Pink On A Cloudy Morning

7:36 AM

8:32

I slept in some, until 6:30, and came downstairs to the sound of bass boats roaring through the early morning light.  At the moment, a couple are out in front of our dock, trolling by, there must be a tournament this weekend.  Autumn arrived yesterday and coincidentally, the temperatures have dropped today and for the ensuing weeks, I assume as the high will be only 74º, not in the 80's like the past few days.  Yippee.  Bring on the cool weather and the fall colors.

Yesterday began as usual with breakfast at the Bemus Point Inn, a good way to start the day.  When I got home, Evie was busy as usual with something, not sure what.  Around 9:30, I decided to get my flu shot so I drove to Wegman's, the easiest way to get one and I picked up a few items for tonight's dinner as my nephew, Richie and his family, are staying with us tonight because their two sons have a hockey game in Buffalo on Friday and Saturday.  When I got home, I took a few items off of our fall bucket list, changing the batteries in the smoke detector and trimming our new trees.  I also did some weed raking, as the southerly winds continue to bring weeds to our shore line.  We are pretty fortunate, however, as the weeds really get worse down towards Victoria.

Joyce, Pat And Evie With Their Toppers

Evie and two neighbors, Pat and Joyce, went to lunch in Westfield at the Park View Cafe because Pat is headed home to Houston tomorrow, Saturday.  While they were dining in style, I was having leftover basil pasta, just right as I was still full from a big breakfast of home fries and a croissant egg and sausage sandwich.  I am almost finished with the new season of NARCOS on Netflix and it looks like Pablo Escobar, the drug lord, is going to get his 'just desserts.'  That's fine with me, because I just saw that another one of my favorite series, LONGMIRE, has a new season on Netflix as of yesterday.

Woodlawn/Victoria Toppers

When Evie got home from lunch, around 2:00, we both went out to enjoy the dock and sunshine.  It was the kind of day we remember from past falls, a sunny stillness, as if time stood still, with a lake unusually placid, the sky clear.  It seems to only happen in the fall, usually in late September.  Life could not be better than on this kind of day.  Evie went in around 5:00 and I worked on my dock some, taking out some of the lag bolts, getting it ready for October when we will have it taken out.

Life Is Good

Evie wanted to take another boat ride, so we cruised over to Bemus, found out the Casino and their famous wings will be open every day until October 2nd, then walked down to the new restaurant in town, the Ellicottville Brewing Company.  It's pricey, mostly because of the micro brews, but we really like sitting at the bar and ordering the huge German pretzel with beer cheese.  It's enough for both of us, so that we don't really want anything else.  We had beer, split a second, and enjoyed the early evening.  We left just after 7:00 as the sun was setting and took our time cruising home, not wanting to get off the lake because it was so empty and calm and shimmery, a end of the the day delight.

Dusk On Chautauqua Lake

We then watched a couple of episodes of a Spanish mini series, THE TIME IN BETWEEN, set in Spain in 1937.  And we had fresh peaches on ice cream for dessert, the last of the season I would assume.  It was a good way to end our day.

Cloudless In Chautauqua

6:31

7:14

It's a quiet and cool morning on the lake as I have just been outside taking photos of the rising sun on a cloudless morning.  It's always shocking to see how far to the south( to the right as I look out at the lake) the rising sun has traveled since the Summer Solstice.  Today is the Autumn equinox, the day when the day and night are approximately the same length: sunrise is at 7:05, sunset at 7:14, thus day and night are almost equal.

Jerusalem Artichoke Blossom

Yesterday began with a farewell at 9:00 to the Eptings, our good friends from Turkey and now California.  We had a fun three days and it was sad to see them leave.  As always, when company leaves, we feel bereft, wondering what to do for the rest of the day as we had been so busy before.  Well, we figured out what to do...nothing much, a delight really.  And nothing is not quite accurate as I drove with Evie to the dentist for her annual teeth cleaning at 11:00 in downtown Jamestown.  I waited for her at the Labyrinth Press Coffee Shop for a breakfast burrito and coffee as I read the New York Times on my computer.  We stopped at Peterson's Vegetable Stand on the way home and walked away with lots of goodies, some bizarre items like Swedish mustard, whatever that is, but lots of good apples for applesauce and pie making.

And that was it.  When we got home, Evie went out to enjoy the afternoon on the dock and I stayed inside and read and watched Narcos before taking a nap.  Around 3:00, we decided to take a kayak paddle because the lake was so inviting.  We took our usual paddle over to Long Point, to the Marina and back to the reeds and home.  By the time we got back, we had worked up a sweat.  Because it was such a beautiful, fall afternoon, we then took a cruise over to Bemus, then back along the shoreline, as the wind picked up a bit, cooling us on an 80º afternoon.

7:00 PM

We then enjoyed some wine and appetizers on our porch as we watched the day slowly fade away and darkness invade around 7:00.  Dinner was easy, leftover moussaka and pesto pasta, so all we needed to do was throw it in the microwave and we had dinner.  Neither of us felt much like watching a series, so we watched the news and then some junk TV until bedtime

Foggy...Again

6:46

6:48

7:54

I woke at 6:00 to the sound of a fishing boat motor and came downstairs to an utterly dark house, as the days shrink, and we are one day away from the Autumn Equinox, on Thursday, September 22. Tempus Fugit.  Our California friends, Rick and Carolyn, leave this morning for Hershey, then Gettysburg, and finally Washington, DC on Thursday.  We will be back to an empty nest for a couple of days.

Yesterday was uneventful, at least for us, as Rick and Carolyn spent the day at Niagara Falls.  It was a perfect day to visit the Falls and they loved it except for the hour delay on the Maid Of The Mist because of a passenger's collapse just as they were to cruise off.  Other than that, it was a nice day for them.  We took it easy, if that's possible for Evie, as she made lots of pesto (basil courtesy of Kathy and Joyce Leonard) and got the dough ready for our dinner of homemade pasta with pesto sauce. Mid morning, I drove into Lakewood for a  coffee, picked up a couple dozen eggs, washing my car at the self wash, stopped at Home Depot to pick up some home water filters and ended up at Wegman's doing some shopping.  Sound familiar.

When I got home, Evie was already on the dock, enjoying the sun.  I put away the groceries, and Evie came in briefly to make me an egg salad sandwich.  I cleaned up the kitchen, ate my lunch, and watched another episode of Narcos before joining Evie on the dock.  We stayed out until 3:30 when we came in and got things ready for dinner.  Rick and Carolyn returned just after 4:00 and we both took it easy until dinner time, as Rick needed the time to plan his drive this morning through New York and Pennsylvania.  He does not believe in the GPS, a Luddite who still uses maps.

Pesto Pasta With Carolyn And Rick

While he mapped out his journey, we sipped wine and helped Evie make the fresh pasta for dinner. We sat down around 7:00 to a huge bowl of pasta with pesto sauce, a great salad, and sour dough rolls, a simple peasant's dinner, as Carolyn explained; pesto was a cheap and easy meal for Italians. We had Talenti's pistachio Gelato for dessert, compliments of the Eptings, their favorite which they were able to find at Tops in Mayville.  We then spent another evening of nostalgia, looking at photos from our life in Istanbul back in the 1970's, as well as the camping trips we took together in Greece and Crete.  It was fun, a trip down memory lane to use a cliche and we have not looked at these photos in years.  We ended up watching the news again at 11:00, going to bed around 11:30.

Right now it's 7:30,  Rick is up going over his map, the girls are still asleep, and the lake is fog bound still.

Another Spectacular Almost Autumn Day

7:17

7:24

Up at 6:30, a thin line of clouds over the Bemus and Long Point shoreline.  Other than that, a clear sky above, a comfortable 56º, as I waited for the sun to rise.  It's now 7:40 and I can hear some stirring upstairs, so the day is about to begin.  Rick and Carolyn are driving up to Niagara Falls for the day some they will be off by 9:00 and return sometime in late afternoon, to check one more thing off of their bucket list.

Yesterday made up for the torrential rains on Saturday, the spotty rain on Sunday as it was a perfect day to celebrate Evie's birthday.  She could not have asked for a better day and she loves to cruise in our boat, so we got in two great rides.  First, we had a pancake breakfast around 9:30, after we all slowly woke up with our coffee, after checking our emails and text messages.  We then cruised slowly to the Chautauqua Institution on smooth, waveless lake, a cloudless sky.  I can hardly remember such a day on the lake.

Loving Bestor Plaza's Shade

We were able to tie up at the Institution's dock, then took a leisurely stroll around the north end, ogling the various houses, then returning to Bestor Plaza and taking pictures of the now demolished Amphitheater.

It's Gone 

It was almost too warm for a walk, as all of us worked up a sweat, enjoyed finding the shade when we could.  We browsed the bookstore some and found a book of poetry by a friend of a friend we wanted called EARTH, GRASS, TREES AND STONE, by Mary Anne Morefield, a Chautauqua, Pennsylvania, and Scottsdale resident.  We then cruised home, enjoying just being one of the few boats on the vast blue of the lake.

Lunch Under The Trees

When we got home, Evie quickly got out the homemade lentil soup, heated it up and made toasted cheddar cheese sandwiches for our lunch.  We were able to eat outside for the first time, in the shade of our maple trees.  The soup was better than we could get in Turkey we all agreed and Carolyn even tried my way of enjoying a cheese sandwich, by spreading jam on it.  The rest of the afternoon was do your own thing, the girls on the dock sunning and swimming, Richard and me, in the house reading or taking a nap.

Enjoying Reuben's At The Viking Club

Around 5:00, Evie and Carolyn went for a swim, washed their hair, then came in to get cleaned up for our night out at the Viking Club.  So around 6:00, we boarded the Party Boat with a beer, cruised Long Point, viewed the bridge, then moseyed down to the Viking Club, easily finding a place to dock our boat.  Our friend, Barb Johnson, was sitting there, in her boat, waiting for her husband Dana and told us the were out of Cuban sandwiches.  Horrors.  That's why were going.  So we rushed in to see what was left and ordered the last four Reuben sandwiches.  Whew.  We found a nice nook outside, ordered a pitcher of beer and watched the sun drop below the horizon, the air suddenly get cool.  By the time our Rueben's arrived, we decided to move inside and found a table in the bar.  The sandwiches were really good despite the fact they may have used cheese whiz in place of Russian dressing or along with it.

Sunset at 7:15 From The Viking Club

We stayed until 8:00 and it was surprisingly dark by then, as the days shorten, so we had to wend our way in darkness to the dock and our boat.  We cruised home slowly, in the middle of the lake for safety, because it was so dark but were easily able to see lights along Woodlawn and Victoria off in the distance.  The floodlights were on in both neighbors homes, which makes it difficult to dock because they are so blinding.

We then enjoyed some coffee, pumpkin pie with whipped cream of course and helped our friends plan their trip to Niagara Falls today.  We ended the evening watching REAL TIME with Bill Maher, the the 11:00 News with Brian Williams before going to bed at 11:30.  What a day.