A Morning At Gettysburg, Then Back To The Lake

Jill And Her Girls

We are both up early because we want to be on our way by 8:00 at the latest.  Hayden has to get the bus at 6:30 and she just left.  Whenever I hear other retirees like me talk about today's generation, how they cannot compare to our generation of the 1950's, especially how well educated we are, I think of Hayden, spending her entire weekend either studying, writing papers, or working out, and staying up most night's until midnight studying.  I knew no one like that in my high school; I got my hour of homework done in a study hall and hardly ever remember studying on a weekend.  These young people today are truly impressive and Hayden is a good example, self disciplined, ambitious, healthy and athletic.

Yesterday we spent hanging out, not wanting to do much other than watch football on TV for the guys, homework for Hayden and Halle, with Evie's help.  I was up early, of course, waiting for the others to wake.  The girls finally were up by 9:30 and wanted to go to the store with Drew and me because they needed some accoutrements for their Halloween costumes.  So we hit a couple of stores, picked up some vegetables for dinner, then finally found some things at Target for the girls' Halloween before ending up at Total Wines to pick up more wine and beer for a Halloween party they are having on Monday for some of the neighbors.

Waxing My Car

While we were at the store, Evie and Jill put together a couple of recipes of stuffed shells for the Halloween Party.  It took a good part of the morning. When we got home, Hayden and Drew decided to go for a short run, so I waxed my car as it was still cool enough to enjoy working outside.  It did not take me long, a little over a half hour, and now I hope it's ready for the winter weather, sure to come.  Most of the work was done by noon, so we had some lunch and Drew and Hayden went out for a short run before Jill and Drew ended up going off to the Bull Run Winery, to celebrate a friends birthday.

Stuffed Shells

Evie and I stayed home with the girls for the rest of the afternoon.  Evie and Halle hung out and played outside, Hayden was up in her room reading her AP World History, a bear, and I did what I am good at, nothing, meaning I fell asleep watching football.  It was sad to see Buffalo lose once again to Tom Brady and the Patriots but it was expected.  Around 3:45, Halle and I took the dogs out for a walk, and met Jill and Drew on their way home from the winery.

Ellen, Jill, Evie, Halle

Fun

Wine Time

And just after 4:00, my sister, Ellen, and her husband Walt came over for the afternoon and early evening.  They live about a half hour away in Herndon.  The guys sat inside talking football and cars and work; the gals were outside enjoying the porch and sunshine on a warm afternoon.  We got out the wine and appetizers and had a fun late afternoon until it was time to put the burgers on.

Dinner Helpers

The Burger Boys

And it was good timing, as the wind had picked up and it started to rain just as we cleared the table, came in, and brought in the burgers.  We sat around the table enjoying our burgers and fries, talking mostly about the TV series we have been watching.  The highlight, however, was dessert.  My sister, Ellen, made apple dumplings, a recipe from our Mom.  It was delicious, especially with ice cream, tasty apples, cinnamon, and a thick, sugar syrup.  They left just before the Indians game began and the rest of us sat in front of the TV, stuffed from dinner, too much wine, sort of watching the Indians but mostly playing on our devices.

We stayed up as long as we could watching the World Series but none of us made it to the end, another nail biter though this time the Tribe was on the losing end, 3-2.

An Afternoon At Barrel Oak Winery (Delaplane, VA), Evening Cooking Out Steaks

Afternoon In The Country

Hayden And Her Bosom Friend, Ava

It's another Sunday in Virginia, unseasonably warm, with partly cloudy skies.  I have been up since 6:30 and Jill and Drew got up around 7:30.  So I have had a good hour to myself, catching up on the NYTimes opinion page. It seems clear the race has tightened, most likely a result of the FBI director injected himself into the politics of a Presidential race.

Yesterday, we had nothing planned for the morning because we were going to picnic at a winery for lunch and early afternoon.  So Jill went to workout at 9:00 and Drew and I took the dogs for a walk around the block.  When we got back, since Jill was still working out, we took Halle to DSW shoe outlet and I ended up buying a pair of waterproof (supposedly) walking/hiking shoes by Columbia.  They felt good when I put them on, and I just hope they live up to their shtick.  We also stopped at Total Wines, just to ogle the thousands of bottles of wine and I bought a chardonnay Jill recommended called River Road Unoaked.

Browsing Wegman's For A Picnic Lunch

Around noon, we picked up Hayden's girlfriend, Ava, whose family is from Erie.  We then stopped at an amazing Wegman's which makes our Lakewood Wegman's look like a 7/11 store.  We went straight to he goodies area, picking up sushi, brie, bread, salami, ham and swiss cheese.  This store is amazing, filled with shoppers like us, loading up their carts with food.  They even have a restaurant in the middle of the store, more or less a bar really, where you sit on stools, order a beer and food, a real destination place.

Picnicking At Barrel Oak

Barrel Oak Winery

The Sisters

We then drove about twenty five minutes to Barrel Oak Winery, pulled into the parking lot and could hardly find a place to park.  It's a great spot for a wine bar, set up on top of a hill overlooking farms, hills, and vineyards.  People were sitting at all the tables on the lawn, picnicking, or waiting in line for wine.  I would estimate well over a couple of hundred people were there, with their kids or dogs, a real happening (with music) on a warm and sunny afternoon.  We enjoyed a bottle of Virginia wine, devoured our appetizers, and enjoyed the scene, young and old, even toddlers and dogs.  We stayed until the food and wine were gone about an hour and a half, then drove home, all tired from the sun and wine.  Everyone but Evie and the girls took a nap, worn out from our excursion.

Dumb And Dumber

We were all up by 4:30, ready to enjoy the rest of the day.  I went outside, worked my way into Drew's MG, and we went out for a ride, impressing the neighborhood kids with a car they had never seen before.  I felt like James Bond.  It was still nice out when we got back, so I washed my car while Drew did some work outside.  By 5:30, it was time for a beer and we watched the exciting 4th quarter of the Ohio State game.  Hayden, after having done 45 minutes of RPM spin, worked on her homework while we watched the game, a good girl.  She is amazingly disciplined, with various AP courses, cross country, a social life and on her day off from cross country, she does a workout.

With Coco, My Favorite Dog (in Virginia)

Dinner was just what the doctor ordered, easy and good, grilled New York strips, roasted potatoes, mushrooms and a salad, a classic meal.

 Pre Dinner Wine And Salad Making

Heating Up In Virginia

The Family: Jill, Drew, Hayden, Halle, And The Dogs, Coco and Daisy

Well, Virginia weather must agree with me and I must have been very tired because I slept in until 7:00, unheard of these days.  And we both went to bed around 10:00, in the fifth inning of the Indians game, too tired to stay up and watch them WIN.  Go Tribe.  I actually attended a 1954  World Series games when the Tribe lost to the Giants, standing behind the outfield fence with friends.  I was 11 years old and loved listening to Jimmy Dudley broadcast their games on the radio.  I knew the entire lineup, in fact, knew the lineups of most teams back then.  No more.

Halle And Her Mom

We left for Virginia Friday morning at 7:45 and it took us our usual seven hours to get to Jill's house.  It is an easy drive, very little traffic until with hit Interstate 66 which takes us into Washington, D.C.  We had sunny weather for most of the drive though the colors are past their prime, more browns and golds then red and yellow.  Still, it's always a scenic drive and one we don't mind.

And we have always driven by this cool diner just outside of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.  Well, this time we stopped at the Potomac River Grill.   The parking lot was full, fortunately someone pulled out just as we arrived.  We walked in and surprisingly, it had no view of the Potomac River which was disappointing.  The food, the ambiance, the waitresses, however, were all really good.  I ordered  barbecued beef and Evie got a large fries, large enough for four people.  We made little head way with it, leaving over half the fries.

Three Dollah Fries

And they also make their own pies and cakes.  Evie saw one of the waitresses carrying a cake through the dining room and it looked so good, we checked out their desserts and ended up taking a peanut butter pie with us for dessert with Jill's family.

We arrived in Bristow just before 3:00 and were greeted by our 11 year old granddaughter, Halle, who had just gotten home from school.  Drew and Jill both followed shortly, then Hayden arrived, tired from a cross country practice.  They all look great, seem happy, and we also got to meet their new rescue dog, Daisy.  

Walking The Dogs

Halle, Evie and I took the dogs out for a short walk, just to get some exercise after a long ride.  Hayden was in a hurry because she was not sure what time her friends were coming, so we put the chicken/broccoli wild rice casserole in the oven so she could have something to eat before going off to a haunted house with friends.  After she was picked up by the parents of her girlfriend, the four of us sat down to great dinner, the casserole, with salad, and garlic bread.  We then relaxed and watched the Indians/Cubs game, waiting to get at the pie but not for long.  All I can say is there's nothing left this morning of the peanut butter and whipped cream pie!  Evie and I went to bed just after 10:00, tired from our drive.  Drew, however, stayed up until 12:30, watching the game and waiting to pick up Hayden.  I remember those nights.

It's going to get up into the high 70's today, 80's tomorrow.  We are planning on visiting some local wineries this afternoon, having a cook out tonight.  It should be a perfect day to be outside, enjoying a late Indian Summer in Virginia.

A Virginia Weekend

7:35

More Leaves

It's just 6:30 and both of us have been up since 5:30, obviously pumped about our seven hour drive to visit our daughter Jill and family who live in Northern Virginia.  It's still pitch black outside, not a inkling of morning sky, just the twinkle of lights from the opposite shoreline.  We  did not intend to get up this early, just did.

A Rainy Day

Not much to say about yesterday, as neither of us had the exciting kind of day we had on Wednesday when we joined the Gowanda Slovenian Club.  For Evie, it was getting ready for our weekend, trying to decide what to take for three days, not over packing which never works.  She also put together a dinner which we are taking for Friday night, making it easier for Jill who works.  So the morning for Evie was taken up with some cooking, the afternoon with packing.  For me, my day started as usual with Yin Yoga, a class of 23, packed in the studio like sardines.  It's nice to see how popular the class has become.  Afterwards,  I stopped at Ryder's Cup for a coffee and reluctantly drove to the Schultz Express on Fairmont,  I needed a safety check, oil change and tire rotation.  No problem, as there was only one car ahead of me.  Easy, right, except for the fact the computers were not working so that I had to hang out for close to two hours to get my safety check done.  Once it was done, I had to stop at Wegman's to pick up some Italian bread and finally drove home, getting there at 1:30.  Evie had lunch ready, a chicken salad sandwich and soup, which was great.  I watched Longmire, then took a cat nap before deciding to get packing.  It took me about 10 minutes to get all my stuff together and put it in my traveling suitcase, a large, plastic IKEA bag. Love it for road trips, haven't tried it yet on a plane.

One Less Leaf To Mulch

We did not get a walk or kayaking in because it rained on and off most of the day.  We were pleased to see work was being done most of the day on the tip of Long Point, trying to save it from erosion.  We had hoped to kayak over but the foul weather never let up.

Erosion Control Of Long Point

We both were tired much of the day, perhaps from our hike but we had little mojo, especially in regards to dinner.  So we had breakfast, easy and good, bacon, eggs, and toast.  I am getting really tired of the politics, the stories about how bad Trump and Hillary are, so instead of watching the usual news channels, we watched three episodes of the cheesy Kiefer Sutherland series, DESIGNATED SURVIVOR.  Every time things are looking up for the poor President, something bad happens.  This week there's doubt as to whether his son is really his, as a prisoner, his wife's ex boy friend, is bragging that he is the father of the President's son.  Not only does he have terrorism to deal with, his uncertain presidency, a rebellious military, and a few untrustworthy aides, but now his son my not be his.  Poor soul.

It's almost 7:00, time to shower, get packed and be on our way.  Although it's a chilly 36º here at the lake, it will be warm in Virginia, in the 70's much of the weekend, perhaps getting into the 80's.

Hiking Zoar Valley, Joining The Gowanda Slovenian Club

Hiking In The Zoar Valley

Joining The Gowanda Slovenian  Club

Amish Clothes Dryer (to telephone pole)

7:50

It's still dark as I start my blog earlier than usual because I have breakfast at 8:00.  I can hear the rain hitting the roof, the swing of the bird feeder from the wind.  It's 36º and I assume in some areas, they may  get some snow.  I know that it got down to 28º in the Ellington area yesterday because the apples were frozen at a farm stand where we stopped.  It looks like a miserable day outside, a good day to get some things done inside.

Yesterday we had a plan, to drive 50 miles to the town of Gowanda, near Persia, and hike the Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area, which surrounds the Cattaraugus River.  We left around 10:00, thinking we would get there by 11:00 but we decided to take our time on The Amish Trail, and stopped a couple of times, for some vegetables, than at a quirky antique shop, with one room after another, across from a huge mill.  Evie was looking for a cookie jar but we ended up with two paintings, on wood, one of a rooster, the other a farm scene.  I am sure you can find the same picture in antique shops all over New York.  In other words, they are not originals but we liked them.  And we did not find a cookie jar as the proprietor told us a woman came in last week and bought 8 of them.

Fall Colors

Along The Amish Trail

It was a lovely day for a ride, through a part of New York which we had never traveled so we enjoyed it, going through towns like Leon, Ellington and Persia.  When we got to Gowanda, a fairly prosperous looking town, we stopped at the Greek diner on the corner, the Olympia, thinking we might eat there later.  It was a the center of the town, across the street from the solid stone Persia Bank.  We were going to hike the Deer Lick Conservation Area, a few miles out of town, and as we headed out, we passed a brick building with a sign that said The Slovenia Club.

Our Club

Inside The Club

Slovenia

Well, we had to stop to see what it was, talked with a couple standing outside (he was the local judge), and they encouraged us to go inside when we told them Evie was Slovenian.  So we did and found a bar filled with patrons at noon, a couple of women sitting at a table selling some kind of gambling tickets.  We struck up a conversation with them, and ended up joining the club for thirty bucks.  We got a token for a free drink for joining and said we would be back after our hike.

Trees Entangled With Vines

More Vines

Looking At The Top Of A Tulip Tree

Tulip Trees

We found the parking lot of our hike, and there were multiple trails.  We decided to take the White Trail, out to the tip, overlooking the Gorge and the Cattaraugus River.  I thought it would be a round trip of six miles but it ended up only being around four.  It was, however, a great hike, much of it along a ridge line overlooking the Gorge.  The trail was covered with leaves, of course, the colors of the woods still striking and the trail was fairly easy to follow.  Some of the oldest trees in New York State are found in Zoar Valley, one is a 156 foot tall Tulip Tree.  We saw many trees like it but were not sure where it stood.  We ended up at the end of the ridge, overlooking the river, with only a partial view because of the trees.

Lunch At End Of White Trail, Deer Lick

We had walked over an hour before stopping for our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and we were hungry because it was around 1:30.  The trail is shaped like a lasso at the end of a rope, a long walk, then a loop and we ate our lunch mid way on the loop.  We were tired when we  got back to our car and it was good to sit down.  Just as we were leaving a couple, an infant, and another woman were about to start a seven miler.  We wondered if they would get back before  dark but they did not seem worried, having hiked it before and they had a head lamp just in case.

Cattaraugus River

Photo From Hog's Back

We then drove to another trail, about two miles from Deer Lick called the Valentine Trail.  It was a half mile hike through woods, taking a right where the trail diverged, out to Hogs Back, with spectacular views of the Gorge and river.  It was, however, walking out on the hogs back, perhaps six feet wide, over tree roots, just to get a photograph.  I had to literally crawl out it was so scary, with shear hundred foot drops on both sides.  Next time, we will take the trail to the left, which I have heard leads down to the bank of the Cattaraugus River.

Valentine's Point

We then drove into town and stopped at the Slovenian Club, to get our free beer.  We sat at the bar with ten other patrons and talked with the bartender, a woman who has worked there for 28 years.  She told us all about the club, the town, how when the tannery and glue factory closed, many in the town lost their jobs so its been tough going the past decade.  Lots of Slovenians settled in this area sixty or seventy years ago but there are not many left.  The board has to be Slovenian but anyone can join, so there are lots of other nationalities, mostly from Europe.  They serve dinners on Wednesday and Friday, bar food on Saturday and Sunday, an a polka festival and picnic the first weekend in August. We don't want to miss that.  We sat there for an hour sipping a beer and enjoying some hand cut fries. According to Evie they were an A plus.

Good Night In Slovenian

We then drove through Fredonia, then home and we drove into our parking area just as it was getting dark, the end to a really great day.  Who would have thought we would end up with two paintings and a membership to the Gowanda Slovenian Club.  Fortunately, we had chicken parmesan leftover from Tuesday, so Evie heated it up and made a salad and we had a good dinner.  We watched some of the Indians game  but switched when it looked like they would lose and watched the rest of THE CIRCUS on Showtime before going to bed.

Tomorrow, we are driving to Bristow, VA, to spend the weekend with our daughter Jill and her family, so today we will be busy, getting ready for our trip.  And I need to get the oil changed on my Subaru and a safety check, so I will do that after yoga, a busy morning.

Fog Rising On A 34º Morning

7:31

7:32

7:49

7:50

It was 6:00 when I rose, came downstairs in the darkened kitchen, turned on the coffee and walked outside to see the sky, a few stars, a crescent moon, and a chilly morning.  Right now, it's 7:55, the sun rose about five minutes ago, highlighting the lake and fog with its rays.  A mostly clear sky, a cloud or two, a good start to our day.

Yesterday, Tuesday, was a mostly lost day for both of us.  I did start the day with yoga, which was fine and I came straight home, no coffee or shopping because I had to drive to Erie for a car appointment at 1:00.  So I literally ran in the house, changed, grabbed my computer and Kindle and drove to Erie, about a 45 minute drive.  I stopped on Peach Street, to get some gas, then sat down at Chick Fil A for lunch.  I figured I had about 25 minutes to enjoy my lunch before driving to the Honda dealer.  I timed it well as I arrived there at 1:00, then sat in their lounge, reading or surfing the net on my computer until 2:20.  Whatever they did, the seat belt/air bag warning light went off so I was good to go.

Nuthatch Up Close

While I was gone, Evie spent part of her morning putting together our dinner of chicken parmesan and getting ready for a trip to the dentist (a filling needed to be replaced) and a major shopping at Wegman's.  So I knew that when I got home, she would be either at the dentist or shopping.  Thus, I was in no hurry to get home, so I took the slow, interesting ride home, taking RT 5, along Lake Erie from the NY line to Barcelona, which skirts the lake and fields of vineyards.  A number of huge trucks were parked along the now mostly brown fields of grapes, waiting to take the grapes to the Westfield.  It's always a scenic drive, glimpses of the lake between an occasional beach front home and vineyards on both sides of the road.  I stopped at Barcelona Beach, at the parking lot, where they working on improving the parking area, perhaps adding a pavilion of sorts.  I spent about 15 minutes scouring the beach for flat rocks for a new cairn I plan on building on the edge of our property.

I then drove home, hoping to stop in Westfield to pick up a pie at Portage Pie which, unfortunately, was closed.  I then drove to the Westfield Nursery, then the ice cream parlor, and both were closed for the winter, alas.  Finally, I checked out the building which Portage Pie bought  on Main Street in Westfield and it looks like they are in the process of renovating it, and it will be a coffee and pie place.  I ended my drive in Westfield by seeing if I  could find a once famous restaurant, the Bark Inn, which is open only on Wednesday through Saturdays, like many of the restaurants in Chautauqua County.  I would like to go back some Friday and try it because its been years since we have been there.

Monday Afternoon Sky

I finally arrived home around 3:30, tired of driving and not sure what to do.  So I turned on Julie Mason on POTUS, did some reading, and enjoyed the afternoon sky, filled with puffy clouds and blue skies.  Evie finally got home after 6:00, tired from her excursion, ready to relax and fortunately, dinner was done.  So she popped the chicken parm in the oven (which worked long enough to heat up our dinner), put away all the goodies, and I went outside and did a quick mulching of our front yard, filled with leaves once again.  It took me only 20 minutes, and when I came in, I had enough time before dinner to enjoy a glass of rose before dinner was ready.  We had a dilemma as to what to watch, the Cavs or the Indians, so we switched back and forth, timing it perfectly as we watched the Indians get a 2-0 lead, then a 3-0 lead by a home run.  I have to admit we both soon got bored with both, so we watched some of FOX and MSNBC before watching another episode of THIS IS US.  We went to bed with the Indians still ahead, the Cavs having won, so it looked like a great evening in Cleveland.

Today we are going to hike the Zoar Valley, supposedly one of the most spectacular hikes in Cattaraugus County, with ancient trees, a Gorge and the Cattaraugus River. It's about an hour drive to Gowanda, the nearest village.