Rain Overnight

6:26

6:54

7:23

It's later than usual as I begin my blog,  8:15 although I have been up for two hours.  It was raining when I woke and we got at least an inch overnight if not more.  Right now it's just cloudy, a nice breeze and 63º.  I have been listening to Morning Joe spend a good hour discussing the latest infantile tweet from the Oval Office.  Isn't there something else going on in the world that has more importance?

Yesterday was warm and humid but it did not stop us from working outside.  I got my yoga fix in at 10:00, lots of hip openers which I suppose I need.  And, since we were going out for dinner for the fifth night in a row, I did not stop anywhere to shop.  Nice.  When I got home, Evie was working in the yard, pulling weeds that tend to take over in our yard.  I donned my work clothes, got out the hedge trimmer and worked on both the privet hedge and our lilac tree.  We also discovered mucho vines growing on our privets that tend to choke them out.  So we both put on long sleeved shirts, got down on our hands and knees, and started pulling them out from, we hope, the roots.  By the time we finished, it looked like rain, so Evie made me a great omelet with Turkish kashar cheese and I watched my TV show, SPIRAL.  I then took a quick nap, woke energized for once and joined Evie outside again and worked for the next couple of hours on weeding our brick walkway of weeds, grass and moss and I did not finish until 5:30.  I took a quick swim in a very cold lake which certainly woke me up and got ready to go to Ken and Marjorie's, our neighbors, for cocktails and appetizer before going out to dinner.  It was another classic sunny early evening on their porch and we got caught up with Charlie, a friend with whom we always have dinner with a couple of times a year.

A Night Out With Neighbors And Friend

We decided to try a restaurant which has been around for quite awhile but we never frequented called The Springs, across from Midway Amusement Park.  It was a good choice. The inside is nothing to rave about, a cross between a diner and a restaurant but it also had a nice outdoor patio.  The menu, however, was amazing, about as extensive a menu as I have ever seen, with 15 or 20 specials and at least 15 homemade desserts.  We ordered either the crab cakes or fish and everything was really great.  We also had a personable waitress who helped us find our way among the many choices.  We let the chef/owner know how much we enjoyed our meal and said we would be back soon.  What a great find.

We got home around 9:15, in time to watch some Vice News and Stephen Colbert before bed.

Warming And Rain

6:36

7:05

7:30

It's a partly cloudy morning sky, as the sun dips in and out.  It's 63º, may get up to 80º later in the day, probably when the rains arrive in the afternoon.  It's 7:20 and I have been up for an hour, listening to MSNBC conservative contributor Brad Stephens call Twitter 'word porn, words without clothes'. He's basically gone off Twitter and it has been the happiest five days of the year.  And they emphasized once again the scariest result of the Trump Presidency, Trump and his supporters disdain for fact based news, for journalists, for the honest, truth-seeking papers like the New York Times, The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.  To Trump and his supporters, they are purveyors of 'fake news.'

Yesterday I had to skip yoga because we were having a pow wow with Nan, our financial advisor from Cleveland.  She arrived around 9:30 and for the next hour and a half, we talked about food, dogs, travel, Trader Joe's, recipes and, o yea, our financial future.  As always, we are not spending enough which is a good thing, I guess.  And we seem to be set for at least the next year, depending on the craziness of Trump.  She expects Congress to get little done over the next 12 months which may discourage the market to some extent.  Great.

She left around 11:30, to meet with a client in Erie and go for a bike ride as well.  When she left, we got in our work togs,  Evie to work continue work in the yard and I put on my bathing suit and spent a good hour, weeding our lakefront.  Our swimming area is fairly weed free but in closer to shore, the weeds are thick and heavy so I filled three or four buckets with these disgusting water organisms.  I put them on the dock, let them drip dry in the sun, turn them over occasionally to dry more quickly and by the end of the day, they are dry and light enough to gather in a garbage can and dispose of up the hill.  I am hoping that over the year they will decompose enough to be used as compost.  We will have to wait and see.

Lunch was the last of the chicken salad on a bagel, thank goodness, as I am getting tired of it after close to a week.  We spent the afternoon relaxing on the dock, enjoying the cool afternoon, swimming some, getting a few things done both in the house and garden and yard.

Last Dinner In Linda And Ron's Cottage

We were going to Linda and Ron's for dinner, so we got gussied up around 5:30 and drove over to their two houses at 6:00.  We have not seen them or their new house in close to three weeks so we could not wait to get a tour of their house.  It's 98% done and we loved it.  Lots of windows, light, a great kitchen, two vast porches, lots of upstairs bedrooms for guests and Ron's pool table had just arrived, sitting level over the garage in the pool room.  I think they are going to be very happy once it is finished and they don't have to wake up each morning knowing there will be more decisions to be made regarding their house.

Almost Move In Ready

We had a tasty appetizer, brussel sprouts with bacon, and for dinner, Ron grilled individual Delmonico steaks from the Lighthouse.  They were grilled perfectly and we feasted on them for a good hour, talking and catching up until after 10:00,  past our usual time to head home.

A Crisp Morning Lake Air

5:58 

6:02

 I was up in time to see the sunrise at 5:55 on a clear morning, few scattered clouds, a light blue sky, shimmering lake, and 52º.  And for once, no rain is forecast for today, just a nice cool fall-like day on the lake.  It's now 8:50 and I just returned from a paddle over to Warner Bay, on the east side of the lake and back home.  A delightful way to start the day.

Kayak Morning

Yoga morning, as usual, yesterday, with a brief stop at the bank, to deposit a check then pick up a few items Evie needed to make cookies from Save A Lot.  When I got home, Evie was working on putting back together the bedrooms, getting them ready for the next guests.  And, because we were having friends over for wine and appetizers around 5:30, she decided to give the downstairs a good "spring cleaning" which it needed, as much of the tables' surface had a film of dust and pollen from the trees.  At least we did not have to wash the windows because I had washed them on Monday when I came home from yoga with lots of mojo. I did not have much yesterday.

Tuesday Morning Clouds

After lunch, a leftover half of a Reuben sandwich from the Viking, I picked up book after book but could not find something I wanted to read.  I think it was more me than the books; nothing seemed to interest me although there were many options, all different.  I must be in a 'mood.'  We had the downstairs spic n span by 5:00 as I finished vacuuming while Evie took a shower.

Dinner With Friends At Pine Junction

Our friends arrived at 5:30, although Tom forgot a couple of bottles of wine, a gift for us and drove back to the Chautauqua Institution to get them.  One of the couples we have known for years.  They live in Hudson and their oldest daughter was good friends with our daughter Beth.  And I taught all four of their kids when they went through Western Reserve Academy.  The other couple were friends of Tom and Gretchen and they were fun to talk to.  Sarah had previously owned a 100-year-old home in Maple Springs and loves and misses the area.  Hank is an avid birder, a passionate member of the Dahlia Society which excited Evie,  and his family owns a rustic couple of cottages, no electricity, water or heat, over 1000 acres on Lonely Lake, north of Sault Ste. Marie.  His family has been going there each summer for over 40 years.  He also has a deal with a Cleveland restaurant; he provides them with 30 dahlias flowers a week and they give him a free dinner.

We had fun talking about our kids, grandchildren and finally decided it was worth the drive to Pine Junction, about 25 minutes because it was such a nice evening. They loved the drive, the farmlands,  the restaurant, the food and beer, so it was a good decision to go there.  They had never heard of the restaurant even though they know some of the area and wondered how we ever found it because it is tucked away in the middle of the countryside, a  good distance from any population center.

We were home by 9:30, in time to watch a boring Vice News before returning to the 'breaking news' of the evening, the never ending battle over health care.  Boring.  I was happy to go up to bed to start the next Longmire novel.

Fog Rising On A 50º Morning

6:19

6:35

6:38

7:05

It's chilly here on the lake, a partly cloudy sky, a southerly breeze, at 7:30.  I have been up for an hour, watching the rising lake steam move down the lake.  It looks like a nice morning but it's supposed to rain in the afternoon.

I got back into yoga after a three day hiatus, another good class, lots of work on the hamstrings.  In this class, the guys almost outnumbered the gals.  Must be the summer weather.  After class,  I picked up a coffee at Ryders Cup and then went to the hardware store to look for a product called Restore, which supposedly restores a deck or in our case, the splintery dock.  It's either four or 10 times thicker than paint and fills in the cracks, leaves the surface smooth.  It sounded like a good thing until I got home and went on Google to see what people said about the product.  Almost no one had a good thing to say as after a year it either peeled or bubbled and never did fulfill its promises.  So I guess we won't be using that product.

For lunch, I dug into the vast bin of chicken salad I picked up from Sam's Club on Saturday. It's enough to make sandwiches for a  good week.  Fortunately, it's tasty and I like chicken salad.  While I was at yoga and eating lunch, Evie was diligently at work weeding her garden, weed whacking the edges.  The rain the past week encouraged not only her flowers but also the weeds, so there was lots of work to do to keep the garden attractive.  Many of the flowers are just starting to bloom, so we will have cut flowers for the next month or two.

After lunch, I think I took a nap but cannot remember for sure.  And then I helped Evie some although she did not need it.  Once she was through weeding, she decided to cut the lawn so that by 4:00, our yard and garden were gorgeous, thanks to her.  I am good at ogling her hard work.  I did finish my book, PRUSSIAN BLUE but have yet to write a summary.  I have not been very good at this lately, putting it off until I have forgotten what the book was about.

Enjoying A Night At The Viking Club With Jackie

We both showered around 5:30 and picked up our neighbor, Jackie, who will soon be celebrating a significant birthday, and took her over to the Viking Club for Cuban and Rueben sandwiches.  She sponsored our membership request for the club and we would not be members if not for her.  She particularly enjoys the sandwiches and was at the lake here alone for a few days so we invited her to come with us.  We had fun talking with her as she is a fount of the history of the area as well as our neighborhood, as her parents have owned her cottage since she was born in Jamestown.  She lives on her own in Willoughby still and is able to drive out and back to the cottage, quite a gal.  We ran into our good friends Linda and Ron, also members of the Viking Club because of Jackie's sponsorship. Our sandwiches were great but HUGE so both Evie and Jackie took home at leat half their sandwiches if not more.

Harvest/Super Moon Photo (September 8, 2014)

Evie And Bob, The Farm's Owner

We then stopped at a 200-acre farm set in the hills above the lake in Ellery.  We have been looking at this farm and its silos from our porch since we bought our cottage in 1981.  In 2014, we took a photograph of it just as the Harvest Super Moon rose over the farm.  It was such a striking picture that Evie had it enlarged to a 16 X 20 photo, framed it and we gave it to the owner of the farm last night.  He did not quite know what to say but appreciated it and said he always wanted a picture of his farm.

Cattle Farm In Ellery

We dropped Jackie off at home around 9:00 and she thanked us 'for listening to her,'  How cute.  We watched the new Prime Suspect on PBS but were not particularly taken with it so far.  We miss Helen Mirren.

A Cool Morning On The Lake

6:57

7:26

7:28

Up just after 6:00 and missed the sunrise although the sun was bright and blinding.  It's a quiet Monday, few boats, a placid lake, a few clouds but mostly blue skies and a delicious 51º, a high in the low 60's later in the day.  And I just watched a couple of Baltimore Orioles chase a crow out of the yard, no doubt protecting their nest.  It's 8:45, as I just returned from a brief paddle and I am on my way to yoga in a half hour.

Paddling Into The Sun

Into The Clouds

Yesterday was an unusual but fun Sunday for us, at least until the early evening.  We had our usual Sunday morning of late waking for Evie, up and early for me, a nice long paddle down to Whitney Bay and back.  We both wanted to get some work done in the yard before noon, got out the tools, started weeding but it began to rain, thwarting our plans, dissipating our energy.  So we went back to our devices or books until I made a quick breakfast of leftover homemade noodles and a couple of eggs.

First Defeat

Typical Sunday Afternoon Vikings

Our plans for the afternoon was to participate in the Cornhole Tournament at the Viking Club at 1:00. So we drove over in a light rain, forcing the tournament to be held inside.  This is the second time we have played, the last time probably back in February.  It was so much fun that we decided to participate again.  The regulars were already there when we arrived, especially two older women who danced the afternoon away, lots of energy.  We ended up sitting with our friends, Doug and Dawn for the afternoon.

The Guys, Greg And Doug

The Gals, Dawn and Theresa

We were skunked by a couple of rookies in our first game, won our second, then got beaten in our third game by a couple who won the tournament last time.  Most of the participants have only been playing cornhole for a couple of years.  This only proves to Evie and me that practice does not make perfect.  We have been playing a version of this game since 1977 when we were first introduced to the game at my sister's house on Lake Erie.  We called it bean bag, played it over the years until it became popular nationwide as cornhole.  Despite our losses, we had fun drinking beer all afternoon, watching the tournament, finally ordering wings and onions rings (healthy food) around 4:00.  It's difficult to drink a beer without having food in front of us.  The games finally finished around 5:30 and we left as many of our participants were on the floor dancing to the sounds of the DJ.

Strike a Pose

When we got home, we began to regret our fun as neither of us felt very good, just full of grease and beers.  It was fine when we were younger, in Hawaii,  but not so much fun now.  We just wanted to go be bed but it was only 6:30.   Neither of us is used to it but we managed to make it through the evening, watching some TV, finishing up a terrible FARGO, waiting for bedtime.

Sunday Morning Early

5:53

5:58

6:03

7:08

I was up in time to see the sunrise but the clouds like huge marshmallows hid its rising until it was able to rise above them and light up the morning.  And I am listening to C-Span, to a discussion of the book EVERYBODY LIES.  It analyzes how using Google trend data helps to understand all sorts of aspects of life.  It's a peek into people's psyches.  For example, by using the data from the number of hits for a candidate, it can predict an election within 5%.  Or it can tell us how religious a state is by the number of Bible hits.  What is done with that data depends on who we are?  If a politician, you might mention God and the Bible more often in a religious state rather than a more secular one.  In other words, what people look at, where they go to on Google, gives statisticians/retailers a good idea of a trend, what people are thinking, worrying about, or are interested in.  It's now 9:20 and I have just gotten back from an hour paddle, down to Whitney Bay and back.  I ran into a student of mine from 1984, who has a home on the lake in Magnolia.  I also ran into this blue heron.

Poised For Flight

Before I begin my blog, I want to mention that my grandson Mitchell is spending a week on the Greek Island of Mykonos, the guest of a good friend's family.  This is the view from their house on the island.  Maybe not quite as spectacular as the view from our front porch but pretty nice.

Mykonos, Greece

Yesterday ended up being a fun day even though we were still suffering from the boredom of an empty house.  The method to combat this is work, action, even play.  So I got active early, with a kayak paddle for an hour.  When I got home, Evie was up and we finished the blog and I had my healthy breakfast, oats, yogurt, blueberries and a granola. Both of us then started straightening and cleaning, the kitchen, the bedrooms, and getting the trash ready to take to the Transfer Station.  After my trip to the Transfer Station, I drove to Lakewood, to Sam's, to do some shopping for a couple of items.  I did not linger, picked up what we needed and headed home, stopping only to get gas for the car and lawn mower.  When I got home, Evie had already cut the lawn and gone for swim and was ready to go out on the dock and enjoy an afternoon of sun.  I had lunch, chicken salad from Sam's, on a bagel and watched some TV and then napped before joining Evie out on the dock.  Why do I feel guilty about taking a nap?   The dock was sunny but windy and as long as we had the wind at our backs, we were fine.

Neighborhood Gals

Neighbors

At 5:30, we showered and then walked down to the Woodlawn right of way for the first of three gatherings of the neighbors.  Everyone brings an appetizer and libations and we enjoy each others company from 5:00 to 7:00.  It's a good time to see neighbors who have gone South for the winter or just have not been to get to the lake during the colder months.  We always enjoy it and it helps all of us to get to know each other better.  It's especially helpful to the new people.  We stayed until 7:30 and though I filled up on appetizers,  I was able to eat a chicken and tomato sandwich for dinner as we watched another Real Time With Bill Maher and two episodes of FARGO until it was time to go up to bed.

More Neighbors

From Today's Writer's Almanac:

Sunday Morning Early by David Romtvedt My daughter and I paddle red kayaks across the lake. Pulling hard, we slip easily through the water. Far from either shore, it hits me that my daughter is a young woman and suddenly everything is a metaphor for how short a time we are granted: the red boats on the blue-black water, the russet and gold of late summer’s grasses, the empty sky. We stop and listen to the stillness. I say, “It’s Sunday, and here we are in the church of the out of doors,” then wish I’d kept quiet. That’s the trick in life— learning to leave well enough alone. Our boats drift to where the chirring of grasshoppers reaches us from the rocky hills. A clap of thunder. I want to say something truer than I love you. I want my daughter to know that, through her, I live a life that was closed to me. I paddle up, lean out, and touch her hand. I start to speak then stop.

The Big Empty

7:10

It's after 7:00 and I am listening to Only A Game on NPR.  It's a bright, sunny morning and it feels as if the outdoors is squeaky clean, a result of close to three inches of rain over the past two days. Things feel fresh, the yards, garden, and lake.  It's cooled off some, 62º at at the moment, a high of 72º, a perfect day.  I ought to be out kayaking. Well, it's 9:00 and I just got back from kayaking and I ran into our neighbor, Kathy, also out to enjoy an early morning paddle.

Kayak Morning

Our Neighbor, Kathy, Happy To Be Back On The Lake

Yesterday was sad making as we drove Beth and Marisa to the airport, leaving at 9:30, getting home to an empty house at 12:30.  It's always depressing when the family heads home and for a couple of days, we will feel bereft until we get back in our routine, used to the 'big empty.'  Usually, after a family vacation, both of us are filled with the desire to put the house back in order until we collapse. Yesterday, however, neither of us had much want to, so a good part of our day was spent taking it easy, occasionally rising to do something, like clean the kitchen, before quickly sitting back down with our devices.  And it rained off and on during a good part of the afternoon, so we did not venture outside much, just once to wet our line with no luck and missing Marisa.

Stormy Weather

Around 6:00, we had a Manhattan and some appetizers as we listening to the falling rain once again.  It was a good way to end our boring day, listening to music and talking about the fun we have had over the past three weeks both on the road and on the lake.

Caught In The Downpour

We had leftovers for dinner, what else, the vodka pasta and chuck roast and we caught up on some of our TV like Better Call Saul and Real Time with Bill Maher.  Both of us could hardly stay awake during the the last show, so it was a pleasure to go upstairs to bed.

Today we have our neighborhood picnic at 5:00 but other than that and a trip to the Transfer Station, we have no plans on our card .

Heading Home...To Dallas

Don't You Dare 

5:49

6:02

7:29

An overcast morning, lots of greys to share and not a glimmer of the sun since its rising around 6:00. It looks like thunderstorms on and off much of the day, perhaps the weekend.  It's a stuffy morning in the house, 70º already, with more heat to come.  We will drive to Buffalo around 10:00 because Beth and Marisa are flying home at 12:45 -- sad making.

Yesterday we lucked out with sun and puffy clouds most of the day.  Beth and I went to our fourth consecutive yoga class and we are both feeling it.  Afterwards, we had an appointment at a cool home furnishing store, open by request, called the Brick Elephant in Lakewood.  We have browsed there over the years and always find something fun and interesting.

Cool Beans

This year was no exception as you can see the canister above, supposedly for popcorn, potato chips and pretzels, or anything you would like to put in it.  I liked its shape and color, so I bought it for Evie, to go along with the glass vase I bought her the day before.

Waiting For Garden Flowers

She's a lucky gal.  Laurie, the owner of the Brick Elephant, just opened a fitness center, The Fitness Bunker, in Lakewood, so she gave us a tour of the facility.  It's the old Quonset hut which used to be the Community Center in Lakewood.  It's been nicely renovated and is a cool place to workout.

A Happy Angler

When we got home, Evie and Marisa had driven to Webb's in Mayville, to pick up their famous goat's milk fudge and some Turtles, my favorite candy, chocolate covered caramel and pecans. Just about the time we wanted to go out on the dock and fish, it began to pour, lasting maybe a half hour and then clearing up for the rest of the afternoon.  I had noticed a strange sound coming from my Subaru, so I drove to the dealer and they said the problem was the tires needed rotating which they did for free and the sound is much better.  When I got back, I joined Marisa and Evie on the dock for the rest of the afternoon and Beth soon joined us.  I soon got bored and got out the rake and started weeding the lake, gathering a bucket full of weeds, keeping our swimming area weed free.

Weeding

Around 5:30, Beth went in and started to put together her fabulous Vodka pasta sauce as the rest of us jumped in the lake and shampooed and washed, the last time until she returns in late July for a couple of more weeks.  Once we had cleaned up after our swim, we got busy, Evie and Marisa, making homemade pasta, sauteing some shrimp, then I boiled the pasta and Beth put together her sauce with the shrimp and noodles.   Add a dusting of parmesan cheese and we had a restaurant quality Vodka and Shrimp Pasta dinner.  Needless to say, there was just enough leftover for my lunch.

Happy Evening Of Fishing With Her Granny

Marisa wanted to fish immediately after dinner, so I volunteered to do the dishes, Beth showered and Evie and Marisa went for a late fishing competition.  I joined them after the dishes and they fished until dark, with Marisa pulling out a victory, her seventh catch to Evie's six.  It was a fun way to end the day, fishing until 9:30 when we could no longer see to bait the hooks.

A Couple Of 'Big Ones'

When we came in from the dark, Marisa and Beth both finished packing for their trip today before we all went up to bed around 10:30, hoping for a good night's sleep.