A Stellar Morning (Barcelona)

On Our Way To Lake Erie

5:58

5:59

6:26

6:27

I was up just as the sun rose over Long Point, at 6:00.  I hurriedly turned on the coffee, grabbed my camera and hustled outside to get a photograph before it became too bright.  It's a chilly 56º, just the way we like it but may get up to the 80's later in the day.  As I finish this blog, it's after 9:00 and Evie and Marisa are already out on the dock, fishing for perch and bass on a bright, shiny morning.

Yesterday was a perfect way for summer to begin, lots of sunshine, not too warm, and many fun things to do.  Beth and I went to yoga at 10:00, a class of mostly back bends and both of us are beginning to feel the classes.  We stopped at Ryder's Cup for coffee and a couple of dozen of eggs before shopping at Wegman's for dinner.  I was my usual, an efficient and quick shopper, buying only what was on the list with no browsing.  Now Beth understands why Evie does not like to shop with me.  When we got home, Evie and Marisa had spent the morning 'kicking back,' taking the morning off from fishing.

For lunch, I finished off the moussaka, Marisa finished up the corn chowder and Beth made an omelet while Evie drove to Hogan's to get more worms and a fishing license, only five bucks for seniors, the only deal in New York State. I tried to take a nap but had no luck while Evie put together the first step in the making of a Turkish spinach borek, leaving the rest for after our outing.

Chautauqua Creek/Lake Erie

We decided in the morning to drive to Barcelona after lunch, on the shores of Lake Erie, and do some rock collecting, hiking, and swimming.  We took the scenic way, on Hardscrabble Road to the Noble Winery, then down to Rt 5.  We parked at the lot by Chautauqua Creek, just off of Rt. 5 and walked the quarter of a mile to the beach, along Chautauqua Creek.

Hunting For Driftwood And Rocks

Zorba And His Granddaughter

Except for one family of four, we had the entire beach to ourselves.  I quickly got out a towel and collapsed on it, 'copping some rays' as we used to say in the good old days.  Beth looked for heart shaped or perfectly round rocks and her new thing, small, interesting pieces of driftwood.

Rocks And Driftwood

Evie and Marisa played in the channel made by the mouth of the creek.  Its flow was strong enough to carry Marisa along and out to the lake.

Handstand Of The Day

Around 4:15, we headed back, stopping at Portage Pies in Westfield for a cherry pie for last night's dessert.  Once we got home, Evie put together the borek, a time-consuming task, placing one delicate piece of phyllo dough after another, with spinach and feta cheese in between.  We then let it sit for a good hour before baking it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Turkish Spinach Borek

While it baked, I grilled a chuck roast that had been marinating in the fridge for 24 hours.  This is one of our long time favorites, one my father used to make.  It took 25 minutes, charring the outside, the inside pink and tender.  So we had another retro dinner, spinach borek, chuck roast sliced thin, mushrooms and a salad.  We all enjoyed our meal but I think most of us had our eye on dessert, that cherry pie with ice cream.

After the dishes, it was already almost 9:00, so we adjourned to the TV room but could not find much to watch.  The highlight, the cherry pie with ice cream, filled the void of good TV.