It's Cold(35º) Outside (Docks In)

7:15

7:46

8:01

Wood Ducks

I slept in a little, until 7:00, probably because I woke up in the middle of the night freezing and had to find another blanket to get warm.  And it took awhile to get back to sleep of course.  The sun is blinding at the moment and its been that way since it rose around 7:46 on a clear morning sky, few if any clouds, just pure azure.  It looks like five days of this kind of fall weather, the kind we love.  It's 9:30 and I just returned from a chilly paddle, wearing a stocking cap and gloves but it was still great to be once again on the lake in early morning.

Solitary

A Couple

We hugged the granddaughters' and Jill goodbye yesterday around 7:00 (Drew left at 5:00 a.m. for work) and drove off into a sky filled with dark clouds, on our way back to the lake. It never rained, cleared up by the time we left Virginia and our seven-hour ride home was pleasant although the leaves were not as striking or interesting as we hoped. Lots of browns, a scarcity of the bright reds and oranges, for some reason, perhaps a lack of rain.  We made good time, alternating driving, and were home just after 2:00 in the afternoon, with two stops at Mickey D's, for breakfast in Berkeley Springs, for lunch in Warren.

Leaving Virginia Early

Virginia Countryside

Allegheny State Forest

Shades of Green And Lime

When we arrived back at the lake, we were surprised how cold it was, the lake choppy and blue, the yard strewn with leaves and downed branches and twigs, the sky filled with puffy white clouds.  It did not take us much time to empty the car and put things away so we could enjoy the afternoon on the lake.

Home

We never get tired of the view.  Around 4:30, Evie got out the barbecued ribs for dinner and made some cole slaw.  I felt like doing something outside, so I filled two garbage pails with twigs and leaves and took them up the hill to the brush pile.  It took my about 30 minutes and it felt great to work outside and not work up a sweat.

Dusk Begins At 6:15

Most of the docks are in along Woodlawn so the lake looks great without them.  The shoreline, the front yards of the homes, however, is filled with dock pieces, iron horses, and boat lifts, not so attractive but necessary.  We settled on our couches around 5:30, with wine and appetizers and enjoyed the blue sky, white puffy clouds, as the sky darkened much earlier than I remembered, around 6:45.  Winter is definitely on its way.

We watched the news programs, catching up on Trump's tweets, Obama bashing, misstatements and exaggerations (lies), which fills the hour each evening for the pundits.  We watched a bit of football as a relief before going up to bed.