Waiting For A Storm (Amish Trail/Gowanda)

7:14

7:15

7:37

7:38

I was up at 6:20, thinking it would have already started to rain.  I was treated, however, to a morning sky worthy of photographing, first, Venus, the Morning Star, then lots of clouds and light as a mass of dark clouds began to obtrude.  Then at 7:20, as I walked outside, I was shocked by gunshots, most likely a shotgun, as hunters are on the lake, hunting ducks.

7:58 Paddle

Kayak Morning

Well, it's 8:50 and I just got back from kayaking, my usual circle but I ran into duck blinds set back among the reeds where I usually am able to photograph some blue herons.  I did not see the blind until I paddled into the reeds to take a photo of a couple of mallards and realized they were decoys.  I quickly backed out and went on my way home, just as some raindrops were beginning to fall. 

Duck Blind

Decoys

Yesterday was a busy day, a good day for a drive and boy, did we.  First, we drove to our Amish upholstery guy and picked out a fabric for our boat covers, as well as new covers for cushions for our porch furniture.  We got home about 10:00 and I had just enough time to drive back to Jamestown for a quick checkup from the dentist on my new crown.   I was home around 11:15 and we both decided it would be a nice day for a ride on the Amish Trail, RT # 62 which goes from Warren to Buffalo via Gowanda, our goal.  So we drove off, stopping along the way at an Ellington fruit/vegetable stand we have liked called Sun-Dance-Kids-Farm and talked with the owner. 

Goats

Red Headed

He raises a couple hundred goats, for fudge and lotion (Evie bought four small jars), chickens, as well as other animals, even reindeer, which he takes to various kids parties during the Christmas season and to Musky Mall in Bemus.

Chicken Houses

A Pair Of Beauties

We also stopped at an Antique Store, Good As New in Conewango Valley.  We have been there before and liked it and ended up buying junk, what else, a Deep Eddy's Vodka sign (it lights up!) for our back porch, a bowl with a cover which Evie has wanted since it was broken years ago. 

Destined For The Attic

We ended up in Gowanda, hoping to have a lunch at the Greek Diner.  Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations so we ended up at a dark and gloomy bar called the Wicked Glen.  It was fine, we sat at the bar, had an order of great homemade fries and french onion soup.  Not what we expected but not bad.  We had hoped the Slovenian Club would be open but not till 4:00 and we did not want to wait that long. 

We went home from Gowanda a different way, though Sinclairville, stopping at the Superette before driving home, a round trip of close to 95 miles.  We were obviously tired, so we relaxed, I napped but around 5:00, we both were outside mowing the lawns because we knew it was supposed to rain all day on Saturday.  We had decided earlier to go out to dinner so we drove to Mayville, picked up some groceries at Tops, then drove to Stockton, another 17 miles from our house, for a fish fry at the Stockton Hotel.  We ate at a table in the bar because the restaurant was so crowded.  And when we left about 8:30, people were still coming in.  We both had great fish fries, a couple of beers and were happy to be home by 9:00, tired from our day.  We watched some TV until 10:30 then went to bed, the end of another good day, perhaps the last colorful day of fall.