Less Than Zero

7:19

7:47

7:48 

When I got up at 6:15, I knew it was supposed to be frigid today but not below zero.  I was hesitant to even step outside to take a photograph because our indoor/outdoor thermometer showed 8 below at 7:00 and just now, at 7:47, it shows -12º, scary. When I did step outside at 7:00, I could hear voices but not see anyone, obviously, fishermen walking out on the ice to fish, Chautauqua lake crazies. It's now 7:22, light enough to count nine hardy guys out on the lake, enjoying an early morning fishing.

Hardy Chautauquans

Chatting In Below Zero Temperatures

Yesterday was also mostly in the single digits but warm enough to get outside and do some shoveling.  Once we were up and conscious, having had our coffee, listened to NPR, we decided to get busy in the kitchen.  Evie started it off with a recipe her dental hygienist loved, a baked potato soup.  It's fairly easy, so as she was making that I got inspired by a recipe I found on the internet for a Gateau Au Yaourt (yogurt cake),

Half Of Gateau Yaourt

So as the soup was simmering, Evie and I put together the ingredients for the cake, plopped it in the oven and in a half hour, we had a tasty soup and a fine yogurt cake, for my afternoon tea and after dinner with fruit and cream.  Not a bad start to a snowbound morning.  Around 10:30, I did what all men seem to do, took out the trash and drove off to the Transfer Station, tipping one of the guys twenty bucks for helping me out during the year.  And I was happy to see the New York Times explain why it's always men's job to take out the trash, even for liberals like moi.  If interested see, the article below:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/style/who-takes-out-the-trash.html

When I got back from the Transfer Station, I got out the shovel and spent about 25 minutes shoveling at least six inches of snow from the previous evening as well as morning,  In fact, it was snowing while I shoveled so that the car was already covered with a layer of snow by the time I finished shoveling.  Evie had lunch ready for me when I got in and doctored up the baked potato soup by putting some chopped ham in the bowl, adding the soup and scallions and cheddar cheese.  That's all I needed to fill me up, no sandwiches, no bread.  I watched some basketball but soon got bored so I returned to my couch, to read the most recent David Ignatius novel and take a nap.

Bitter Cold And White Out On Saturday Afternoon

Since we returned on Wednesday, Evie has had to fill the two bird feeders three of four times.  Outside our kitchen window the past few days, we have had hordes of finches, sparrows, occasional juncos and woodpeckers feeding at the feeders.  I counted at least 20 feeding a one time, and when frightened, at least 50 take off, many feeding on the ground.  They are getting used to us looking out the window as well, rarely taking off if we walk up to the window to take a photograph. I think I may easily go through more than a hundred pounds of sunflower seeds this winter.

Only A Couple Of Feet

We decided on an early cocktail hour, so we got out the cheese around noon to soften and by 5:00, we were sitting on our couches, sipping Manhattans, enjoying my Grandpa Camplejohn's favorite cheese, Stilton, watching the snow hit the spotlight, and listening to an Apple Music station playing Smooth Jazz Tribute, taking tunes by Otis Redding, Barry White, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green and giving them a jazz take, mostly with a saxophone and a back up drum and bass. Kinda of elevator music like as we listened to it more but fun.  We had no worry about dinner, just leftovers from Friday night's dinner, rice, chicken thighs and a salad.

Evie's Tribute To The Holidays

Around 7:00, we plated our leftovers and watched some TV the rest of the night although we started a couple of movies but stopped, deciding we would rather watch another episode of BROADCHURCH.  I also watched some football since Evie went up to bed early, tired from our relaxing day.  I soon joined her, looking forward to my book.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

8:05

I woke at 6:00, came downstairs and made the coffee, in a darkened house.  Around 6:30, Shane came by and cleared our road although it didn't really need it.  Later today, it probably will.  As the sky lightened, I have counted 13 guys out fishing on the lake, despite the snow flurries and the 11º temperatures.  We may get another seven to ten inches of snow today, with the Lake Effect warning ending tomorrow morning.  It's now 8:00 and I just stepped outside to take another photograph and the fishermen are no longer visible because of the snow.

A Wayward Fox

Galloping Fox and New House on Lakeside Drive

Yesterday was another very cold day, not exactly the kind of weather that made you want to get outside and enjoy the winter morning or afternoon.  Rather, it made me want to stay inside, make some tea, and read a book.  Instead, I started up the car with my remote (yep, we have a remote), jumped in my now warming up car and drove off to Lakewood for a two-hour restorative yoga class.  As class started, I wondered if perhaps I had not read the fine print that class was for women only.  I was the only guy in a class of twenty-two women.  Restorative is not a vigorous class, in fact, its the kind of class that emphasizes spending ten or 15 minutes resting on a few cushions, comfortable and centered, paying attention to one's breathing.  It supposedly undoes the stress of the holidays.  Well, I felt little stress going in (my major worry is what to have for lunch) and even less as I left.

After class, I stopped at Sav A Lot, hoping to pick up some red lentils which seem to be unavailable at Wegman's or Tops.  Add Sav A Lot to that list.  I don't know what's going on as only green are in the stores.  I did pick up a few things for Evie, stopped at Hogan's to top off my gas, something I always try to do in weather this cold.

Fishing Yesterday Afternoon

When I got home, there was no worry about lunch as Evie had defrosted her vegetable soup and made me a croque monsieur (a fancy name for a ham and cheese toasted sandwich) for lunch.  Yum Yum.
I still have not found a noontime series to watch so I watched half of a documentary on the essayist and novelist Joan Didion.  The rest of the afternoon went, as usual, napping, reading, watching some TV, wondering if I should go out for a hike...I didn't.

Heading Home

We were at sixes and sevens as to what to do in the evening.   We had hoped to go to the Viking Club for dinner and dancing but the warning about five to eight inches of snow scared us off.  We did not want to drive home in the snow after a couple of beers.  And, of course, the snow never really materialized, at least here at Woodlawn and we could have gone.  So around 4:30, Evie got out some chicken thighs and marinated them in yogurt, garlic and lemon for an hour.  Around 5:30, she made a salad, and cleaned some Brussel sprouts, made some rice, then put the chicken in the oven.  We then relaxed with a glass of wine (I broke with tradition and had a bloody mary, with Clamato and horseradish) for a good hour, enjoying the evening.

Dinner was tasty, as we love this chicken recipe and I love Brussel sprouts.  We watched a movie on Amazon called LANDLINE which, after a rocky start, ended up being decent, worth watching but not with the grandkids.  We ended the night watching two episodes of the third season of BROADCHURCH.  And we could mostly understand the heavy English accent for once.  We ended the night watching 15 minutes of the Ohio State game before going up to bed.

Blue, Blue 6 Degrees

Artistic Woodlawn 

7:20

It's almost 7:00 and I have been up for close to an hour.  I did open the back door and was literally smacked in my face by the cold.  And it's going to stay this way for the next week, perhaps longer.  It's too cold out to really enjoy any winter activities at least for us, like cross-country skiing, hiking or snowshoeing.  So we will just stay snuggled in our home and drink. 

First Ice Fishermen Of The Year

Yesterday I was determined to start my winter routine with a yoga class even though I did not much feel like it.  The day began with breakfast, however, at the Bemus Point Inn with Jack, as the rest have headed to Florida or were driving home to the lake.  Yoga was not till 10:00, so I came home from breakfast, finished the blog before driving to Lakewood.  Many had the same idea as me, start the post-Christmas off right, as yoga was packed, twenty-two of us.  It was a Yin class, so there was not much difficulty, just an emphasis on connective tissues.  I enjoyed the class and it was nice to see some of the regulars again since I have not been to class since early December. 

When I drove home, our parking area was freshly shoveled as Evie had been busy despite the cold and had cleared it.  What a woman.  It's tempting to go outside for a short walk but I decided to stay in and relax with a book.  Around 1:00, I had lunch, a bagel, ramen and some sardines, not your typical lunch. Evie was busy catching up on the laundry and getting the house by in order so I decided to take a nap since I was up early. 

Midafternoon, the weather gods began predicting another lake effect show for Chautauqua County, up to 15 inches of snow for today and Saturday.  This morning, however, it seems to have changed.  But yesterday, we decided to shop around 3:30 at Wegman's and stock up for the weekend in case the storm did materialize.   Evie planned meals through New Year's day, imputing all the goodies into her Wegman's app and we were off.  The store, as usual, was busy but we were organized, as we both took carts.  We spent mucho bucks for very little food.  I wonder how families manage with prices that seem to just increase each time we visit the store. 

We quickly put things away and Evie prepped our dinner, putting the cauliflower into the oven to roast, heating up the scalloped potatoes and ham casserole and making a salad.  Once that was done, the two of us enjoyed relaxing with a glass of wine, the sky darkening, the ice fishermen heading in, the end to a very cold day.  The scalloped potatoes and ham was better than Wednesday night and we watched a movie we had put off watching for some reason, THE QUEEN.  It was a good movie to watch, no violence, no vulgarity and it surprised both of us after watching THE CROWN because it covered an unlikely week in the Queen's life, the week that Diana tragically died in a traffic accident, the aftermath and the Crown's response to her death.  We then watched the first episode of a new series on Netflix, THE INDIAN DETECTIVE.  Unfortunately, it seemed silly and not very compelling.  I may try one more episode but I doubt it. 

The Weather Gods Smiled

7:35

7:38

Back to my early morning routine on the lake, listening to MSBBC whine about Trump (what else is there), drinking coffee in the darkness of a 6:30 morning.  It's 8º at the moment and we have a couple of feet of snow, a piddling compared to Erie's five-plus feet. 

We left Virginia yesterday at 7:45, filled with trepidation, hoping our drive would be uneventful.  And the Gods took pity on us as we had an easy drive.  We got a few flurries as we were leaving Virginia but some sunshine as we passed by Altoona, on our way to Warren.  It was actually a pretty drive, with a smattering of snow on the mountains.  It started to snow hard just as we entered Sugar Grove, a few miles south of the New York line.  We stopped at the grocery store in Sugar Grove, picked up some eggs and Pot O Gold milk and by the time we got back into our car, the snow had stopped and our drive home, through New York state was picturesque, lots of snow on the fields and trees, but the roads were clear and we actually had more sunshine. 

Woodlawn Road

4:30 PM

We literally cheered when we got home when we saw that Shane had cleared our parking area so that we had to shovel only a 15-foot path to our back door. It was cold, no doubt, in the single digits but we were able to get the car emptied quickly.  Our house was fine, and within an hour, everything was put away and the house was toasty and comfortable.  It was strange to be back on the lake, on my couch, reading even though we had been away only six days, a short trip for us. 

Scalloped Potatoes And Ham

Evie could not relax, so she put together our dinner, scalloped potatoes with ham and bechamel sauce while I took it easy.  By 5:00, however, she was ready for a glass or two of wine and we got out the crackers and cheese and enjoyed the darkening of the sky, our spotlight reflecting the falling snow.  Home again. 

Snowy Night

Window Art

Dinner was easy, just pull the casserole out of the oven and we had Evie's carrot cake leftover from our trip for dessert.  We were both tired and went to bed early, happy to be home after a fun, family-filled holiday.  We are determined to hibernate here at the lake for awhile,  enjoying the winter. 

And Back To A Few Feet Of Snow And Bitter Cold

Dinner With My Sister, Her Family, And Cousins

Our Host, Walt And Ellen, With Cousin Bob

Evie And Her Niece, Julia

We are up at 7:00, ready to hit the road by 8:00, hoping for decent weather, expecting the worst once we get near Chautauqua County.  Our drive up till then should be decent, no blizzards, little if any snow.

Yesterday was a day to relax and everyone seemed ready.  Fortunately, we did not have to worry about another dinner as my sister, Ellen, was having us over last night.  So the girls slept in, way in,  and Evie got up around 8:00, Jill around 9:00.  Around 10:00, Halle had convinced her Dad that she needed small lights around the trim of her bedroom.  So around 10:30, the three of us drove off to Lowe's, stopping first at BJ's so Halle could get a coffee at Dunkin Donuts.  She received a gift card for her birthday and could not wait to spend it.  We got the lights, what we thought would be enough but Drew had to drive back mid-afternoon to pick up one more strand.  Around noon, Drew went out into the nearby woods to do some cleaning up the deadfall with his chainsaw.  I had little interest so I made myself some breakfast, fried up some ham, eggs, and leftover mashed potatoes, my kind of lunch.

Ready To Run

Hayden went out to a nearby park to go for a run with a girlfriend, and both Evie and Jill showered, to get ready early for our night out.  I did some reading, catnapped and with Evie, with started organizing our stuff so we could have most of it packed by this evening and put in the car.

Everything Out Of the Drawers, A Temporary Messy Room

Around 2:00, Hayden left for Cold Stone where she works a couple of times a week.  Unfortunately, she could not get yesterday off so she missed going to dinner with us.  Evie and Halle then went up to Halle's room and gave it a  tidying up, cleaning out all the closets and drawers and reorganizing them.

Halle's Room Needs Tidying Up

Later, Jill volunteered to get Evie a Costco fix, so off we went around 3:00, stopping first at a new grocery store called Lidl's, a competitor and much like Aldi's although I would say it's a step up.  We picked up a few things for our dinner tonight at the lake and quickly browsed Costco, buying only a set of kingsize sheets at Jill's recommendation.  We were home by 3:30, in time to relax before leaving for Herndon, about a 35-minute drive, traffic permitting.  I took a shower, finished packing, and was ready to go by 4:30.

Jill, My Sister Ellen, And Cousin, Carol

Some Of The Guys, Walt, Hampton, Brooks, And Bob

Drew With Julia, Jill, And Halle

We had a fun evening at my sisters, the best part is that her daughter Julia and husband, Hampton and son Brooks, were there, as well as my cousin Bob, his wife Carol and their two sons, Jackson and Keenan.  We got there around 5:30, an easy drive and opened a few presents, as we sipped beers or wine and had appetizers...no redneck sushi, however.

Part Of The Dinner Group

We had a tasty lasagna with salad and garlic bread for dinner, just right and pumpkin pie for dessert.  We have not seen Bob and his family in a couple of years so it was fun to get caught up on their lives.

The Young Guys, Jackson And Keenan

And we have not seen my sister Ellen's children in a year and their lives are changing as Julia and Hampton are expecting their first baby and Brooks is doing well in his business.  And most exciting, my brother in law Walt is retiring after 17 years at the IRS, his last day Friday.  So it was a fun night, great to see everyone and we all vowed this would happen more often.  We did not get home till after 10:00 and Hayden was up waiting for us, happy to see us home at last after working her shift at Cold Stone. We stayed up talking until 11:30 and finally went to bed.

Post Christmas Contentment

Christmas Day With Family

Sixteen Year Old Hayden And Coco

We are in Virginia for another day as the sky begins to turn pink at 7:33.  I have been up for an hour and Drew has just gotten up so it's time for Sports Center and some political talk.  It's  getting chilly around here but nothing like Chautauqua where there's a couple of feet of snow and single digits from what I could tell on the weather channel.

7:31

We had another great Christmas here in Bristow with Jill's family.  The best part, perhaps, is that the girls are older and don't get up at the crack of dawn.  In fact, we did not start opening presents until 9:00, a sensible time.  And since Christmas is always about children and grandchildren, we watched Hayden and Halle open present after present.  They seemed excited and happy about all they received and really enjoyed giving gifts this year to their parents and to Evie and me.  They are growing up.  We gave Jill and Drew a neat framed 16 x 16 framed photograph of their family, from a photograph we took this past summer.

Hayden, Drew, Halle, And Jill

Opening Presents

New Clothes For Hayden And Halle

After all the excitement of opening presents, we quickly cleaned up the living room and Jill got out the fresh croissants and browned a couple of packages of link sausages.  Evie made some scrambled eggs, so we had a big breakfast around 10:30.  The croissants, from a home French baker, were big and buttery.  Yum.  After breakfast, I took Coco out for a walk on a surprisingly chilly late morning while Evie started prepping for our dinner.  Our niece Jennifer, her husband, Robert and their three boys, new to the area, were coming over for Christmas dinner.  Unfortunately, Evie's sister, Jean, who was also in town, was not feeling well and was unable to come.  Since we no longer have a working oven, Evie had to forget about making scalloped potatoes with leeks and cream and instead, made a potato galette on the stove top which turned out just as good.  Jill got out the shrimp, Evie and Halle set the table and Drew and I watched some NBA basketball.

Jennifer, Will, James, Robert And Henry

The gang arrived at 1:30, the boys excited, ready for bear.  Having them around was like a whirlwind of action but fun...for an afternoon!  They are full of life, interested in everything, and went straight downstairs to play with the Hayden and Halle's  gadgets and toys.  Jennifer brought appetizers to go with the shrimp and her 'redneck sushi was a big hit'.  It's made with a slice of corned beef, covered with cream cheese, then rolled up with a dill pickle and sliced like sushi.

Jennifer And Henry The Great

Enjoying A Christmas Afternoon

Robert And William

William Opening His Presents

James Using The Selfie Stick

We sat around talking until dinner, watching the boys open presents from Evie, and move from one room to another, to the outside porch and back, full of mojo as we sat drinking our wine and enjoying appetizers. Drew baked the dinner ham out on the barbecue grill which seemed to work fine.  Evie made some mashed potatoes, Jill a salad and Jennifer also brought a salad of veggies, peppers, and pepperoni.  Dinner was great and we sat around the table for a good hour or more, as the boys never seemed to get full, moving from one food to another.  And Henry sat content, eating and repeating words, happy to be part of the group.  We had carrot cake, cookies and homemade truffles that Jennifer brought.  We also went through two bottles of Aunt Jean's wine.  Thank you, Jeannie!  We missed you.

Christmas Dinner

Evie And Henry

It was a fun Christmas day and though we missed Beth and Tom's families, we were grateful to be at Jill's with Jennifer and her family.  Tom's family, by the way, is celebrating Christmas for the first time on a cruise ship on the Gulf Of Mexico.  And Beth has her mother in law and sister in law in Dallas to celebrate.  Christmas is all about family.

Jennifer, Robert, and the boys left about 6:30, the boys full, happy, and sleepy, in their pajamas.  It was sad to see them go and afterward,  the house seemed strangely quiet.  Drew immediately got busy with the dishes as the rest of us helped clear and put away the food and Halle helped by drying some of the pots and pans.  We relaxed the rest of the evening, tired from the day, watching some TV, finally settling on Chevy Chase in Summer Vacation, always fun.  The girls went to be around 10:00 and the four of us stayed up till 11:00, talking about families, vacations, and the good old days.

Daisy At Rest