Kayaking In The Rain

6:10

7:30 Down Pour

Up at 5:45 to a cloudy sky, a light wind, a choppy lake.  No rain overnight although it was predicted.  The unseasonably warm weather continues as it's already 72º at 6:30.  Maybe we will have a break when/if it rains.  Well, it rained, just as I went out kayaking at 6:45, a light rain albeit a rain that by the time I returned at 7:30 has soaked me through.  It was great, loved it.

A Wet Kayak Morning

Yesterday was back to normal, an early morning kayak, a leisurely morning until 9:30 when I left for a yoga class.  It's always a good class but not that well attended and I cannot figure out why.  Jen is one of the most experienced and versatile teachers, yet her classes never match those of Yin Yoga, no doubt a less vigorous class.  And usually, the same five or six people attend.

After class, I stopped at Ryders Cup to pick up some eggs, returned used egg cartons and get a coffee. I then drove to Walmart to return an umbrella and stand which did not work for us out on the dock. I then stopped at Tri James, to pay for some gravel.  The guy at the pit charged me three bucks a bucket; the gal at Tri James 50 cents.  I think the pit guy ripped me off and I cannot wait to go back.  The road to and from yoga has been torn up the last two weeks so there's one-way traffic for a good part of it.

When I arrived home, I passed Evie on the way as she was off to another PT class.  She had made me not only a lemon pound cake which I saw on the NYTimes website yesterday morning, but some tuna fish for lunch, so I had that along with a bagel and pickles for lunch.  Yum.  I started watching a recent film called ANON.  It's interesting, set in the future, where there is no privacy.  No one has privacy, everything is recorded except for one person who happens to be a serial killer.  Wouldn't you just know.  I watched half, enjoying some pound cake for dessert.

Evie stopped at Tops after PT, picked up a few things and arrived home around 2:30.  It was too windy despite the heat to enjoy the dock, as we had an unusually strong southeasterly wind most of the day.  We did not do much the rest of the day, other than try to find a cool spot near a fan the rest of the afternoon.  I did do some yard work for about 15 minutes but the 88º degree heat was too much.

Around 5:00, we decided to go to the Viking for 'Wings And Things,' so we both took showers to cool off and drove over around 6:00.  We once again were able to find a seat at the bar.  Just as we were finishing our first beer, our friends, Linda and Ron walked in, so we joined them outside on the patio for dinner.  It was a pleasant night to be outside, the wind had died, the beer was cold, the wings were hot so we were happy.  We stayed until 8:30 when we both headed home happy with our evening out.  We had time to watch a silly episode of STRIKING OUT.  We hope it gets better.  We wanted to stay up and watch the last episode of THE AMERICANS but decided to keep it for tonight, hoping to avoid any spoilers in print or on the radio.

Sunny, Hot, And Humid

6:02

6:06

I was awake at 5:00, up at 5:30 and out on our porch, enjoying the cool air until the sun rose, blinding me and sending me back to the couch in the house.  No complaints as it's another clear morning, a couple of fishing boats out already at 6:15, and the birds, mostly purple martins, continue their morning serenade.  It's 8:00 and I have been out for a quick paddle, rough going because of the wind, hot and humid on the way back as the wind calmed down.  No heron or wood duck sightings.

Yesterday was a great kayak morning, and I had decided even before going off, that I would skip yoga and enjoy the day if working outside encompasses enjoying the day.  I felt like I was skipping school as if yoga is a must each day.  Anyways, I did get lots done much of the morning, wanting to have an afternoon free to enjoy.  And though it does not sound like I did much, it did take me a good part of the morning, with many breaks because of the heat.  First, I cleared sod in two or three places, getting the yard ready for the planting of dahlias.  I then took the leftover sod and filled in bare or low spots in the lawn.  I then cleared another space for our stone spider, mulched it, so I do not have to move the spider to mow.  Finally, I mowed the lawn, with a couple of stops, to check on Evie who was finalizing the Shutterfly album.  And as always, when she went to send it in, there were problems so she ended up speaking to a rep for a good 15 minutes.  It was worth it, however, because we are getting a $170.00 book for $25.00.  Evie is a wonder on the phone. 

A Gaggle Of Geese

Lunch was easy, a leftover pork chop and rice and I watched the last half of the Golden State/Houston game which was disheartening if you are a Cavs fan.  The three-point shooting of the big three, Curry, Thompson, Durant, is going to be hard for the Cavs to overcome.  Most of the afternoon then was spent either out on the dock under an umbrella, mostly Evie, or on the porch or inside the house by me, seeking a cool spot.  It seemed as though we were into the hottest part of the summer, with the temperature in the high 80's, lots of humidity, and little if any wind.  Neither one of us like this kind of weather so we are looking forward to tomorrow when we should get a break, some rain and more spring-like temperatures. 

Moonlight at 9:16

We had hoped to go for a boat ride but it seemed too warm even for that so we sat inside for our wine, in our closed up house.  When the temperature outside reaches that of inside, we close all the windows, a cheap method of air conditioning.  So when it was 86º outside, it was 77º inside, bearable.  For dinner, Evie had pulled some leftover eye of round and gravy from the freezer, roasted some cauliflower and potatoes, and made a salad.  The meat was really quite good, especially with horseradish, so we had a tasty dinner.  We started a new series called STRIKING OUT on Acorn TV and so far, we like it.  At least we don't have to listen to politics although we did watch a Vice News.

A Hazy, Lazy Daze Of Spring

Great Blue Among The Reeds

5:57

6:01

6:01

6:02

Up at 5:38 exactly, in time to get a cup of coffee before the sun rose on another warm and hazy morning.  What a difference on the lake this morning, with not a boat in sight.  It's 64º and I will soon be out on the lake kayaking, happy once again with a quiet lake. It's 8:00 and I have just returned from a  great paddle, a smooth lake, sun, blue lake and only a couple of fishing boats!  And it's always a good morning when I get a photograph of a wood duck or heron,

Wood Duck And Mallards

Female Mallard Protecting Her Eggs

Purple Martin Gathering Materials For His Home

Kayak Morning

Yesterday was more like July 4th than Memorial Day, at least weather-wise and the temperature rose to the high 80's.  We had a leisurely waking up with Linda and Rich.  Then Evie got busy, with Rich's help, putting together the grits, cheese, chilis, and sausage casserole, his favorite.  He vows to start making it home. It was nice enough to eat outside, so in the shade of our maple, with had the grits, fried eggs, juice, and bagels, with cream cheese and jam, a great start to Memorial Day. 

Fishing Early

Amish Enjoying The Lake Off Of Long Point

After breakfast, we took a boat ride over to Bemus Point and back, on a busy, rough lake because of the wakes from the many boats.  It was a beautiful morning, however, so it was a fun ride.  We then relaxed on the dock until about 1:30 when they decided to head home and avoid the late afternoon Memorial Day traffic.  It was a fun visit.

Dock Time 

The rest of the afternoon neither one of us did anything.  It felt good.  Evie went on the dock, sunbathed, swam, and sunbathed and swam.  I fell asleep watching the Cavs play then came out to join her on the dock for a bit but it was so hot that I soon returned to the house, too cool off on our front porch.  Around 6:00, the lake calmed down, the weekenders were in their cars heading home, so we grabbed a libation and took another cruise on a fairly quiet and calm lake. 

Evie Of The Lake

Dinner was easy, just heat up the leftovers, pork chops, ratatouille, and rice and make a salad.  We didn't eat until late, 8:00 because we were in no hurry.  We watched BILLIONS, then some of the NBA game before heading up to bed early, tired from our busy Memorial Day.

A Hazy, Hot Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day From Chautauqua Lake

6:04

6:06

7:00

I was up just after 6:00, as the sun was rising over the horizon, muted some by morning haze.  It's surprisingly quiet for Memorial Day, no boat motors, just the chirping of birds, mostly purple martins.  It 64º and will get into the 80's, great weather for Memorial Day parades. And as you can see, it clouded up around 7:00 but now, at 8:30, the sun has come out again and the lake is once again busy.

Yesterday was another warm and sunny day, a few hints of rain that never came.  I got in an early long paddle, of course, and then it was 'get ready' for our company day.  Fortunately, Evie had made most of our dinner on Saturday, making it a lot easier to enjoy the day.  We spent the morning just making sure the house and bedrooms were cleaned and vacuumed, something we always do when we have someone stay over.  We were tempted to go for a boat ride but the lake was busy so we took it easy on the porch.

I had chili for lunch, watched some basketball and napped, and Evie put together the appetizers, the salad, the ratatouille, and rice, which took some time of course.  I got busy after my nap and brought out the yard chairs and tables, gave them a dousing with the hose, then washed them down and we were ready in case we wanted to sit outside.

My sister Linda and her husband Rich arrived around 3:00.  We had not seen them since early February so it was good to see them.  We sat on the front porch because it was too hot in the sun and there was a nice breeze on the porch.  They had just returned from their grandson's graduation from Keuka College, about a two-hour drive from the lake.  They had a great time, of course, and stayed in a house situated right on Keuka Lake.

Drinks And Stuffed Pickles

Around 5:00, Linda and Ron arrived and just before they arrived, Evie put the appetizer in the oven, breaded pickles, stuffed with mozzarella cheese.  They were a hit, of course, dipped in ranch dressing.  All six of us enjoyed our drinks and appetizers on the front porch until it was time for me to put the teriyaki pork chops on the grill and Evie and the girls got busy in the kitchen, getting everything ready for dinner.  We sat down to eat around 7:30.  The pork chops and ratatouille were the hits, I think, and I had forgotten how good there are.  After dinner, we sat on the front porch with our dessert, a lemon pudding cake Evie had made on Saturday, topped with raspberries, a perfect ending to a great dinner.

Dinner For Six

Linda and Ron left around 9:00, and we then took about twenty minutes to get the dishes done, then sat around on the front porch, listening to fireworks, watching the Cavs pull out another stunner, adding to the legend of Lebron, as the greatest player ever.  He has my boat.  We watched the last three minutes which were exciting but heart thumping, too.  Then went up to bed, happy.

A Busy Morning On The Lake

5:53

It's 8:20 and I have been up since 5:45, on a partly cloudy morning, a pleasant 64º, and we received some rain overnight, about a half inch, so the garden and lawn look freshly washed.  We are having friends over for dinner tonight and my sister and her husband will be spending the night so we are going to have a busy but fun day. 

Kayak Morning

I took a long paddle, over an hour and ran in our neighbor Jeff as well as a couple, Tina and Jim, who seem to be out kayaking early most weekends when they are up here at the lake.  A number of fishing boats were out with me by 7:00 and by the time I returned at 8:00, our neighbor's sons, Jeff and Steve, were out water skiing. 

Early Morning Paddlers

Yesterday was mostly sunny until late in the afternoon when it clouded up and we had spits of rain off and on into the evening.  The day started, like most days lately for me, with a paddle.  When I walked into the house, Evie was getting things ready to start prepping for tonight's dinner as she likes to get most things made the day before.  First, however, we got the trash ready so I could go off to the Transfer Station.   I then drove into Lakewood, for a mega shopping trip, stopping first a Sav A Lot to pick up some things, then a quick self-car wash, before I waded into the very busy Wegman's, as carts filled the aisles, with people shopping for the Memorial Day Weekend.  I should know better than to shop the day or two before a holiday but I guess I just was not thinking.  I did, however, have little trouble navigating the aisles, got what I needed without much wandering around, I picked a good, quick aisle for my getaway. 

Hungry Heron

I was home by 1:00 and Evie had already made dessert for tonight's dinner.  It took us awhile to unpack the groceries, lots of staples.  I rewarded myself, reluctantly, with a Singapore noodles dish and egg rolls from Wegmans for lunch.  It was better than Chun King chop suey but not by much.  I watched some of the Cavs game, read, and fell asleep briefly.  By 3:00, Evie had finished cooking for the day, so she was out on the dock and I joined her.  It was sunny and warm, the lake buzzing with boats and seadoos, not the quiet empty lake we have been used to.   By 4:00, the wind picked up, the air became cool, so we decided to head in.  We got a few things done but inside and in the yard and by 5:30, we were back out on the dock, enjoying a beer, as the clouds lifted and the lake air was filled with the sounds of speedboats and seadoos. 

Flamingo Float Envy (not really)

Mallard Protecting His Mate

Dinner was a couple of burgers, fried in the house to perfection I might add by Evie and that was it along with chips for a good Saturday night meal.  And according to Sam Sifton of the New York Times, the best burgers are grilled inside on a fry pan.  We tend to agree.  We started to watch a new film on Netflix called IBIZA but soon realized it was the same coarse and vulgar comedies, popular with today's youth, not old timers like us.  So we put on the tried and true, Stephen Colbert and were happy until we had enough TV and went up to bed. 

A Beautiful Memorial Weekend Start

5:48

6:04

I woke just before 6:00 to a partly cloudy sky, the roar of bass boats, and a pleasantly cool morning of 53º, good sleeping weather.  At the moment, the sun has risen above the clouds, blinding any attempt to look across the lake at Long Point.

Kayak Morning

What?

Yesterday was summer-like, in the 80's as predicted, lots of sunshine, a perfect day to be outside, either in the garden, on the dock, or taking a boat ride.  We did all three.  Because I skipped yoga, I took along paddle to Tom's Point and back.  It was nice to have a morning without yoga, almost like a beginning to the weekend.  I did have a couple of chores in mind that I wanted to get done, putting in the buoys by our dock and cutting the lawn later in the afternoon.  The buoys took about forty-five minutes, as it's difficult to get the seven of them in line.  It took getting in the kayak and adjusting the ropes to get them in order.  It's always nice to get it done; one more spring thing I do not have to think about.  Meanwhile, Evie, after cleaning the front porch on Thursday, took on the back porch, which had become a repository for just about anything that had to do with the garden, the lake, our outdoor lives in general.  So it took awhile.

We were looking forward to lunch because we were going to have it on the boat, cruising down to Prendergast Point and back.  Evie heated up some leftover frozen pizza, put a couple of Pepsis in a small cooler and we were off.  We wanted to enjoy the lake before all the weekenders and vacationers arrived late Friday afternoon.  It was a great day for a boat ride, little traffic, a warming sun, blue calm lake and pizza and a Pepsi.  How could life get much better.  And we had an afternoon on the dock, sunbathing to look forward to.

When we got back, I adjourned to the TV room and fell asleep watching the Houston/Golden State game while Evie finished up the porch.  I was up and at em by 2:30 and fired up the lawn mower and cut the grass.  Nothing as visually enjoyable as a freshly cut lawn in spring, the green of the lawn and trees unmatched.  I joined Evie on the dock, working up a sweat just sitting there.  Evie had enough around 5:00, so she took a swim, her first of the year and was delirious with the pleasure of the cold water.  It is enervating. 

Just About Home

We knew we had an easy dinner, so we had a long cocktail hour planned on the front porch, the first time this year.  We had hummus, with radishes, carrots, and pretzels.  It was a busy early evening on the lake, busy mostly with the antics of purple martins, amazing flyers, the match for any bird, as they swoop and flit, either finding grass for their nests or chasing females, hoping to score or so it seems.

Home

We finally roused ourselves from the porch around 8:00, boiled some pasta, warmed up the chili, grated some cheese and we had dinner.  We had forgotten to watch THE AMERICANS on Wednesday, so that was our TV for the night, along with some news.  It was a busy day so we went to bed earlier than usual.  Since I finished THE NINTH HOUR  by Alice Mc Dermott, I was able to start a book I have been wanting to read, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, by Celeste Ng, set in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a wealthy suburb of Cleveland.

In The 80's For A Day Or Two

6:00

6:01

6:14

Amish Fishermen 

I was up at 5:30, in time to see the sunrise, the quiet before the storm of Memorial Day weekend.  It's a pleasant 53º out, as some cloud cover has just moved in, moderating the sun.  It looks like pleasant weather until Sunday when we may get some rain.

Kayaking Morning

We Love Wood Ducks

A Great Blue Heron

It's 8:20 and I just returned from a paddle of over an hour to Tom's Point and back along, Bootey and Wells Bay.  I was able to photograph the remaining ducks, the mallards and wood ducks, and a great blue heron so it was a good morning.

Bemus Point Bridge

A Willet

Mallards Cruising By

Yesterday was a spectacular spring day, starting with kayaking and then Yin yoga at 10:00.  I was lucky to find a spot because this class is popular.  I wanted to get home to enjoy the day but ended up dropping a return off at UPS and returning a couple of things at the hardware store.  When I arrived home, Evie was into a deep cleaning of our of the front porch, a sure sign that summer is coming.  We have not touched it since October.  By the time she was done the vacuuming and washing windows, it looked great, especially because we had new cushions made over the winter by an Amish upholsterer. 

For lunch, Evie made me a couple of toasted cheese and I made myself a bowl of ramen.  I then started the final episode of the Jack Taylor series and will finish it up today.  I am almost done with THE NINTH HOUR, thank goodness because it is a sad, tragic view of life even though it's setting is mostly among nuns, the Catholic church.  By 2:00, Evie was finished with most of what she wanted to do, so she was able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.  I fixed my wheelbarrow, which needed a new front wheel and worked on getting the buoys set up to put in the lake to protect our swimming area. 

It was such a perfect afternoon that we wanted to go for a cruise.  Before we headed off, however, Evie marinated a few boneless chicken thighs in buttermilk, laced with siracha because we were having fried chicken for dinner.  We then gathered a couple of Yuenglings and pretzels, and cruised off for a tour of Bemus Bay.  We were out for a good hour, in no hurry to get home.  Around 6:30, we docked and Evie got busy in the kitchen, frying the chicken, making home fries, corn on the cob and a salad.  By 7:00, we were enjoying our version of Nashville's hot chicken.  It was great and I am sure we will be making it again. We are struggling to find a series to watch, so we ended up sticking with Colbert and Vice News with an occasional peek at the NBA playoffs.

Here Comes Summer

5:55

6:02

6:03

6:10

I was up at 5:35 with plenty of time to see the first sunrise at 6:00, on the first clear morning since May 9th.  That tells you how foggy or cloudy it has been over the past few weeks.  Not a cloud mars this morning's sky, as the sun fills the lake with its reflection.  I want to get out there and kayak even though it's 6:35.  And I am back, from a glorious paddle, a calm, empty lake, just me, the sky, the water and the sun.

Kayak Morning

Like Icarus, Paddling Toward The Sun

Spring Green On The Lake

Mallards

Yesterday was the first time I really felt that summer was on the way.  Our trees, in our front yard, have finally turned green, the leaves bursting, and the drive down to Woodlawn is a tunnel of green.  Yesterday was typical so I won't go into much of the boring detail, just an early paddle, then yoga, and home to the lake, blue skies, and sunshine.  Evie left for PT at 12:15, and I had a healthy lunch of a couple of Sahlen hotdogs.  I watched Houston defeat Golden State before taking a cat nap and doing some reading.

Evie was back by 1:30 and eventually went out to enjoy the sun.  I don't blame her; take advantage of the warm spring days before it gets too hot.  I donned my shorts, white socks, and tennis shoes and cut the lawn which needed it.  I then joined Evie and we came in around 5:00, to get showers because we were going out to dinner with our neighbors, Barb and Jim.

Wing Night With Jim And Barb

We picked them up at 6:30 and drove off to Steener's Irish Pub in Greenhurst, a bar which is fast becoming our go-to place, like the Seezurh House.  It was wing night so all four of us ordered grilled wings, with various sauces.  They were great, the reason we go, and Labatt's cans were only two fifty, so we got out of there for under 30 bucks.  Wow.  By the time we left, it was crowded and noisy as the Sabres fans were there to watch hockey on the big screen TV.

We were home by 8:45, full and happy after a fun night out with friends. We were able to watch a Colbert and some news before bedtime, much desired. We both needed a good sleep.