Overcast With Some Rain Overnight

7:02

Fallen Dahlia 

I was up at 6:30, to still dark morning, as the clouds have blotted out any semblance of a sunrise.  I walked outside and was pleased to see we received an inch of rain overnight after threatening to rain most of the day.  We seem to spend our days waiting for the forecast rain that never seems to arrive.  Instead of sunny days, we hope for rainy ones, perhaps because of Evie's garden. It's 7:25 as I finish this, Evie's still sleeping, and I am not sure of a paddle as it's gray and gloomy out, with a light rain.

A Threatening Kayak Morning

Yesterday as I mentioned above, it was supposed to rain much of the day, so we let them dictate some of our tasks.  I went out early for a paddle before driving over to Bemus Point for breakfast with the guys, a crowded place this time of the year.  When I came home, I quickly finished the blog and put the cover on our boat 'because it was going to rain.'  Putting the cover on my boat is a sure-fire recipe for clear skies by the way.  I then drove to Lakewood to Yin Yoga, thirty of us compared to three of us the day before.  When I drove into our yard, Evie had powered up the lawn mower to get the lawn cut before the thundershowers arrived.  And to my surprise, Austin, our carpenter/jack of all trades was finishing up the sill plate and strengthing of the studs on our garage.  And, thankfully, he filled up his truck with all the detritus from his work as well as trash I did not want, to take to the Ellery dump.

A Quartet Of Dahlias

While I made lunch, a schnitzel sandwich with mayo and tomatoes, Evie finished up the lawn as the sun came out.  I finished my series, FAUDA, alas and will have to find something else to watch at noon time.  I also took a good nap and started a new book, WARLIIGHT by Michael Ondaatje, the award-winning novelist of THE ENGLISH PATIENT.  Around 3:00, I spent the next hour and a half weeding our brick walk, pulling the weeds and grass which seems to grow between the bricks and edging the path.  It was hot enough that I worked up quite a sweat despite the fact that I was sitting on a boat cushion most of the time.

Happy Rock Painters, Anna, And Lucy

Around 4:30, our neighbors' family from Vermont walked by our yard and their two daughters, four and six, admired our painted rocks and one was very sad, saying she wanted to 'paint rocks.'  That's all it took for Evie to get out the paints, let the girls pick out rocks and for the next hour and a half they happily painted rocks, as well as themselves and their clothes, much to their mother's dismay we assume.  It was a fun way to end the afternoon, as they were cute and fun, talkative and lacking any self-consciousness.  They were delightful.

They went home around 5:30, giving us just enough time to get ready for dinner at the Seezurh House with Linda and Ron.  Fortunately, we found a place to park next to the Lenhart, where we had our first beer of the night on their porch, overlooking Bemus Bay as the sun punched through the clouds once again.  We walked to the Seezurh House, easily found a table in the bar area, and both Ron and I had a Western burger, something the cook made up with onion rings, sloppy joes and pico de gallo.  It was huge but we both would have preferred a normal cheeseburger.  It was fun to get back together and since our anniversary is in a few days, they gave us this card.  Funny!

We were home around 8:45 as the sun had already set, the sky darkening as we crossed the bridge.  We had enough time to watch the second episode of Season 2 of The Handmaids Tale before going to bed to read.