A Starry, Starry Morning Sky

7:10

7:47

Walked outside at 6:15, to a star-filled sky, a 34º chill and now, at 6:50 a pink haze over the Bemus skyline, light blue above.  It looks like a fine day, lots of sunshine.  When I went out to kayak, there was frost on both the kayak and paddle.  It was a crisp morning for a paddle but a beautiful morning on the lake.  Lots of sun and blue water, few if any interesting wildlife other than Canadian geese. 

Kayaking to Long Point

Yesterday things calmed down here after our frantic Wednesday of cable guys, plumbers, and handymen.  We are getting there, meaning get things ready and updated for the winter.  It was a good morning to skip kayaking and go to Bemus for breakfast, just four of us.  And breakfast is slowing down as there were lots of empty tables.  I came home quickly because Evie was driving me to Lakewood so I could pick up up my Accord which was in the shop for some 200 dollar repairs.  I then went to yoga, just the ladies and me, a good class.  It's 7:30 as I finish my first draft and I want to get out on the lake before the sun starts to rise, around 7:43 here at the lake.

I was home by 11:45 and we talked about what we wanted to get done in the afternoon.  Lunch was two Sahlen hot dogs, with the last of a bottle of Stadium Mustard but, fortunately, I have two more on standby.  While I read and took a brief nap, Evie was busy doing something, always busy doing something.

Bemus Farm

Late Afternoon Sun

Surprisingly, I woke ready for bear and spent the rest of the afternoon getting yard things done.  We wanted to get all the dock and yard furniture put away for the winter, so I pulled out my trusty wheel barrel and cleared both the dock and yard and put things away for the winter.  It always feels good to have that done, like putting my boat away or getting the dock in. "Preparation is all" as Shakespeare might have said.  I then cut down all of the six foot Jerusalem artichokes along our porch as they were starting to go to seed and we are putting up our canvas porch cover today.  I also did some raking, clearing our parking area of pine needles, an inch deep.  I ended up taking two trash cans of leaves, dead plants and pine needles up the hill. 

We were invited to Sam and Donna's house in Busti, old friends from our Bud's Carriage House days in the late 1980's.  They live in Busti in a great house, set on 14 acres. 

Sam Next To Their Latest Addition To Their Yard, A Log Cabin 

Sam is a retired teacher, Donna a retired librarian and the two of them have enjoyed retirement for the past 18 years although Sam seems always busy, cutting hay for the area.  They had quite a spread of appetizers for us, as we sat down to catch up.  Dinner, too, was amazing, beef and salmon, enough it seemed to feed the neighborhood.  We have been to their house a couple of other times but the best part is getting to see Donna's collection of beanie babies. 

Donna Among Some Of Her Beanie Baby Showcases

Evie Among The Bears

She started collecting them when they first came out in 1995 and since then has amassed a collection that has to be the biggest certainly in the area if not the state.  She has one room upstairs set aside for her favorites, in lit glass cabinets.  And downstairs, she has thousands more, all in cabinets, on display each with its original tag in its plastic sleeve.  It's an amazing collection and I suggested they turn it into a Beanie Baby Museum.  I am sure there would be lots of interest. 

Our Busti Friends, Donna And Sam

We left about 9:15 and because of deer, we took our time, in no hurry to get home.   It's probably 15 miles to their house, so we did not arrive home until 9:45, in time to watch a bit of TV before going up to bed.  It was a fun evening, thanks to Donna and Sam's hospitality.