Gray Friday

Snowy Abode

7:51

It's 7:30 and yep, I have been up since 6:00, waiting for the lake, Long Point, our yard to materialize.  No snow over the last 24 hours, just cold weather with temperatures in the '20s.  The geese and friends seem to have moved on to another part of the lake, a result perhaps of my kayaking yesterday afternoon, sending them into flight.  Coots, however, have just appeared, pulling seaweed out of the water in our lakefront.

Coots

We were back in routine yesterday, as the snow let up, the roads were cleared, students back in school.  I went to breakfast at 8:00 at the Bemus Point Inn, a busy place once again with mostly local guys like us.  I was home by 9:00, in time to finish the blog and  I was on my way to yoga by 9:35.  The class was good, lots of work on our backs, to cure any of the snow shovelings pain from the previous two days.  I stopped for coffee, then on to Wegman's to pick up a few things for the next couple of days.  I thought it would be packed because of the snow the past two days but the lot was as empty as I have seen it this time of the year. 

When I returned home, Evie was busy with the usual, cleaning out something, this time old desk drawers where she uncovered handmade cards and artwork from our then very young grandchildren.  She was having too much fun.  Lunch was easy and tasty, the last piece of leftover ziti, still good and a bowl of Turkish wheatberry soup.  I watched more of Jack Reacher, then read more of my Gabriel Allon novel, then took a cat nap. 

Kayak Afternoon

We both did little until 4:00 when I realized the lake was inviting, calm and windless.  So I went over and dug out my kayak from 18 inches of snow, grabbed my paddle, put on my winter jacket and glove and paddled down to Wells Bay and back, avoiding thin, skin like ice floes.  And as I mentioned earlier, I scared off all the waterfowl by paddling.  As I paddled toward Wells Bay, the reeds were topped with ice, like diamonds in the late afternoon light.

Winter Reeds

We had our usual wine time at 5:30 and broke open a good cheese, from Trader Joe's, compliments of our daughter Jill.  We did not eat until 7:00 but dinner was easy, just heat up the leftover pork and sauerkraut from Tuesday night.  Like most leftovers, it was just as good if not better after sitting in the refrigerator for a day or two.  We finished up the mini-series THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL, watched a Colbert and finished the night with a bit of NFL football. 

A Foot And A Half Of Snow

7:16

It's a winter wonderland here at the lake, white lawns, frosted trees, and a cold 26º.  It looks like the major snowfall, a result of lake effect snow, has ebbed though we may have some flurries today. The lake was a frothy mix yesterday, as we could see ice beginning to form, waves hitting the shore because of the winds.

Hungry Birds

We had as much snowfall in the past 36 hours as I can remember since we retired here at the lake in 2010.  And it's not yet December or winter.  Schools, which rarely close around here, were closed as were many businesses and restaurants.  We did not venture out either, preferring to stay warm and safe in our house as the roads were treacherous, especially early.  Shane was by around 7:30 to plow our roads and I then was out around 8:00 and spent a good forty-five minutes cleaning our parking area and the car.  My leaf raking on Sunday and Monday was perfectly timed as was putting my Honda in the garage, all before the snowstorm. 

When I came in, I had my breakfast and we finished up the blog.  We have had flocks of waterfowl in front of our house, mostly geese and swans but also a few buffleheads have appeared.  And our bird feeders are busy so we have lots of fun keeping up with their feedings.  Evie kept busy much of the morning, putting together a sweet potato, chicken, and black bean casserole to freeze for later in the month.  And she decided that we would have fried chicken for dinner, so she got out some boneless chicken thighs and marinated them in buttermilk. 

Buffleheads, Mallard, Snow, Sleet, Ice  

Lunch was the Turkish soup Evie had made on Tuesday and toasted cheese sandwiches, along with Wegman's jam.  I watched more of the Jack Reacher series, then finished up my John Grisham novel before taking a nap.  Mid-afternoon, Evie breaded the chicken, getting it ready to fry and I started a new Gabriel Allon thriller and made myself some Turkish tea, a good way to spend the afternoon, reading and drinking Turkish tea.  By 4:30, I was ready to get some exercise, so I put on my snow gear and went for a hike in the woods, at least a part of them, Kinney's Run.  It was much more difficult then I thought and I could have used some snowshoes as the snow was almost up to my mid calves in some areas.  I was gone only a half hour but worked up quite a sweat, tromping through the snow and lovely woods at dusk.

I was home in time for a beer and some relaxation in front of the fireplace.  While I was out hiking, Evie browned the chicken and then put it in the oven to finish cooking.  Around 6:30, Evie made some cole slaw, heated up some mac n cheese and we had a picnic dinner on a still snowy evening.  We watched Colbert, then more of the LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL before going up to bed, the end of a real winter day. 

A Real Winter Morning

Red-bellied Woodpecker

7:45

Well, we are definitely snowed in, having gotten another ten to twelve inches overnight.  It's overcast, foggy, windy and we can hardly make out Long Point.  In front of our house, however, at least sixty geese and swans are a swimming, the geese honking, the swans high pitched whistle or shrieking, as the lake slowly starts to ice up.  Neither Shane, our snow plow guy or the paper guy have been by. And I just checked the Eight Limbs Yoga site and class has been canceled today because of the snow. 

Snow At Our Window

Yesterday was a snow day for us, as we spent most of the day hanging out in our comfy, warm house.  It looks like today will be much the same as we have even more snow.  Anyways,  I was out shoveling our parking area and cleaning off the cars by 8:00 and it was surprisingly easy as the snow seemed light and fluffy.  I could push rather than shovel the snow, saving my back.  It actually felt good to be outside, a light snow falling, and by the end of a half an hour, I could see that I had accomplished something, clearing our parking area.   When I came in, we finished the blog, and I had my breakfast of yogurt with granola and blueberries.

Red-bellied With Sunflower Seed

Around 11:00, it stopped snowing a bit and Shane had cleared our road, so I drove to the Post Office, dropping off a couple of packages to return to Amazon. I thought of getting gas but my gas cap was frozen and I did not feel like fussing with it so I just came straight home.  While I was out shoveling and going to the Post Office, Evie was putting together a Turkish soup of winterberries. lentils, and leftover turkey stock.  For lunch, I had a steaming bowl of soup and a hard salami sandwich with tomatoes and mustard.  I watched another episode of Amazon Prime's Jack Ryan, with Jim, from the Office, as Jack.  It's difficult to picture him as a CIA hotshot.

Tundra Swans

Neither one of us did much the rest of the afternoon, just reading, watching some TV,  taking photographs of the swans, and napping of course.  Around 4:00, I drove Evie over to Bemus where she was getting her hair trimmed.  I walked around Bemus in the snow for 20 minutes while she was at the hairdresser.  We were tempted to stop at the Seezuhr House for a beer but resisted the temptation and went home to our warm living room, where we enjoyed a glass of wine before our dinner.

 Swans A Swimming

A Graceful Pair

We were having leftover ziti for dinner, so that was easy, just pop it in the oven for a half hour and add some garlic bread the last 10 minutes.  Evie, then, made a salad and we had another fine dinner.  We watched a Colbert, the final episode of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND and another hour of THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL before going up to bed.

Waking To The Honking Of Geese

7:03

I woke at 6:15 not only to the honking of geese and I also went to bed last night to their honking.  And to my surprise, we received four or five inches of wet snow during the night and it's still blowing now at 7:00.  We may get six to eight inches more over the next 24 to 36 hours and it's not even December yet!!

7:30

Yesterday was the end of the big melt as the yard and most of the driveway clear of snow except for the piles made by the snow plow.  The temperatures were in the 40's and it drizzled on and off most of the day.  It was too windy to kayak, so I did little other than have my coffee and finish the blog before driving off to Lakewood for yoga class.  Before leaving, however, we made up a shopping list for Wegman's, mostly because I woke thinking of pork chops and sauerkraut, so that was going to be our dinner.  Yoga was good and I was glad to be back in class after a Thanksgiving hiatus.  Afterward, I stopped for a coffee before my shopping at Wegman's.  It was surprisingly crowded, as many, like me, probably had not shopped since the day before Thanksgiving.  I stocked up on all the staples, knowing we might be snowed in till Thursday.

When I got home, Evie was up and about, doing her usual and had my lunch planned, BLT's and the last of the leftover corn chowder.  I, of course, thought it was a good idea, so I was happily ensconced in the TV room, watching the series, Jack Ryan, eating my lunch by 12:45.  The rest of the afternoon went too quickly as I napped and read some before going outside since there was a brief halt to the rain.  I had not finished cleaning out my garage so that I could park my Honda in it, so I finished that, putting things away for next Spring.  And because I had not had a chance to mulch the final dropping of the leaves from our willow and tulip tree, I  got out my trusty old rake and worked for an hour gathering the wet leaves into a couple of barrels and taking them up the hill to the wood pile.  I actually had to take off my jacket because it was warm enough to work up a sweat.  I finally filled the bird feeders and was done with it all by 5:00, just as it was getting dark.

This Morning's Bird Feeder

When I came in, Evie was searing the pork chops, adding sauerkraut and tomatoes and baking it in the oven until dinner time.  We relaxed by the fire with a glass of wine for an hour or so, listening to the day's news before Evie plated out dinner, already made except for my microwaving of Wegman's smashed red potatoes.  I have to have mashed potatoes with my pork and sauerkraut.  Dinner was exceptional, as we both really enjoyed it, the comfort food for an increasingly cold and snowy night. We watched another episode of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND, then watched the first two hours of John LeCarre's novel, THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL.  Like his novels, it's dense and hard to follow at first but we like it.  I am reading THE ROOSTER BAR, by John Grisham, an easy read, funny, and very contemporary.

Rain Falling On The Roof

7:39

It's an ugly morning here at the lake, rain falling, snow melting, with temperature in the 40s's and a snow advisory starting tonight. Ah, Chautauqua weather, nothing like it.  I was up just before 6:00 and it's still dark an hour later.  The day will come.

Yesterday was a gray, overcast day with some rain but little wind, so that I could kayak in the morning and on and off during the day, we would see guys out fishing, taking advantage of the warm temperatures, in the '40s, and the calm lake.  It was not our kind of day to be outside, so we hunkered down and enjoyed being comfortable in our house.  We were having Linda and Ron over for dinner but dinner was already made, baked ziti frozen a few weeks ago.  So it was an easy prep day for Evie and me.

We did have our big breakfast with an exception, instead of the typical eggs, bacon, and bagel, we had a Jill Davis special, fried eggs on avocado/guacamole toast, our new favorite.  Just mash an avocado, add hot sauce and tomatoes if you wish, spread it on toast and top it with a fried egg.  Yum.

I have to admit to wasting a good couple of hours, like Saturday, watching the Browns beat the Bengals, a good day for most Ohio fans because of the Buckeyes victory over Michigan on Saturday afternoon.  It's was actually fun to watch both games, mostly because both teams have great quarterbacks, both game changers.  Evie even got into it, watching or listening to Jimmy Donovan call it on Sirius radio.

Around 4:30, it stopped raining, so I put on my work clothes and went outside and cleaned up our backyard, raking the wet leaves, cutting down some of the dead plants, picking up twigs, filling two barrels with yard waste.  I took them up the hill to the wood pile and felt proud of myself for getting something done on a Sunday.

Baked Ziti Night

Linda and Ron arrived around 6:15, bearing gifts, beer, and a salad. We quickly popped open beers, poured them in frosty glasses and sat down around the fireplace, enjoying our libations and cheese and crackers.  Like us, they had a good Thanksgiving with friends and also frequented the Big Inlet Brewery.  We were happy to have baked ziti, a welcome change for me from the last three days of turkey and leftover stuffing and potatoes.  It was a nice way to end the Thanksgiving weekend and we sat around the fireplace until 10:00, talking about what we hope to do for fun the next month. We then watched TV until we tired and went up to bed.  What a fun five days with family and friends.

Empty House, Calm Lake, Gray Skies

Good Bye Family

7:17

A Quiet Morning Paddle On The Lake

I slept in till 7:00 so I feel more refreshed than usual although the house is too quiet, no granddaughters around to tease.  I have heard multiple gunshots so I assume the duck hunters are out so I will have to be alert when I go kayaking.  Although it overcast, the lake is like glass, the temperature is near 40º so I will be out on the lake shortly.  It's just after 9:00 and I was able to get out on the lake, then finish up the blog next to a nice, warm fire in our fireplace.

Kayaking Towards Long Point

Victoria And Woodlawn In The Morning

Yesterday was a sad day as Jill and Drew and their girls left for home around 8:00.  I did not envy them the ride because of the freezing rain but they made decent time and went on the major highways instead of back roads.  Before they left, Evie made them ham and egg sandwiches for the road.  So we bid them safe travels and immediately did our thing whenever family abandons us for home.  We start cleaning and straightening and washing and organizing the house.  For some reason, it's our way of dealing with the emptiness and quiet, to get busy with getting the house back to normal.  By 10:30,  we were mostly done, so Evie took all the turkey bones, leftover ham bone and put them in a stock pot and let it simmer for five or six hours.  And of course, once we were through with our straightening and organizing, I drove to the Transfer Station in the rain to get rid of our trash from the week, more than usual because of family and boxes from Amazon. 

By noon, we were done with everything, dinner, the leftover turkey, potatoes and gravy, was ready to be microwaved so we literally did nothing the rest of the afternoon except watch Ohio State destroy Michigan it what's been billed as 'the game.'  If you were an Ohio State fan, it was a day of excitement and surprise because the Buckeyes were not favored and had not played well in their previous games.  They, however, rose to the occasion and played their best game of the year.  I actually watched the entire game although I did DVR it so I watched it later so I could fast forward through much of the commercials.  Evie,  who never naps, actually fell asleep on the couch for an hour, as the past week must have really tired her out. 

We did have our wine time around 6:00, the quiet hard to get used to after the fun and games with our kids.  Our leftover turkey dinner was just as good as on Thanksgiving, so good that I once again had two helpings, love that stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy.  We did not know what to watch so decided on two Colberts that we had saved from earlier in the week.  By 10:00, both of us were ready for bed. 

Post Thanksgiving Blues

7:18

7:19

Well, it's another chilly morning here at the lake, mostly cloudy except for a streak of light over most of the opposite shoreline.  We become empty nesters once again and Jill and family drive home to Virginia today.  It's 7:00 and I can hear some stirring upstairs, probably Drew.  It looks like a day of rain, sleet or snow with temperatures in the low 30's.

Yesterday morning was a lazy day for all of us, recovering I suppose from our turkey dinner, appetizers, and libations.  The girls slept in, of course, the adults sat around talking about food until Evie rose and made us a big breakfast, Bob Evans sausage, throwback to the old days, with a Turkish omelet of eggs, feta, and tomatoes.  Despite still being full from Thanksgiving, we devoured the omelet and sausage. 

Ready To Shop

We were not sure what to do with our day but it was Black Friday after all, so the girls wanted to do some shopping even though the stores around here, at least the ones we frequent, were not having any big sales,  Nevertheless, the four of them left around noon to do some shopping while Drew and I stayed home, had some lunch, watched some football, and took naps, a typical post Thanksgiving afternoon.

Retail Therapy Successful

The girls had a great time at T.J. Maxx which was a madhouse even though there was no big sale, just lots of shoppers out to buy, buy, buy.  For lunch, they decided to go and take advantage of Olive Garden's salad bar and soup before heading home around 3:00.  It was a fun outing for them, highlighted by stopped at Ryder's Cup so the girls could get pumpkin spiced coffee, one of their favorite drinks.

Big Inlet Brewery

Drew and I wanted to go to a new brewery that just opened near Mayville called the Big Inlet Brewery.  I know the owner, Randy, having picked hops with him during the summer.  So Drew, Jill and I drove off, leaving Evie at home with the girls to watch a movie, Halle's choice, Wonder.  We were fortunate to get seats as the brewery, having just opened a week ago, is quite popular. 

Enjoying A Couple Of Flights

Beers With Jill

We talked some with Randy, ordered a couple of flights of beer, tasting their different offerings before deciding on a glass of beer of our choice.  There was a nice vibe to it, felt almost like a ski lodge although it's really an old barn converted into a Farm Brew Pub.  We stayed until around 5:30 and reluctantly left, as people hurried to get our seats, a popular place.

With Randy, Big Inlet's Proprietor

We decided to have leftovers, what else, so after watching the thrilling end of the Virginia Tech/Virginia football game, we put together our dinners of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and gravy, microwaved them, then watched a movie which Evie and I had seen and loved called THE BIG SICK.  It's a romantic comedy with a twist, as a Pakistani family gets upset when their son falls in love with an American.  Dinner was even better than the night before, so I had a couple of helpings, others made the proverbial post-Turkey Day sandwich on white bread of course with mayo.  Everyone was tired from a busy day of football, retail therapy, farm brew hopping, a turkey dinner and a movie so we went up to bed around 10:30.

A Windy And Cold Morning On Chautauqua Lake

Thanksgiving Moon Hanging Over Long Point

Halle, Drew, And Hayden (Coco and Daisy)

It's 7:25 and I hear stirring upstairs; the dogs have already run down, then back upstairs, so I assume Drew is up, certainly not our granddaughters who tend to sleep.  I have been up since before 6:00, listening to the wind chimes, the wind, watching daylight slowly appear, and waiting for the sun to rise above Tom's Point.  I have already heard gunshots, most likely duck hunters.  And I could see a large orange globe through the trees of Tom's Point, ready to rise but clouds have just arrived, obscuring any semblance of a great sunrise. 

7:18

Yesterday was a day for family and it was good to know that we were together with Jill and Drew's family and Tom and Mary were in Dallas with Beth and Ramiro's family.  No one, fortunately, was home alone.  We had a long morning coffee time as first I was up, then Jill and Drew, then Evie and finally, after lots of encouragement, the girls.  By 10:30, we were hungry and Jill volunteered to make avocado toasts, something new to me.  So she mashed a couple of avocados, added tomatoes, toasted bread and fried some eggs.  She then spread the avocados mixture on toast, topped it with fried eggs, and we had a tasty and healthy and relatively easy breakfast.  This may be my new go-to breakfast. When the girls woke up, around 11:30, Evie decided to make them crepes, so they were happy girls, enjoying their crepes with sugar and lemon, our favorite way to eat them.

Walking Out To Long Point

Hanging Out

Drew and I wanted to get in a walk so we talked the girls into going with us, promising we would bring the dogs.  So we drove over to Long Point State Park, parked our car down near the marina and walked out to the tip of Long Point where we took some photographs and texted Evie to take a photo of us from our front porch on Woodlawn.  The dogs seemed to love being out despite the temperatures in the teens and I will admit to it being cold enough that I was happy to get back to the warm car.  We were the only crazies out for a walk as far as I could see.  While we were gone, Jill put together her special sausage stuffing and Evie got the turkey ready to roast in the oven. 

Long Point

When we arrived home, the house was toasty warm.  Unfortunately, Coco had rolled in some goose droppings, so the girls put him in the tub and washed him with shampoo and conditioner.  We then had some lunch, either Evie's veggie soup or corn chowder, perfect for after our brisk walk. 

Our Virginia Family

We then watched some football, napped, or just hung out until it was time for appetizers and libations, around 4:00.  Evie got out the shrimp, cocktail sauce and some cheese and crackers and we opened a bottle of wine.  None of us wanted to eat too much because we knew a turkey dinner was coming up. 

A Sign Of Thanksgiving

Around 5:00, I carved up the turkey, Evie roasted the Brussel sprouts and Jill made the salad and we had dinner pretty well done.  The mashed potatoes were made ahead of time, so we did not have much fuss before dinner.  Everything was great, especially the stuffing, and the turkey was moist and tender. 

Dinner With Our Family

Like most Thanksgiving dinners, we got full quicker than we would have liked,  The good news is we have enough leftovers for the next few days.  We were not sure what to do after dinner, having tired of watching some football, so at Jill's suggestion, we watched a film, CRAZY, RICH ASIANS, a feel-good romance.  It poked fun at the super-rich Chinese in Singapore, their dislike for their son's girlfriend because she was a Chinese American.  It was fun to watch.  We then watched a little football before everyone went up to bed around 10:30.

Happy Thanksgiving On A 11º Autumn Morning

Together Again

6:37

6:53

For some reason, I was up at 5:30, turned up the heat and brought the turkey in from the cooler on our very cold back porch.  It's now 6:45 and the rest of the family are still sleeping, lucky guys.  The sky is filled with gray, orange and blue, quite a contrast to the past few days of Chautauqua gray.  The lake is choppy and is just starting to freeze along the shoreline.  I don't think I will be kayaking.

7:22

7:26

Yesterday was a busy day as we continued to get everything ready for the arrival of Jill and her family.  Lots to do in both the kitchen, living room and bedrooms but all was done by noon so we could take it easy in the early afternoon.  The gang arrived at 3:30, having made pretty good time and avoided ice and snow.  They opened their car door and their two dogs came charging out, Coco and Daisy, ran into the house and immediately explored both floors. Coco had been here before, probably five years ago and seemed to recognize the house.  Everyone looks great, the girls grown up, Drew and Jill ageless.  The girls picked their bedrooms, took their backpacks up, and set up the dog beds and their food and water.  The rest of us emptied the car of goodies Jill brought from Trader Joe's, wine, ham, cheese, and a pumpkin pie.  We had not seen Jill and the girls since July, Drew since Christmas 2018. 

Swan A Flying

Tundra Swans

All six of us crowded on to the couches and chairs and we quickly caught up with the girls' lives, Hayden thinking about colleges, Halle about her volleyball season and a new team.  Jill keeps busy with her real estate job and Drew travels for his job way too much.  He's off to India, then Berlin, Germany, and home.  Then back to Jordan, the following week but he will be home for the holidays.  Around 4:00, we got out the cheese and crackers, the beers and wine and enjoyed a happy hour, watching the geese and even a couple of Tundra swans feed in front of our house until dusk.

Family Dinner

Earlier, Evie had put the ham in the oven and put together the scalloped potatoes.  We ate around 7:00 and dinner was delish, the ham, potatoes, salad and roasted green beans with bacon, Hayden's favorite.  We had dessert around the fireplace, a chocolate and chopped peanut pie, made by Evie especially for Drew who loves both chocolate and peanut butter. 

Man With Dog And Computer

We sat around talking and laughing, Face Timed Beth and Tom's families who are together in Dallas before going up to bed around 10:00, Jill and Drew's family tired from the seven-hour drive from Virginia. Evie and I were wiped out as well so we soon went up to bed as well.