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.