Light Rain And A Pleasant 61º

6:14

6:29

I was up at 5:30, to an overcast sky, drizzle, and a placid, gray lake.  It's clearing up some at 6:15 so I may be able to get in a paddle without getting wet.  At least the sky to the north is beginning to open up with some light.  And for the first time,  I am sitting out on our front porch as I write this, a sure sign that summer is near.  It's 7:50 and I just returned from an hour on the lake, a changing sky of sun and dark clouds and only a single photo of a sandpiper.  Where did all the waterfowl go?

Kayak Morning

A Spotted Sandpiper On Long Point Rocks

Morning Sky

Yesterday was a miserably warm day, so disgusting that by 10:00, we shut up the house, closed all the windows, the way we keep the house cool in August except this is May.  By mid-afternoon, the temperature was 85º with gusty winds, capable of knocking over lawn chairs.  In other words, it was not very spring-like. 

We were having friends over for dinner so Evie had prepping to do which was made even more ta time-consuming because she decided to make one of our favorite bread recipes which we got from friends in Turkey, onion rye with caraway seeds.  So Saturday night, Evie made the biga and by 9:30 Sunday morning, the bread was kneaded and rising in our kitchen.  I, of course, was out on the lake, enjoying myself, paddling for over an hour.  We both decided it was too warm to get anything done outside, so we basically hung out in the house, getting things done in preparation for dinner or relaxing.  Around 12:30, we did have our big breakfast, eggs, bacon, and a couple of slices of onion rye.  Yum.  

I can't say we did much the rest of the afternoon until Linda and Ron arrived at 6:00.  I read and napped and watched quite a bit of the PGA while Evie put the finishing touches on the German potato salad.  We were having ham so that went in the oven around 5:00 and when it came out at 6:15, she put in the vegetables to roast.  We were able to enjoy a beer and TJ's Unexpected Cheddar on the front porch, as the breeze made it cool enough to enjoy being outside.  Dinner was great and Ron and I went back for seconds on the ham, even thirds.  And everyone loved the German potato salad.  What's there not to like when there's bacon in with the potatoes and vinegar.  After dinner, we sat around talking until 9:15 as the dark clouds were coming in and it looked as if it would rain.  It was a fun ending to an otherwise disgustingly warm day here on the lake.