Monday, June 10, 2019

A Flag Flies On A Wet Morning

6:32

Yesterday At 4:35
It's 7:00 and gray with light rain. What a contrast to yesterday's sunshine, busy lake, and wind.  I have yet to see or hear a boat, the striking difference between weekdays and weekends.  I can hear the martins singing, however, and the male cardinal has already been feeding at our feeder.  In other words, all is well on Chautauqua Lake.   I picked a good time to get out on the lake for a paddle, as the rain let up and I had the lake to myself, nary a boat or kayak within sight.  

Kayak Morning
Yesterday was defined by the wind, with gusts up to 25 or 30 miles an hour but mostly a constant 9 to 10 mph.  Fortunately, I was able to kayak earlier and when it was windy, I would hug the shoreline where I could find some calm.  For Evie, it was not a day of rest.  She ended up spending much of the day outside while I relaxed.  Like always, there was some work to do in the garden.  While she weeded in the garden, I worked on clearing all the weeds from our privets, especially getting at the morning glories that tend to choke the plant.  I literally filled a pail with the weeds.

Around 11:30, we decided to get some of our weekly shopping done since we had not been to Wegman's since we returned from Virginia.  So Evie made up the list, put it on the app and I was off to shop.  I stopped at the self car wash and gave the good old Honda a wash before shopping. Wegmans seemed like an alternative to church because it was so crowded.  Aisles were crowded with shoppers in no hurry, unlike me, always in a hurry.  I was on my way home in 15 minutes, with a cart full of groceries.  When I returned home, I never would have guessed what Evie was doing.  Cutting the lawns once again and loving it.  She also painted the table she had painted the day before gray, not liking the first white.  And so it goes.  For lunch, I had some ramen, read and tried to nap to no avail.

So later afternoon, I did some work in the yard, took two buckets of garden waste up the hill.  And finally, the wind let up somewhat, so I put together my telescoping flag pole, attached a flag and viola, we now have a flag flying near our shoreline.  Around 4:30, we both showered because we were invited to dinner by my morning kayak friends, Jim and Tina, who live just down the shore in Victoria.  

The Drive
Lake View
They live on the lake but to get to their house set on 20 acres, we had a quarter of a mile drive through an amazingly beautiful forest before emerging on an open area, their house, an old ice house and a large garage for Jim's tractors.  They live in a real cottage, quaint with little updates over the years, making it homey.  Even the kitchen seemed old fashion but efficient.  

A Lovely Night For Dining Al Fresco
Selfie With A View
They outdid themselves with appetizers which we enjoyed sitting outside, with a great view of the lake.  Their cottage not only gets a sunrise like us but also the sunset.  We are jealous.  Around 7:00, Jim grilled some sliders for our dinner, tasty and just enough, with cheese and a slice of bacon.  We had fruit and cheese and tomato kebabs as sides.  Until last night, we had only had time to talk briefly as we kayaked so it was fun to get to know both of them.  They live near Butler, Pa, north of Pittsburgh and have owned the cottage for 20 years but it has been in Tina's family forever. 

The Cottage, Buttoned Up For The Winter
We were home by 9:00 in time to watch another episode of the horrible but gripping story of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.  It's gotten rave reviews and is the top-rated TV series this past week.  

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