A Classic Saturday Morning In July

Cruising With Ray And Judy

6:10

It's 6:30 and all I can hear are the bass boats charging out of the marina how what was a smooth lake.  It's a beautiful sunny morning, blue skies, a crisp 57º, and an empty day ahead of us.  I woke at 5:30 to bass boats also rushing out of the marina which was unusual that early.  Maybe there are two tiers of a tournament.  It's just about 9:00 as we finish the blog.  I had a good paddle, over to the end of Lakeside Drive, back along the southeastern shore of Long State Park and I ran into Jim and Tina out for a paddle, our neighbors, Betsy and Joe, enjoying the morning on their dock.

Kayaking To Long Point

Wood Ducks Scatter

Yesterday was a good but busy day.  I got in a paddle, then yoga, arriving home just after 11:00.  Evie had spent part of the morning getting the house ready because a couple of friends from the early days of our marriage were arriving around noon.  They had gotten in touch with us a year ago after a hiatus of close to forty-five years.  Judy and Ray live in Austinburg, Ohio, an easy two-hour drive to the lake.  When they arrived, we decided to sit on the front porch because it was surprisingly cool, the lake overcast, unfortunately.  As usual, we caught up on our kids and grandkids, what people our age inevitably talk about.  For lunch, Evie had made a big pot of sloppy joes.  Again, because it was so cool outside, we ate in, hoping the weather would change a bit so we could go for a boat ride.  About 2:30, it did clear up a bit so we went for a nice ride down to the bridge and back, along the shorelines and it was great.  We took our time, occasionally had some sun, warming us up enough to take off our fleeces.  They left around 4:00, hoping to beat the traffic home.  It was good to see them again and it always reminds us of the year our first child, Beth was born,

First Dahlia Of The Summer

We then took it easy, showered because we were going to our friends Linda and Ron for dinner, getting there just after 6:00.  It was a nice night for sitting on their porch with a beer, and great appetizers, three different salamis, and a triple cream brie, a nice combo.  And because it was still coolish outside, we ate indoors.  Ron had grilled four salmon filets, in a lemon marinade and Linda had roasted some potatoes with a mustard sauce.  Dinner was great of course, in fact, I could hardly move after we finished I was so full.  It's always a fun night with them and we stayed, sitting around the dining room table until 10:00, finishing our dinner with a tortoni, a chilled dessert, filled with cream, cherries, and almond slices.  Yum.  We were home just after 10:00, both of us exhausted from our busy, fun day.  I couldn't wait to be upstairs to read and fall asleep.

I am ending with a quotation from ELEANORE OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE, a book Evie read and I am reading.  The main character's mother is describing the most delicious meal of her life.

"The most delicious meal of her life had been a chargrilled octopus, which she had eaten at sunset in an unassuming harbor front taverna one late summer evening on the Greek Island of Naxos.  She watched a fisherman land it in the morning, and then sipped ouzo all afternoon while the kitchen staff battered it again and again at the harbor wall to tenderize its pale, suckered flesh,."

In the summer of 1974, we rented a house on the Island of Naxos, watched the fishermen battering the octopus against the harbor wall in the morning, then sat at a taverna as the sun dropped into the Aegean, the cook grilling the octopus on a brazier in front of us as we sipped our ouzo. The octopus was tender and delicious, no dipping sauce needed.  A memorable night.