Stillness At Chautauqua Lake

Early Morning Kayak Klatch

6:17

8:59

It's 7:00 and we had some rain overnight, just enough to get Evie's garden wet.  It's 67º and the rain should be over.  I just saw our friends, Tina and Jim, paddle by Long Point, out early for a morning paddle, the first action on the lake.  It's 9:00, a good paddle, a gathering of kayaks, with three neighbors as we solved the world's problems and I photographed a bald eagle, a good morning.

Kayak Morning

Kayak Morning Clearing

Bald Eagle Percheth 

Yesterday morning was wet but I got in a short paddle, coming home soaked but happy to be out on the lake.  It was a Tuesday, so it was 5% off day at Wegman's.  I drove to a crowded yoga class at 9:30 and surprise, I was one of five guys.  After class, I went to Wegman's and wound my way through the parked carts of other golden agers like me.  I also picked up a couple dozen ears of sweet corn because we hope to shuck it, then take it off the cobb and freeze, to pull out this winter for salads or chilis.

I was home just after noon, in time for Evie to do some prepping for dinner before she left for a doctor's appointment in Jamestown.  I heated up the leftover dinner from Sunday night, chicken and pasta salad and watched my show.  It was strange to be alone in the house for a couple of hours but I kept to routine, reading my book, Pleasantville, and napping.  By the time I woke, Evie was in the kitchen, continuing her preparation for dinner because we were having our neighbors, Bill and Joyce, over for a meal, an amazing couple, married for sixty-four years, still walking a couple of miles a day.  She prepped and cooked, and I washed and dried until things were more or less ready.  We were having Bill's favorite (and ours) Wienerschnitzel, with twice-baked potatoes, salad, rolls and beets.

They arrived at 6:00 and unfortunately, it was too cool to sit on the porch so we sat inside, enjoying a glass of wine and appetizers until dinner.  Everything was great, especially the schnitzel and twice-baked potatoes, so I had to go back for seconds.  We had a peach/blueberry crisp Evie made earlier in the day for dessert, topped with ice cream and sat in the living room talking until 9:40 when they walked home.  We then did a quick clean up of the kitchen, making sure everything was put away and we have enough leftovers for another dinner.  Yippee.  We were tired from our day so we went up to bed earlier than usual.