A Couple Inches Of Rain Overnight

7:32

It's later than usual, 7:26 and I have been up since 6:55, having slept in.  I woke a couple of times, however, to the rain hitting our roof, dropping close to two inches overnight.  A number of bass boats are out, roaring up and down the lake this morning, perhaps a tournament.

Kayak Morning

Breakfast Along The Shore

Fishing From The Dock

Yesterday was a Friday that seemed like Saturday.  Don't ask me why.  I kayaked on a windy lake over to Long Point and back, a good paddle despite the choppy seas (lake).  Evie was up and busy in the kitchen when I returned, making another favorite, mercimek or lentil soup.  We then did some things both in the house and out, not sure what this morning would bring  but by 11:00, we were dressed and ready to go for a hike around Long State Park, 

Big Tom

A Sea Of Golden Rod

It was a good choice as it was still a beautiful morning, sunny but starting to warm up. We were surprised by how much warmer it felt as we started our hike, compared to Woodlawn.  We walked a little over two miles, enough to almost work up a sweat and enjoy the quietness of the woods.  We drove back through a busy Bemus Point, as they were having Bemus Point Days with lots of tents set up selling mostly stuff you don't want.

Evie's Dahlias

We were home by 1:00 and the wind had picked up enough that it had knocked our chairs over on the dock and stayed that way the rest of the afternoon and early evening.  Surprisingly, it came from the east with gusts of 20 or 30 mph.  So we stayed inside and I had my lunch, the leftover iskender kebab with yogurt and I am close to finishing my show on Showtime, City on The Hill.  And I must have been still tired from the previous day because I took a good forty five minute nap.  When I woke, I did a few things outside and Evie finished up in the kitchen. 

We decided it was a good night to go out, so we left for Steeners Irish Pub at 6:00 and were fortunate to find a seat at the bar.  We quickly ordered a few drafts, looked at the menu but ordered the daily specials, an enormous veal parmesan sandwich for Evie and osso buco for me, served over rice with a mushroom sauce.  Both dinners were more than we could eat and as we were finishing, our plumber walked in with his wife, so we spent the next 15 to 20 minutes talking with them about recipes and travels.  We have talked with Phil before at Steeners but had not met his wife before. They were fun and we were reluctant to leave but did not want to have another beer and drive home.  We were home by 8:00 in time to watch a Colbert, another episode of The Spy and have a bowl of vanilla ice cream with peaches before going up to bed,

I discovered Emily Dickinson my freshmen year at Ohio University and went out and bought her book of poetry.  I have liked her poems ever since and here is one of my favorites from today's Writer's Almanac.

Going to Heaven
by Emily Dickinson

Going to heaven!
I don't know when,
Pray do not ask me how,--
Indeed, I'm too astonished
To think of answering you!
Going to heaven!--
How dim it sounds!
And yet it will be done
As sure as flocks go home at night
Unto the shepherd's arm!

Perhaps you're going too!
Who knows?
If you should get there first,
Save just a little place for me
Close to the two I lost!
The smallest "robe" will fit me,
And just a bit of "crown";
For you know we do not mind our dress
When we are going home.

I'm glad I don't believe it,
For it would stop my breath,
And I'd like to look a little more
At such a curious earth!
I am glad they did believe it
Whom I have never found
Since the mighty autumn afternoon
I left them in the ground.