A Drop Of Rain, A Partly Cloudy Sky

Evie Of The Lake

7:14

 It's 7:40, the sun has been playing peek a boo as the mist rises along the shoreline.  Lots of bass boats roared out of Long Point Marina at 7:00, as a big tournament begins.  It's 55º and the high today should only be in the 60's.  It was a perfect morning for a long paddle, down to Snug Harbor Marina and back.  I was unable to photograph any waterfowl, perhaps because a camouflaged boat and hunters were out looking for Canadian geese as the season just opened,

Kayak Morning

Canadian Geese Hunters

Snug Harbor Marina

It was a different Saturday for us as we avoided the usual and did some different things. The day started for me with a paddle over to Tom's Point, then breakfast with Evie on the front porch, a smoothie this time with peaches, blueberries, yogurt, and oats. Yum.  We realized that a local school was having their cross country invitational at Long Point State Park and we have enjoyed watching it in the past.  So we got busy getting things done, shucking and steaming some corn, then taking it off the cob to freeze for salads this winter.  Once that was done, I took my weekly trip to the Transfer Station, then came home and Evie was ready to kayak over to Long Point and watch the meet.  It was as easy 15-minute paddle and we could hear the cheers of the crowd as we pulled out kayaks up on the beach. 

Warming Up

There must have been 15-20 buses in the parking lot, hundreds of people watching the runner,s and canopies set for each of the teams to relax, enjoy a lunch or just chill out. 

The Start

The Finish

We stood either at the final 50 yards of the race or the first 50.  People cheered on the runners as they finished for at least ten minutes, making sure every runner, first or last, received a cheer.  And the start was brief but fun, as the runners vied for being first among the herd on the trail.  We stayed for a couple of races, walked around people watching, then paddled home around 12:30 when it was time for lunch.

The Venue

Evie heated up the leftover tas kebab and mashed potatoes, microwaved a couple of ears of corn for me and I had a feast for lunch and watched my show.  We then parted ways, as Evie went out to enjoy the side yard and sun and I read and fell asleep for a good nap.  Neither of us did much the rest of the afternoon although at 4:00 for decided to watch the US Tennis final, thinking Serena might finally win another title.  I was wrong, of course, as a 19-year-old Canadian, ranked 115th a year ago, outplayed her and win in two sets, as a new star was born. 

We left at 6:30 to have dinner and participate in a music event to support young musicians in Jamestown.  We have done this now for the past four or five years.  You pay 15 bucks apiece and are then welcome into various venues, bars or restaurants, where local bands donate their playing for an hour.  So you get a sampling of various kinds of music and the kinds of local bands of the Chautauqua area.  First, however, we went to Evie's favorite Mexican joint, Taco Hut, sat at the bar, had a beer and dinner, always good. 

Deep-Fried And Dipped In Honey

We then went to hear an energetic Bluegrass group called Deep Fried And Dipped In Honey.  We stayed for a half-hour, packed like sardines in the Labyrinth Press Coffee shop.  We then walked for 15 minutes, trying to decide where to go next, finally deciding on The Electra Kings at the Pearl City Hops bar.  We easily found a front-row seat, ordered a beer and listened to their take on lots of rock tunes as well as their own. 

The Electra Kings

They are good if loud and we especially enjoyed the guitar player.  As we sat and listened, people slowly walked in and out which was part of the fun of the evening, getting a feel for the kinds of people who enjoy this kind of benefit.  I have to say it was a strange, interesting group of followers, especially the groupies following the bands. 

We had enough by 9:30 and were home by 10:00, happy but tired from our busy Saturday.  We watched some TV for a bit then went up to bed ready for a good night's sleep.