Lights Around The Lake

5:20

5:57

6:07

6:14

8:06

I woke at 4:30 to a crash, not sure as to what.  I stayed in bed til 5:15, looked out our window, and our neighbor's tree, two doors down, lost a huge branch.  Fortunately, it fell into the lake, missing his dock and boat.  I paddled by an hour later and could see that that the tree was scorched and there had been a fire, most likely started by fireworks or bonfire from the night before.  It was still smoking and Bud was out watering it down.  I did get in my usual paddle, on another calm summer morning, as the temperature begins to rise from a pleasant 57º early morning. 

Tree Down

Kayak Morning

Bald Eagle

Yesterday ended up being an almost perfect Fourth Of July, as it cooled off late afternoon and by 9:00, we needed a fleece.  We had a busy morning, getting ready for our picnic with Linda and Ron late afternoon.  I of course had to take the trash to the Transfer Station, busy a usual.  Evie was making a special Israeli/Palestinian dessert called Murtabbaq, basically a baklava with a ricotta and goat cheese filling. She put it together in the morning and did not have to bake it till late afternoon,
We got the yard ready, table set, dishes out, so that by noon, we could relax the rest of the afternoon.

I made myself some lunch, warming up the bean dish, and having a bagel with cream cheese and tomato.  I finished my series, Baltazar, so I will looking for something new. I am into my new book, which alternates chapters between a black family and a Korean family in LA in the 1990's.  I am not yet sure how they fit together but I know somehow they will intersect.  I went out on the dock and joined Evie and we both went for a swim to cool off around 5:00.  I went to Hogan's to pick up a bag of ice, filled the cooler with beer so we were ready for the evening.

Together Distancing

Linda and Ron arrived at 6:00 and we sat out in the yard until almost 8:00 as the air-cooled.  We enjoyed ta triple cream brie and pistachios with our beer and played a couple of games of bean bag, which Linda and I won, to Ron and Evie's dismay.  I grilled burgers and hotdogs, Linda made her famous potato salad, Evie put together coleslaw and I contributed my twice baked beans.  Everything tasted so good that I figured we all must have been really hungry.  We had dessert on the porch, then moved to the yard to watch the extensive fireworks. 

Buck Moon

Moon And Bon Fire

Because Bemus canceled their fireworks, many homes around the lake had their own private display.  They were enhanced by a Buck Moon, hanging in the southern sky. We lit our flares at 10:00, a tradition as lake residents light flares, surrounding the lake, benefiting the Chautauqua Lake Association.  Linda and Ron left about 10:30 and we did a quick clean up although we left most of the dishes for this morning.  It was a really nice Fourth!

Fire Works, Flares, And Moon