A Patch Of Blue In A Gray Sky

Long Point State Park

7:35

It's 7:20 and it's getting light enough to go kayaking, to be able to photograph some birds.  The lake is lightly wrinkled, with hardly any wind on a 65º morning.  Not a boat mars the quiet or lake surface, strange after a summer and fall of fishing boats. I took my usual paddle, along Woodlawn, over to Long Point, across to Sandy Bottom and home.  Unfortunately, it was like kayaking in pea soup, the lake green from an algae bloom, the bane of most lakes these days.  

Kayak Morning

Algae Bloom

Paddling In The Green

Northern Sky

A Raft Of Mallards

Yesterday was surprisingly warm, with a high in the '70s, making it a good day to work outside.  I skipped paddling but went to a good yoga class, not as crowded as usual, with a few wearing masks like me.  After class, I did a quick run-through Wegman's, picking up a few things Evie needed, stopped at Evans for some booze, and then filled up my car and a five-gallon gas can for my boat, O, yea, I also stopped at the bank to deposit a check, the last of my stops.  When I got home, Evie had just fired up the mower and was ready to mulch our front yard which was covered with leaves.  She took time out to get my lunch, soup, and a leftover burrito while I gassed up the boat, making sure it had enough gas to get to the marina and my trailer in the next few days. 

I started an older TV series called Foyle's War, set in Great Britain in the 1940s. The writer for the series, Anthony Horowitz, has also written the book I am currently reading, The Word Is Murder. The rest of the afternoon was typical, reading and a nap, while Evie finished the lawn.  We also put another dent in getting ready for winter by taking the air conditioners out of the windows,  I also learned that it takes two people to get them out because I tried to open the window and take out the air conditioner but it dropped out the window.  Fortunately, it was from a first-floor window so it still works but is a bit muddy.

Biking In Autumn

Around 3:30 I went for a bike ride despite the warm weather, riding in Bemus to Long Point and back, another ten miles, taking an hour.  It felt good to be back on my bike although the first five or ten minutes is always difficult.  Once that's over, it's usually easygoing. When I returned, Evie was ready for a swim so I pulled on my suit and we both went for a dip in the refreshingly cold water of Chautauqua Lake. We were joined by our neighbor, Betsy, who was helping her husband bring in a chair also went for a dip, but not voluntarily. 

The Last Of Evie's Dahlias?  Table Built By Walt

Midafternoon, our friends, Linda and Ron called and wondered if we wanted to go out for pizza.  Never one to turn down a dinner out we agreed and after our swim and showers, they picked us up and we drove into Jamestown to have pizza on the outdoor patio of Paces Pizza.  Unfortunately, it was closed for the week.  We then decided to go to La Cucina Delle Nonna, just up the street which Evie and I have eaten at and loved.  It appeared to be packed but we found seats at the empty bar, distanced from all the other tables.  Needless to say, all four of us loved our meals, some of the best Italian food around.  Both Evie and Linda ordered seafood pasta, Ron a pizza, and I had Vodka Penne With Proscuitto.  Linda had to have meatballs with sauce and shared them with the rest of us. We will be back.  We were home after 8:00, watched Jeopardy and another episode of Maid. I won't comment on it except to say I was happy to get back to my book.