Docks In, TidyIng Up The Garden

Bald Eagle

6:09

6:25

6:25

8:29

It's another amazing lake morning, to make up for the snow a few days ago I am sure. Clear skies, a sunrise at 6:23, no wind, and a 33º morning.  I cannot wait to get out and kayak. And as I anticipated it was an easy, delightful paddle, over to Tom's Point, around it to the bridge, then back home, with photo shots of a bald eagle and wood ducks, a good 75 minute paddle on the lake. 

Kayak Morning

Bemus Point Bridge

Along Tom's Point

Bald Eagle At Tom's Point

Wood Duck

Wood Duck In The Woods

In A Tree

Like this morning, yesterday morning was perfect for a paddle, over to Long Point for the first time this year. After the paddle and the blog, we were not sure what to do with our day but we hoped to get outside and get the yard somewhat cleaned up. To our surprise, around 10:00, two trucks drove up and it was our new dock guys, ready to put in our dock, despite the cold water. Fortunately, we were home so we were able to guide them some because this was their first time putting in our dock and it's got to be in order or it's a problem.  It took them close to two hours and they then went down and did another neighbor, before leaving the rest of the docks for another day. 

Friday Afternoon Delight

Great Blue Heron

While they worked, Evie was busy raking and trimming in her garden.  I also helped by getting my electric hedge trimmer and giving the hydrangea and lilac trees a trim, even needing a ladder because they are getting so tall. By noon, Evie took a break and made me a quesadilla for lunch and I watched my show, happy to be relaxing from yard work.  I then read some, a new book by John Sandford, napped, and then got busy outside helping Evie some more.  I removed the logs from our front yard and stored them by the garage and used a wheel barrel to carry our Adirondack chairs out on the dock, getting it ready for summer. I also got the lawnmower ready for action, changing the oil, and cleaning it up because Evie will be doing some mulching of old leaves for sure. And I took three barrels of leaves and trimmings up to the woodpile, a result of Evie's hard work in her garden.  

We had it by 5:00 and Evie had the lemon chicken ready to bake so it went in the oven and she made some rice.  We relaxed some in the living room, admiring our dock, wishing it was warm enough to sit out on it.  Maybe tonight. The chicken, rice, garlic spinach, and salad were ready by 6:30 and it hit the spot to use a cliche.  We watched a new series on Prime, A Very British Scandal, all three episodes, finishing the night with a Jeopardy before bed. 

A Bright Shiny Morninng

Long Point This Morning

6:45

9:04

I woke at 6:00 and the sun was already up in the eastern sky, filling the house with its light.  Not a ripple on the lake, as the winds have died for the moment. A mist moves slowly over the lake on a cold, frosty morning of 30º. When I opened the front door to take a morning photo, a heron flew off from our wall. What a glorious morning for a 75-minute paddle on the lake, not a ripple, just smooth padding, across the lake to Long Point, back to Sandy Bottom, and home. I needed shades and a ball cap and mittens because of the sun and chill but I loved it. And some good news, the dock guys just arrived so we will have our dock in shortly. 

Kayak Morninng

Eastern Sky

Victoria/Woodlawn

Mom And Pop Wood Ducks

Bros

Yesterday was back to routine. I got in a good forty-five-minute paddle despite the chill and was off to yoga by 9:30. I am not sure why but class attendance has dropped off recently. I enjoyed the class and it felt good to spend most of the class on hip openers.  Aftward, I stopped at Aldi's and picked up a few things for the week so we don't have to shop over the weekend. 

When I got home, Evie had my lunch ready, a couple of avocados and tomato sandwiches and I made so ramen in the microwave. Tony is finally out of the hospital but troubles abound. Evie took off to go to the gym and walk on the treadmill.  My afternoon was typical, reading and napping, waiting for Evie to return. I did some work outside and took three barrels of deadfall up the hill and thought about all the yard things that need to get done once it warms up some. 

Ron picked me up and 6:00 and we had a boy's night out at the Seezurh House since Linda was in Pittsburgh with her sisters. We both ordered burgers and beers, what else, and spent the dinner reminiscing about the good old days when we could still play basketball. Our waitress was also the bartender so she was quite busy.  We drove home in sunlight still, a surprise after the early nights of winter.  When I got home, we watched Jeopardy and Colbert, ending the night with Tokyo Diary, neither one of our favorites. It may be relegated to lunch viewing.

 

We Got Sun

6:43

7:29

8:35

I woke at 6:20 to a bedroom filled with light. It was a shock after a few days of gray, snow on and off, and winds. It's still cold, 28º, and snow sits on roofs and around tree trunks but it will get up to the 40s later in the day.  Although I love winter and the cold, I am ready for it to warm up some, just not in the 80s or 90s until June or July. I am still waiting for spring.  It's 9:00, Evie's up and I was able to get in a forty-five-minute paddle, down to Sandy Bottom and back. It was a sunny paddle most of the way but windy heading back although I hugged the shore to be safe. 

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun

Northern Sky

Wood Duck

Yesterday was a day of rest, of recovering from our road trip, of boredom actually as the only thing on our plate was a dentist appointment for Evie at 11:00 in Jamestown. It was snowing and cold much of the morning so I did not get in a paddle, just finished up the blog and sat around the living room, reading and wondering what to do with myself. Evie left at 10:30 and was gone until around 2:00, doing some shopping after her appointment. I watched some of the NBA games until noon when I fixed lunch, ramen and a bagel with avocados and tomatoes.  I watched another episode of The Sopranos. Tony is still in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound.  It's a bit boring as the family sits around his bed waiting for him to recover as he dreams. 

Snow On Our Rhododendrons

Evie was home by 2:00 and I had just awakened from a good nap,  We both relaxed but by 4:00, I was ready to get outside, so I walked for a half-hour in our woods, braving the wind and cold.  It actually felt good so I must have needed to get some exercise. 

Woodlawn

A Solitary Pine

A Walk In The Woods

We enjoyed a happy hour with good cheese until 7:0 when Evie put together our dinner, BLTs, easy but good.  It's about the best sandwich there is. We watched Jeopardy then finished the series The Outlaws on Prime before bed. It was good to be home, as always. 

It's Snowing

7:52

8:13

I just looked up to see it's snowing outside on a 32º morning. Ah, Chautauqua spring weather. I was hoping to kayak this morning until it started to snow, fat, slow falling snowflakes. And it's been snowing for the past hour because it's now after 8:00. 

Yesterday was as I expected a five-hour drive, making it almost six because we stopped at Trader Joe's in Cleveland. We left Indiana at 7:30, drove five minutes, and were in Ohio for the next four hours. Most of the truck traffic slowed once we got off of #Interstate 70 in Columbus. We stopped twice for gas, once on #271 just outside of Columbus, for breakfast.  

Almost Home

And after Trader Joe's, we stopped at the Ohio border to fill up on gas before heading home through Pennsylvania into New York State. The stop at Trader Joe's was a last-minute impulsive decision because we really didn't need anything. We did, however, spend over a hundred bucks on things we probably didn't necessarily need but wanted for last night's dinner, like salad stuff and fruit. 

Chautauqua Gray

We arrived home just before 2:00 and were surprised at how chilly it was.  We unpacked quickly and I helped put things away, even unpack my bags. Once that was done, like balloons that suddenly deflate, we both collapsed, exhausted from our road trip.  I think we were high on adrenaline but once we got home, it disappeared. I actually took a good nap and Evie also fell asleep briefly. 

Neither of us felt much like dinner but around 6:30, Evie made a Turkish omelet, toasted a bagel, and made a salad and that was enough.  We got up on a couple of our series, Pachinko, and The Outlaws, and watched Jeopardy before going up to bed early.

Once More To The Lake

A Happy Couple

Eastern Redbuds Hug The Road

It's 6:30 and I am sitting in the Richmond, IN, Hampton Inn lounge, enjoying a coffee and writing the blog. Evie's up as well enjoying a couple of coffees in our room, We have a six-hour drive today, easy compared to yesterday's nine hours.

Open Roads

We were in no hurry to leave Tommy's yesterday so we did not get off till 9:00. Rain was predicted Sunday but we had nothing but pleasant weather most of the way, with lots of sun and blue skies. We knew we had a long drive ahead of us so we just took it in small bites, stopping for breakfast, and lunch, as well as at a couple of rest stops. We just wanted to make it before dark. Much of the landscape through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana is flat, filled with sections of strip malls and vast warehouses, either built or being built, waiting for Amazon I guess.

Clouding Up

We waited till mid-afternoon to decide on where we wanted to stay. So we booked a room in Richmond, a two-hour drive. Unfortunately, just after we booked it, we hit at least 25 to 30 miles of backed-up traffic because of one-lane highways, adding a good half hour or more on our trip. 

So we did not get to our Hampton until 6:45 but were happy to see that a Buffalo Wings was next door, an easy two-minute walk.  We checked in, unpacked, washed our faces, and walked over to the restaurant. The restaurant and bartender looked familiar because we were there last November on our road trip home from Dallas and Kansas City.  He said he remembered us but I doubt it. We ended up talking with a trucker from outside of Rochester, NY. He's been a trucker for over 25 years and had been in Wisconsin. I ordered wings of course and Evie a salad and we shared both. We left around 8:00 and watched the end of the Celtics game before going to bed early, around 9:30. 

One Last Wedding Photo

Post Wedding Blues (And More Wedding Photos)

The Happy Couple, Off To Turks And Caicos

Tom And Mary, Proud Parents

I am up early, 5:30 alas, in Lee's Summit because we spent the night in our son Tom's house. After an unseasonably warm weekend, with temperatures in the 80's, it has cooled off some, to 41º on a windy, blue sky morning. We are heading home today so we have a long two-day trip ahead.   

Beth  And Rami

Halle And Marisa

Marlena

Tom, Hayden, And Marlena

The day after is always a letdown and Sunday was no exception. The wedding was over and Beth and Jill's families left for either home or college.  Beth's at 1:00 and Jill's not till later in the day. We stayed at our hotel until noon then walked with  Jill, Drew, and Halle to breakfast at Classic Cup, a popular breakfast spot in the Country Club Plaza. It was a busy place and we had to wait for a table but it was worth it. Lots of interesting breakfasts and we all had something different.  We then walked back to the hotel where Jill and Drew picked up their bags. We said our goodbyes and they took an Uber to the airport and Evie and I drove a half-hour to Tom's house in Lee's Summit, MO.

Grandchildren

Giggles And Frownns

Our Youngest

When we got there, both Tom and Mary were at the gym, so we talked with Mary's Dad Frank until they returned home.  It was good to relax, to be in a home, and talk about the fun weekend, our families, especially how quick all the grandkids have grown up, the lament of all parents and grandparents. We watched some basketball then had dinner, Thai takeout brought to the house by Doordash, something we know nothing about from living in Chautauqua County. It was a nice change and we must have been hungry because all five of us got seconds.  We were not sure what to watch so Evie suggested a film we loved, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.  Neither Tom nor Mary had watched it so we downloaded it from Prime and watched it until 9:45 when we were ready for bed. The film was a good choice even though it was the third time we have seen it.