A Colorful Lake Morning

7:15

7:43

It's just about 7:00 as I start this and I have been up since 5;50, alas. It's still dark and to be honest, I am looking forward to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday. The sky will lighten an hour earlier and I can kayak by 7:15. I was surprised by how nice it was on the lake this morning, a light wind, spectacular sky, and a couple of herons, 

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun

Lots of Gaggles Of Migrating Geese

Heron In The Leaves

A Wading Heron

Friday was a strange day, mostly because Evie was in Phoenix with her sisters. I thought back and I don't think we have been apart since I retired in 2009. 

Evie And Her Sisters In Arizona

Where ever we traveled, whatever we did, we did together so it's strange to be home alone. I tend to keep the same routine but it's not the same without Evie's 'good mess' in the kitchen, making lunch or prepping dinner, and me cleaning up. I guess what I am saying: I don't like being 'home alone.' 

That being said, I did enjoy my Friday because it was a sunny and surprisingly warm day, one where I spent a good deal of it outside. I kayaked for close to an hour, as usual, and came home and finished the blog, read it twice, then had my breakfast. I made up my mind to keep busy but did not head to Bemus to bike until 11:30. I think I was so late to bike because I was trying to finish my book, The Winners. Anyways, I rode Lakeside Drive, Long Point State Park, and ran into Joe and Jan once again. We seem to pick the same day, time, and trail. It was a good ride although I worked up a sweat going out, was chilled heading back because of the wind. Fortunately, I brought my backpack with an extra fleece in case I needed it. 

Long Point Blue

Trail Of Leaves

I was not home until 1:00 and had lunch, Evie's cauliflower soup which I defrosted, a can of sardines and crackers, easy and healthy. I watched the first episode of an old HBO series called Boardwalk Empire. Once I was through with lunch, I was determined to finish my book before it expired and I literally just finished it as it disappeared from my Kindle. I really liked it, The Winners, part of Backman's trilogy about hockey in a small town in Sweden. I also recommend his A Man Called Ove and Anxious People, both made into films by the way. Here's a brief description of The Winners: 

“Keep it simple,” Backman writes. “That’s a common piece of advice in hockey, as it is in life.” He goes on: “The problem with both hockey and life is that simple moments are rare. All the others are a struggle.” In straightforward prose, Backman explores these other moments — including ones involving sexual assault, homophobia, xenophobia, child abuse and hockey fanaticism.

Once I finished it, I napped briefly then decided to get something done in the yard because the leaves from our tulip tree had made a mess of our side yard. So I got out the mower and spent a half hour mulching the leaves, saving the front yard for later today. It's still too dark to see what the yard looks like but because of the winds, I am sure lots more leaves have fallen. 

By 6:00, I was on my way to the Seezurh House in Bemus, meeting Linda and Ron for dinner. We were surprised at how empty the bar was on a Friday night but it was noisy as ever. I usually order the fish fry but decided to go crazy and ordered the chicken parm which was really good, enough so that I will have it for dinner tonight. It was fun to see Linda and Ron and we both have trips planned. They are going to Philadelphia and we are heading West to Dallas and Kansas City in ten days. It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away. I was home by 8:15 and watched The Girl Who Played With Fire, the second in a trilogy featuring Lisbeth Salander. It was not over until 10:30 when I went up to read and hopefully fall asleep.