A Dreary Sunday

8:10

It's almost 9;00 and I have been up for only an hour. listening to the wind, watching the lake's surface ruffled, on a 52º morning. I still feel crappy, still coughing, so I did not go kayaking.  The lake's not inviting this morning anyways, with the gray and wind. 

I don't have a lot to say about yesterday since I was in sick bay much of the day, too tired to do anything productive. Evie, however, took good care of me and made sure I had what  I wanted. She made Lipton's noodle soup for lunch, changed the sheets on the bed, and took the trash to the Transfer Station. As for me, I read, watched TV or napped two or three times during the day. 

Like today, most of Saturday was overcast, and windy, with light rain on and off during the day. Since I was no fun, Evie invited our neighbor's grandsons over to go through the treasure chest. They have been coming over for the past two or three years and love it, wanting to come over every time they visit. Anyways, they were here for at least an hour, loving it, while I holed up in the TV room. 

Dinner was chicken, with mushrooms and rice, and it tasted good, my first real meal of the day. We watched an older film with George Clooney which we really enjoyed called Michael Clayton. 

What A Miserable Morning.

7:53

Well, it's 7:30, the wind is howling, rain is falling and my Martin house was knocked down by the wind. And I feel terrible, with a cold, etc, I am not sure when I will be able to pull it out but it's not going anywhere, just sitting in four feet of water. Yesterday, I did take a Covid test and it was negative, just to make sure it was a cold. It's 8:34 and I was just in the lake with my waders and pulled the Purple Martin houses and poles into shore. Maybe it was not the smartest thing to do with the way I feel but I wanted to get it done. 

Yesterday was forgettable for me because of my cold. I am not sure how I got in a paddle but I did. I guess I gradually felt worst and worst as the day progressed. I am not very good at doing nothing so it was a long morning and afternoon, of either reading, watching TV, or napping. 

Evie had a hair appointment in Lakewood with Jaret so she left around 12:00. Unfortunately, TJMaxx had no electricity so she did a few errands before her appointment. After Jaret, she did some heavy shopping at Wegmans and I was energetic enough to help bring in the grocery bags, my chore for the day. While she shopped, I wasted the afternoon watching the fourth Bourne film. It was more of the same, one long chase after another. 

Earlier, Evie had pulled some chili out of the freezer so that was dinner over spaghetti along with a salad, We watched a film, Gone Baby Gone. It was a C, too long and complicated in the end. We were happy to get back to our old standbys. I watched a bit of the NBA playoffs but would rather read my new novel, The Long And Faraway Gone by Lou Berney.

Overcast, Windy, And Warming

6:38

7:53

It's 7;10, a gray, 48º morning, the flag flapping the wind chime playing. I am not sure what the day will bring because I seem to be coming down with a cold, cough, sore throat, and runny nose for the first time in years. It's 8:45 and I forced myself to go out kayaking, into a brisk 12 mph wind headings south. It felt good, however, to be out there, despite my cold. 

Kayak Morning

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Yesterday was a perfect day for working outdoors and we both took advantage of it. I paddled early, then went to a Yin Yoga class, leaving with my hips screaming. I then stopped at Ryders for coffee and chatted with my two buddies, Dave and Paul for a half hour. I then stopped at the bank, deposited a couple of checks, and was on my way home by 12:00.

Finch In Spring

When I got home, Evie was in the side yard trimming and raking, the sun out, a nice breeze keeping it cool. I decided to try once more to straighten the purple Martin pole so I put on my waders and went out into the lake with a sledgehammer and viola, it looks pretty good for now. Lunch was a bowl of soup and the last of the leftover African stew, I then relaxed, finished my novel, OHIO, and tried to fall asleep to no avail.

So I went outside to help Evie and we both worked out there until 4:00. Evie spent much of the time mowing the yard and I did more raking of the leaves and deadfall from the various beds. I ended up taking two more trash cans of leaves up the hill. Once most of the yard work was done, I decided to clean out my garage for some reason. I took out everything, swept it out, then put everything back in a more orderly fashion, and put some things in the attic, pulling down others for the summer. by 4:00, the yard, lawn, and garage looked great and we both felt righteous.

We then were able to relax for a bit with spritzers after Evie prepped our dinner. We were hungry so by 6:30, Evie had our salmon salads ready along with a bowl of home fries, an interesting combination. Both were great and we devoured them, hungry from a busy afternoon. We decided to watch the third Bourne film, The Bourne Ultimatum, filled with crazy chase scenes, one or two too many we felt. We ended the night with another episode of The Diplomat and were happy to get back to ER.

The repulsive turkey vultures hanging at neighbors. 

Frost And Fog In The Morning

6:56

8:56

It's 7:40 and we are still fog-bound, so heavy that I can't see beyond 50 yards or so. And it's chilly, the car windows are frozen on a 32º morning. I am going to wait to see if the fog lifts some before I go out for a paddle.

Kayak Morning

Into The Woods

Paddling East

The Sun

Wednesday was a productive day, finally. I was up early for a good paddle, and was on my way to yoga by 9:40, after the blog and breakfast. The class was rigorous as always and afterward, I did not linger but came straight home because we were going to work in the yard, especially Evie's garden. It's just after 9:00 and I paddled in the fog for about 25 minutes, no wildlife obviously. 

So after lunch, soup and an egg salad sandwich, and an attempt at a nap, we both went outside and worked in the yard until 4:00. I was able to fix my purple Martin houses and put on my waders to walk it out to a pipe I pounded into the lake a couple of days ago. The scouts have already arrived so we might have martins sooner rather than later. Our neighborhood is rift with Martin houses as I count eight when I look out to our lake. Once that was done, we worked at cleaning out all the beds of leaves and other detritus, getting them ready for dahlias and other annuals. We ended up filling three trash pails with leaves and dead fall and I took them up the hill. Evie felt good about our progress and now it's time to start thinking about starting her dahlias in individual pots before planting them in June when the danger of a frost has passed. 

We celebrated our labor with a Manhattan, popcorn, and radishes with hummus. Dinner was easy, the leftover African stew and a salad. We watched our usuals, Jeopardy and Colbert, and ended the night with the beginning of Season 6 of ER. I am enjoying my novel, OHIO,  and will probably finish it today, all 500 pages. 

More Gray On Gray

6:59

8:40

It's 7:00 and I have been up for forty minutes, watching the gray sky, gray lake, stay gray. The sun's hidden behind the clouds, the lake's wrinkled, and it's still a cool 35º.  A single fishing boat from next door mars an otherwise empty lake. It's 8:55 as I finish this after a 50-minute paddle down to Bootey Bay and back on a gray morning. 

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

Long Point

Tuesday was typical, normal, routine, with an early paddle, breakfast, and the blog. I was off to yoga by 9:10, another good but rigorous class to start the morning. I was home by 11:15, making Evie wonder why I was home so early. No coffee, no shopping? Lunch was another bowl of soup and a cheese sandwich and I continued with my teenage soap, One Tree Hill. 

Neither of us had much mojo the rest of the afternoon, especially after a nap. We both felt guilty about this, however, so by 3:30, Evie was upstairs and worked out for an hour on the rebounder. She shamed me into doing something so I went out for a hike in our woods, a forty-minute jaunt as signs of spring, especially the skunk cabbage, are starting to show. 

Kinney's Run

Skunk Cabbage

A Bit Of Green Among The Leaves

We picked up our neighbors, Pat and Dave, at 6:00 and drove over to Steeners Irish Pub for their dinner special, two steaks, and fries for thirty bucks. This is the third time the four of us have hit the Pub this spring so we must like it. And last night did not disappoint, as the hand-cut fries were crispy, the steaks tender and tasty. It was our last visit with our neighbors for a month because they are off to a new house in South Carolina until early June. So we had fun talking about their move, mostly for the winter months. We were home and in our sweats watching our shows by 8:20, excited to be comfortable and back into our routine. It's getting too easy just to stay home and do nothing. Anyways, we watched our shows, and some basketball, then went up to bed, happy with our day, especially our dinners at Steeners. 

Partly Cloudy And Chilly

6:45

8:29

It's 7:15 and the sun was out briefly before 7:00 but now it's hidden behind a cloud bank on a 30º morning. At least it's not snowing like yesterday morning but according to the weather app, it might in the next hour. The wind looks like it's picking up so I better get out and kayak soon. It's 8:45 as I finish this and I was out paddling for forty-five minutes, chasing buffleheads and loons to no avail. 

Kayak Morning

Kayaking To Long Point

Northern Sky

Into The Sun

Woodlawn

Victoria/Woodlawn

Yesterday morning was so miserable, with snow, sleet, or rain that I didn't go kayaking, rare for me. By 9:15, I had finished the blog and was on my way to Mayville to play pickleball. There we more players this time so we played only seven so players could rotate in more often. I played poorly, whiffing and hitting the ball on the fly when it was supposed to bounce. Obviously, I am a slow learner. Miraculously, I did win two games, mostly because my opponents rarely hit the ball toward me, taking it easy on the rookie. Still, it was fun, the players were gracious, and always willing to encourage me.

We finished up by 11:00 and I was home by 11:20. Evie had a busy morning, putting together our dinner, an African sweet potato and nut stew from the original Moosewood Cookbook. Lunch was Evie's veggie soup and a bagel with cream cheese and tomato and I started a new series, One Tree Hill, about two stepbrothers, rivals on a high school basketball team. It's from 2003 and I had heard about it but never watched it.  After lunch, I napped, then helped Evie get the house ready because we were having our neighbors, Barb and Jim, over for dinner. It always takes longer to get the house and dinner ready then we think but we enjoy it. 

They arrived at 6:00 and with a nice bottle of red. We quickly opened it, sat down with appetizers, and toasted Tucker Carlson's demise. It couldn't have happened to a nicer, more deserving, lying, and hypocritical Fox anchor. So we sat around until Evie served dinner, an African stew with sweet potatoes, squash, eggplant, peanut sauce, and spices.  Served over couscous, it was a delicious, healthy Monday dinner with friends. They stayed until 9:00 and we ended the night with tin roofs, vanilla ice cream with Spanish peanuts.  We then cleaned up the kitchen and had enough time to watch one more ER before going up to read. 

Overcast With Morning Sleet/Snow

7:42

8:20

Spring Snow

A dull, gray morning at 33º, with hardly a breeze so it should be ok to kayak, just wear a hat and gloves when I get out there. And now, at 7:10 it's sleeting with fog so I may not get out there. It's 8:14 as I finish this. It's still snowing/sleeting and I skipped a morning kayaking. 

Sunday was a day to forget, at least in so far as getting in a hike or workout. It started well with a paddle as usual, our for 50 minutes and a few photos. We had our leisurely Sunday coffee, trying to decide what to do with our day. We finally decided to get some shopping done rather than walk the Chautauqua Institution, which we usually do on Sundays. Evie needed potting soil for her dahlias so we made the mistake of going to Walmart. Well, it was Sunday and I could hardly find a place to park it was so crowded. We did get what we wanted along with some dahlias which Evie said were usually hard to find. We then went to Wegman's, and shopped around for 15 minutes, finding what we needed. We ended the morning at Tractor Supply, where I picked up a couple of perches for my purple Martin house.

It was almost 1:00 when we returned home. Evie made me a breakfast bagel with an egg and cheese. I watched the final episode of The Mosquito Coast so I will be looking for a new series. Evie then put together our dinner, a Turkish favorite called Tas Kebab, basically a lamb stew with Turkish spices and tomato paste, easy and delicious. After I fell asleep while reading, I suggested it was still early in the afternoon so why not watch a film. We decided on The Bourne Identity, a good way to waste the afternoon, and that took us up to wine time and dinner. 

We ate at 7:00, the tas kebab served on top of mashed potatoes and we were both happy, devouring the stew, leaving nothing for my lunch the next day. And we thought why not watch the next Bourne film, The Bourne Supremacy. It was decent, not as good as the first, and had too many long car chases. I forgot how popular they were back in the early 2000s. We ended the night with The Diplomat which is getting increasingly stupid although the premise, an Iranian or Russian torpedoing of a British ship, and how to respond to it is interesting. Kerry Russell and her husband are ridiculous, so fatuous that we may not continue with the series. We were happy to end the night with another ER, what else. 

A Chilly, Gray Spring Morning

6:54

8:56

It's just after 9:00 and I have been up for a couple of hours, of course, paddling for fifty minutes, across to Long Point, back to Wells Bay, and home. It was chilly, so I was wearing gloves and a stocking hat and, of course, I was the only crazy out on the lake.

Kayak Morning

Paddling North

Paddling East

Juvenile Loon

Mature Loon

Red Breasted Merganser

Yesterday was Saturday which meant a trip to the Transfer Station but first, we wanted to get a few things done. So after my paddle and breakfast, we went upstairs to the attic, putting away our winter things and pulling out what we might need for summer if we could find them. We also gathered a pile of stuff we will donate although it's hard to get rid of anything. And finally, we changed the water filter, something we do every three months, not every month the way we used to do it. Once all this was done, I gathered the trash, lots of it by the way, and drove to the Transfer Station. 

On returning home, Evie was starting to make her veggie soup, sauteeing lots of veggies before adding the other ingredients. For lunch, I finished the last of the old soup and the last of a sub sandwich. I have one more episode of The Mosquito Coast so I am looking forward to watching that today. I also started watching snippets of the NBA playoffs which basically went on much of the day, the first game starting at 1:00, the last at 10:30 Saturday night. The rest of the afternoon we spent thinking we ought to go shopping but lacked the mojo to do it. Fortunately, Ron called wondering if we wanted to go to the Viking for dinner, saving Evie from having to make dinner. Yippee. After the cloudy, wet morning, it cleared up some, the one died down and it was a fine afternoon for watching basketball, reading, and napping and feeling guilty for staying inside.

6:01 PM

We were on our way to the Viking Club by 6:00 and easily found a table in the bar. Saturday nights are usually not as busy as Fridays. It was good to see them since we hadn't seen them in three days! We ordered our beers and dinners at the bar and kitchen. Since Covid, there have been no waitresses, just bartenders. Our meals were fine, what you might expect at a club. Evie had parmesan fish and I had the chef's special chicken, with mozzarellas, onions, mushrooms, and peppers.  The sky started to turn gray by 8:00 just as we were leaving although I don't think it ended up raining. We were home at 8:20, in time to watch a couple of shows before bed. 

Dinner At The Viking

Overcast With Rain And Thunder Overnight

6:56

8:38

It's 8:42 as I start this, on a cloudy, overcast morning. I was able to paddle for forty minutes and avoid the predicted rain. It was not an exciting morning on the lake, with an easterly breeze and few waterfowl, no ospreys or eagles, alas, just a pair of common mergansers and me paddling along the shoreline to Sandy Bottom and home.

Kayak Morning

North To Long Point

Common Mergansers 

Yesterday was a bizarre day, starting, however, with a decent paddle. I then left at 9:00 to meet Ron and drive to Mayville where I played some pickleball for the first time. It looks like fun but I am certainly an amateur, whiffing the ball numerous times and not realizing the ball does not bounce as high as a tennis ball. I will keep with it to see if I improve. I then drove to Westfield for an X-ray requested by my gastroenterologist and was home by 11:30, not having to wait very long for the X-ray.

When I returned home, Evie was cutting the lawn for the first time, working up quite a sweat in the 75º spring morning. I decided to work on my purple Martin house. First, I had to get it set up and ready to launch. I then put on my waders and walked out into the lake and pounded an aluminum tube into the lake bottom with a sledgehammer. I then walked back to shore, put the houses on a pole and walked out and inserted the pole into the tube, and raised the house. Unfortunately, the houses are not balanced because a couple of the metal rods holding the houses are bent, So I had to take the whole thing down and head back to Tractor Supply to buy new and stronger rods. What a waste of time and sweat.

So that was my morning and by the time I got finished, I was exhausted physically and psychologically. Fortunately, Evie made me lunch, soup, and a cheese sandwich and I relaxed, watching my series. The rest of the afternoon was a waste as we waited for the thunderstorms and rain that never came. I am sticking with my book OHIO although it has its ups and downs. Evie finished up the lawn and around 3:00 (after many breaks), as it was starting to get dark and cool off, I trimmed our lilac tree with a hedge trimmer. Evie held the ladder. I am getting smarter. 

We relaxed with a libation late afternoon with appetizers until 7:00 when we had an easy and healthy dinner, baked potatoes, topped with veggies, sour cream, and eggs. We watched a couple more episodes of The Diplomat which we are starting to like more. We ended the night as usual, with Jeopardy and ER.