Another Boring Sunny Morning

7:08

9:09

It's 7:30 and I was up later than usual, at 7:00. Yippee. Lots of sunshine in the living room, some light clouds and wind, and 60º. It's 9:20 and I just finished paddling for forty-five minutes, along Woodlawn, over to the Bathhouse, along Long Point, across to Sandy Bottom, and home, a good way to start my morning. 

Kayak Morning

Another Osprey Hanging Out

Yesterday was a lousy day for me as I went to two doctors' offices to little avail. The day, however, started out well, with a decent paddle but no birds. When I returned, the three of us sat around with our coffee, my sister in Ellen in no hurry to drive home. Around 9:30, Evie made the two of us scrambled eggs with bagels, and by 10:00, Ellen was on her way home to Virginia, alas. It was a fun four days. Once she was gone, I set up our watering system, whereby we take water from the lake to water the privets in the front yard and Evie's garden in the backyard. We lower a sump pump into the lake and connect it to the house with an extension cord and it works great. Evie sat outside, enjoying the shade, and moved the hose from one privet to another for an hour or two. And before she got started, I sprinkled fertilizer under each bush, hoping to make them nice and green.

By 12:30, I was hungry and heated up a Thai ramen I bought from Costco which was not very tasty alas. I also heated up a hot dog from Monday's dinner in the microwave for a mediocre lunch and watched the last quarter of the Heat defeat of the Celtics on Monday night.  Around 1:45, I drove to Jamestown, to Spectrum Eyecare for them to have a look at my eye. Supposedly, I have a virus, thus the antibiotic eye drops were useless. I left with a heating pad for my eyes, which the doctor suggested would help some. I then stopped at  Runnings to browse their clothes and waste time since I had an appointment in Westfield with my PA at 3:45. I then drove to Tops, and exchanged five-gallon water bottles. As I said my appointment in Westfield was at 3:45 but I did not get to see the doctor until 4:30 and did not show my pissed-offedness. He had little to say about my five-week cough but made sure it was not pneumonia. I suggested an inhaler which had helped me a couple of years ago so he found one in his office and gave it to me. Two puffs, once a day and I hope it will help. 

I was home by 5:30 and Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters. I connected the Kia to the house electricity then enjoyed a glass of wine until dinner. Evie had put together a pasta sauce with mushrooms and the leftover fried eggplants. With a salad, we had an easy dinner and watched our shows with little enthusiasm for some reason, both ER and The Americans and went to bed early.

Windy And A Brilliant Sun

7:28

8:51

It's' later than usual,  7:50 as I slept in until 7:00, a miracle. The lake is ruffled because of the wind and the sun is as bright as I have seen it, filling our living room with its light. Because of the wind, I took a shorter paddle, only a half hour. The lake, interestingly, is practically empty. I saw only one fishing boat as I kayaked down to Sandy Bottom, quite different from the weekend crowd. It's a sad morning because my sister, Ellen, is heading home after a fun Memorial Day Weekend. She's anxious to get home to her grandchildren, Anna and Luke. We don't blame her...they are the best. 

Yesterday was a good day, some busyness, some leisure. I did get in a good hour paddle as usual, then had coffee with Evie and Ellen. We got a few things done for dinner but soon decided that 10:30 would be a good time for a boat ride because the lake was not busy and still calm. So we cruised north, past the Viking, across the lake to the Chautauqua Institution, then back along Prendergast Point and home. It was a great boat ride, perfect weather.  

Neither of us was hungry until 1:00 so we made a couple of eggplant and tomato sandwiches which was just right. We relaxed in the warm sun, over 80º, on and off, sometimes in the yard, dock or porch. And we prepped for dinner because Linda and Ron were coming over to celebrate Memorial Day with us at 5:00. Earlier, Evie had made a couple of strawberry and blueberry galettes, and Linda was bringing potato salad and beans, so all that was needed was to make the hamburgers patties and cut up onions and tomatoes for the burgers.

Memorial Day Picnic

They arrived at 5:00 and we then spent the next hour and a half on the porch, enjoying a nice white wine Linda brought and appetizers. It was a perfect night for sitting on the porch, catching up and enjoying  food and drink. Around 7:00, Ron and I grilled the burgers and Smiths hot dogs and the girls got the tables ready with condiments and sides. It was the first time this Spring that it was warm enough to eat outside. For me, Linda's beans and potato salad were the hit of the evening as well as Evie's galette for dessert. It was our first picnic dinner and we were fortunate to have such a warm, blue-sky afternoon to enjoy it. They left around 9:00 and we watched the first half of the Celtics/Heat game. After watching the Celtics play, I wanted the Heat to win and they did, coming back after losing three in a row. They deserved it. 

A Beautiful Memorial Day

6:04

6:07

8:23

This morning is a carbon copy of the past two mornings, with a slight haze, the bright orange sun rising, a calm lake, and a warm 55º. It looks like a good day with a high in the 80s for the first time this year, It's 6:30 and I am surprised that no one seems to be out fishing yet. It's 8:40 and I was out for an hour, paddling down to Wells Bay, across to Long Point, and home along Woodlawn. I ran into Tina and Jim, my weekend kayak buddies, and we talked for ten minutes before going on our way. 

Kayak Morning

Jim, A Good Friend

Yesterday was another day of large leisure with my sister, Ellen. We had little we had to do, only what we felt like doing. I did get in a good, long paddle to Tom's Point and back, for over an hour on the lake. We had an extended morning coffee, then everyone took showers before we drove off to the Chautauqua Institution for a walk. What a difference from the last time we walked there. Yesterday, all was green or in bloom and our walk, where we are usually the only two on the streets, was filled with families out to enjoy the grounds. It's a spectacular place this time of the year and very busy. We walked a couple of miles then stopped at the Lighthouse to pick up pork chops for our dinner.

A Stop At Bestor Plaza

The Gals At Thunder Bridge

It was after 12:00 when we got home, so Evie made eggs and bagels for Ellen and me and we watched the unbelievable end of the Celtics game. They must be living right because the B-ball gods are favoring them. The rest of the afternoon was filled with leisure as we either sat on the dock, the side yard or the front porch, reading, napping, or on the phone, a Sunday of rest. Evie and Ellen went over to our neighbors to look to see if there were any cookbooks they wanted as they are cleaning out the house before putting it up for sale. It was a busy afternoon on the lake, with boats and Seadoos roaring back and forth, often pulling kids on rafts or floats, rivaling the fourth of July. 

Teriyaki Pork Chop Dinner

Around 6:15, I fired up the Weber and grilled three teriyaki pork chops that Evie had marinated for a couple of hours, This is a traditional Chautauqua dinner for our family, actually, we started making them when we lived in Honolulu in the late 1960s. With baked potatoes, a salad and applesauce, we were happy campers. After dinner, we relaxed in the living room, reading, on our phones or talking, tired from our busy day. We ended up watching some TV, another episode of The Americans and HGTV before going up to bed.

Our Visiting Alarm Clock

A Bit Of Morning Haze

6:09

6:08

8:25

It's 6;30, a hazy morning on the lake and I just saw the first fishing boat cruise over to the reeds. It's 50º and should get up into the mid-70s in the afternoon. This Memorial Day Weekend's weather is the best that I can remember. It's just 9:00 as we finish this and everyone is up enjoying the morning. I paddled for over an hour to Tom's Point and back and it was enough for me. 

Kayak Morning

Tom's Point

Stow To Bemus Bridge

So what did we do on Saturday? Not a lot because most of what we needed done was finished by Friday afternoon, We wanted to be able to have a leisurely Memorial Day Weekend. I was up early, at 6:00, on the lake by 7:00 for an hour of quiet paddling, no fishing boats that early. When I returned, the girls were still sleeping so I jumped in my dingy and dropped the last three buoys in the water off of our dock. Around 8:45, as Evie was getting up, she received a text from our good friends, Barb and Mike, saying they would be stopping by with glazed donuts from Georges, in Twinsburg, Ohio. We had not seen them since last August at their son Ian's wedding in Traverse, Michigan, so it was fun to see them again. They stayed for an hour and filled us in on all the news from Hudson. It was fun to see them again. 

Mallards Enjoying The Quiet Of Our Front Yard

It was Saturday, of course, so around 10:00, we gathered the trash and I was off to the Transfer Station. I then stopped in Lakewood for gas for my boat, then at the car wash to fill up the propane tank for my grill. I ended the trip a Wegmans, picking up a few things for Evie. I was home by 11:00 and the lake was still quiet and calm, so I took the cover off, gathered Evie and Ellen and we went for our first boat ride of the year, over to Bemus, along the shoreline and home. It was perfect timing because other boaters were just starting to hit the water and mid-afternoon, I counted over 20 boats cruising the lake in front of Long Point, as busy a Memorial Day as I can remember.

First Cruise Of 2023

We didn't have lunch until 1:30 because of our cruising and I finished up the scalloped potatoes and ham, then read and napped briefly, keeping my routine. Ellen and Evie did some work in the garden, then relaxed on the porch or yard and read. Midafternoon, Evie fried up some eggplant for dinner and then we relaxed with a glass of wine on the porch. Mid-afternoon, we were excited because our neighbor for the past 43 years,  Joyce, was coming back to the lake for a few days. She looks great and we sat around catching up on her and her husband Bill's life in Sewickley, PA, where they moved a year ago. 

Around 6;30, while Evie finished up prepping our dinner, eggplant, bacon, and tomato sandwiches, Ellen planted zinnias in pots on the side of our house. We then sat on the porch, drinking wine, having fun making a list of things in modern culture that pisses us off, like the NYTimes charging us extra for The Athletic and Cooking. We then had dinner, easy but delicious, especially the bacon all three of us had seconds. Our side dish was Cape Cod potato chips, compliments of Costco. We settled in the TV room around 7:45 and watched a film called She Said on Hulu, about two New York Times female reporters' search to make public Harvey Weinsteins history of sexual harassment. It was decent but a bit too long. And that was it for the night.

Joyce And Bill, neighbors and friends

Another Cloudless, Blue Sky Morning

6:30

8:32

I woke to the sun literally blinding me, as I opened the curtains. It's 6:47 on a Memorial Day Weekend and the lake is still quiet, not a boat. I better get out there quick on 47º morning. It's just 7:00 as I finish this first draft and am anxious to get out on the lake as I notice at least one boat fishing. It's now 8:36, the gals are still sleeping and I went for a good hour kayaking, photographed a couple of herons, then came in, put on my bathing suit, jumped in the dingy, paddled out beyond our dock and dropped three more buoys in the water to keep boaters away from cutting in front of our dock. It's a glorious morning, still sunny with blue skies and the wind is starting to pick up. 

Kayak Morning

A Fierce-Looking Osprey

Yesterday was another busy but good day, mostly getting the house and yard ready for my sister Ellen's arrival. If it weren't for guests, I wonder if we would ever get things done.  Just kidding...Evie's always getting things done. Anyways, I got in an hour paddle, then finished the blog and had breakfast and was ready to do whatever Evie needed. While Evie worked upstairs, I got a few things done outside but I can't remember what they were. O, yea, going through the attic and garage to see if there was anything to be thrown out since our neighbors were having a dumpster, as they are throwing out much of the detritus from 50 years of great summers,  Once that was done, I got Evie to help me and we took down our porch curtain, and put it away for the summer. We also pulled up the curtain on our front porch and what a difference it makes. It opens up our view on both porches. We then took everything off both porches, then swept and vacuumed both and they needed it because of Evie's dahlias, which spent much of the past few weeks on the porch, protected from a sudden frost. That took most if all of the morning. In between tasks, Evie also began prepping dinner, a pork tenderloin which she marinated and later sauteed.

By 12:30, I was ready for lunch so I heated up the leftover ham and potatoes and was happy, watching the Celtics defeat Miami on Thursday night. We had most things done, the bedrooms ready, and the house dusted and vacuumed by 2:00 so that Evie could then cut the lawn. While she did that, I pulled out our iron circular table, stored it behind the garage, and washed it down along with five chairs, then dragged them out to our front yard in case it's warm enough to eat outside, Maybe Monday. 

Dinner With Ellen

Ellen arrived at 4:00 and we were ready to relax on our spik-n-span front porch, with a lemonade and catch up on Ellen's grandchildren, Anna and Luke, the center of her attention because they live so close, lucky gal. We talked and enjoyed a glass of wine until 6:45 when Evie finished up the dinner, heating up the pork medallions in mushroom gravy, roasting rosemary potatoes, and making a salad. Dinner was perfect, just what we wanted, and later, as we were sitting in the living room, as the day waned, Evie made strawberry shortcake for dessert. Ellen was tired by 10:00 and so were we so we went up to bed. 

Fog Rising

 

A Great Blue Heron Morning

6:27

It's a beautiful, sunny morning, the fog rising over both Tom's Point and Long Point. It's 41º so Evie's dahlias are safe although the weather app predicted frost in some areas away from the lake. It looks like another pleasant lake, day, the high just in the mid 60s. We are excited because today, my sister Ellen will be driving in from Virginia and will spend Memorial Day Weekend with us. It looks like good weather, not too warm, with highs in the 70s. It's 9:24 and I had a great paddle for over an hour. The lake was smooth, with no wind, and I don't think it could have been a better morning to kayak on the lake. 

Kayak Morning

Fog Rising

Paddling North

Muskrat Heading Home

Safe In His Den

Yesterday was a busy day, mostly for Evie, because I am still not feeling myself, still coughing, tired, etc. O, well, carry on. I didn't get in a paddle because Chris was dropping off our boat. He came by later than I thought, at 9:30, so I helped him tie it up and get it docked for the summer. He then rode his bike back to his truck, refused our offer of a ride, a good kid or guy I guess. It's difficult to remember much of the morning as usual as they all seem to blend. I know that around 10:30, I got bored with feeling tired and volunteered to wash some windows on the north side of the house. So as I washed outside, she washed them inside and dusted the blinds, both of us in our living. room. It didn't take long but took a lot out of me. So I relaxed and read until lunch, another bowl of Evie's soup and a cheese sandwich, and watched a new series on PBS since both Netflix and HBO Max seem to be enforcing their sharing. We have benefited from being on our kid's apps but it looks like that's no longer an option so we will have to pay.

While I was having lunch, Evie took off for Wegman's, to shop for the weekend. I took a good nap finally and woke just before she got home. I helped bring in the groceries and cleared out the dishwasher, my final tasks of the day. We both took it easy although it seems that Evie spent much of the day washing and drying clothes and sheets. Around 5:00, Evie put together our dinner, a ham and scalloped potatoes casserole along with a salad and brussels sprouts. While the ham and potatoes were baking, we enjoyed a glass of wine and our always amazing view of the lake. Dinner hit the spot as I loved both the casserole and the sprouts. Finally, I had an appetite. Our viewing doesn't change much, especially since we not longer have a couple of channels. So we watched our usuals, Jeopardy Masters, which James Holzhauer won, then The Americans and ER, both fortunately on Hulu. I ended the night with the first quarter of the Celtics' win over Miami. They seem to have found their mojo after three discouraging losses. 

Sunny But Cool

6:29

8:04

It's 6:30, and the sun is filling the living room on a 37º morning, quite a contrast to yesterday morning's 54º. No kayaking this morning because I am picking up my boat at Prendergast Point and bringing it back to our dock, a sure sign that summer is nearing. 

Yesterday began as usual with a kayak paddle for forty minutes but then I was on my way to see the doctor once again in Westfield, for my cough and eye. He gave me another strong antibiotic for the cough and eye drops for my conjunctivitis. I am still coughing this morning and lack mojo but hope I will start feeling better sooner rather than later. It's been four weeks since I came down with whatever ails me. When I returned home, Evie was inspired and decided to deep clean one of the bedrooms which means washing the windows, the screens, cleaning the blinds, walls, etc, taking apart the bed and washing everything and once all was done, giving it a good vacuuming. Then, once the bedding was washed and dried, the bed was made. I helped some when needed, but Evie did most of the work and it took most of the morning. Now she only has three more bedrooms to go.

Lunch was Evie's soup and toasted cheese and I watched the Nuggets beat the Lakers from two nights ago. Lebron had 40 points but the Lakers still lost. By 1;00, I was reading on the couch and Evie was relaxing, watching some TV. And that's the way the rest of the afternoon went with us relaxing and doing a few things both inside and out but after the morning, neither of us had much energy, happy to enjoy the day. Our neighbors' kids were busy, however, going through the house and garage, deciding what to keep and what to be thrown out or sold at a yard sale. There's a lot of stuff after fifty years of summer living. It took four of them to get most of it done.

Dinner was the leftover chicken and rice and Evie roasted slices of cabbage and made a salad for our dinner. It felt good to be back in our TV room, enjoying dinner and watching our shows, Jeopardy Masters, ER, and The Americans. 

A Hazy Morning Sunrise

6:37

It's just 7:00 and I have been up for a half hour. The Sun's up although because of the haze, its strength is modulated. There's hardly any wind so it looks like a good day for a paddle. It was a  good morning, as I paddled down to Sandy Bottom and back. For the first time, it felt like summer when I was out on the lake, a warm breeze, no chill. 

Kayak Morning

Paddling North

Osprey at Sandy Bottom

Yesterday began with a big breakfast, compliments of my brother-in-law, Rich, a chef extraordinaire. With eggs, bacon, home fries, and melon, we were well-fortified for our shopping spree in the Cleveland area. First, we stopped at Azman's Meats and picked up seven pounds of Slovenian sausage for the summer. It's fun to go there because the owner, Bill Azman, knew Evie's Dad and always talks about him. We then drove to Lynhurst and spent a good forty-five minutes wondering what to buy at Costco. There's so much there that it's overwhelming and we walked out with less than we thought. We ended our spree at Trader Joe's, buying three cases of two buck chuck (now $6.59) for the summer and other goodies we love like cheese, crackers, cookies, bacon, etc. We stopped at the Ohio border to get cheap gas, 3.19 vs 3.59 here in New York, and Evie drove the last leg so I could enjoy my whopper with fries for lunch. 

When we drove in, we were surprised to see our neighbor's kids had arrived, to begin the difficult process of selling their parent's house, getting rid of junk, having a sale, etc. I don't envy them. We unloaded the goodies in the car and Evie put things away so we could both relax after an arduous day and a half. I even was able to nap. The rest of the afternoon we relaxed, not up to doing much either inside or out. Evie's potted dahlias are started to break through the soil and will be ready to plant in a couple of weeks. 

Around 5:30, it felt good to enjoy a glass of wine as the day began to wind down, the lake still fairly quiet. Dinner was chicken thighs grilled in the air fryer along with a salad and rice. We were back in the saddle with our TV viewing, watching Jeopardy Masters, then an episode of The Americans and then to bed, tired from our day. 

Waiting

Living It Up With Our Euclid Family

6:15 On Lake Erie

Fishing For Walleye

It's just 6:00 on an overcast morning. I a sitting in my sister Linda's family room, look out at the vastness of Lake Erie, as the lake and horizon seem to melt into one. It's a gray morning here, 54º, and should get up into the 60s later in the day. Today, we head home but not before a big breakfast, compliments of my brother-in-law Rich, and requisite Cleveland stops at Costco and Trader Joe's. It 6:30 and I just walked down to the beach, took some photos, heard the sound of purple martins, and saw them swooping above the lake. Unlike Chautauqua, Linda and Rich's home does not get a sunrise but amazing sunsets. We are both fortunate to be living on water and love it. 

Lake Erie Beach

We left yesterday morning at 8:15 and arrived at the Cleveland Clinic campus by 10:45. We circled around seven parking floors of their garage before finding a place to park on the roof. My first appointment was not until 11:30 so we thought we made could time. 

Downtown Cleveland

When we checked in, we found my first appointment had not been sanctioned by Blue Cross, Blue Shield, so we had to wait until registration called and got the ok. Still,  we made it on time for my appointment. Why we hurried is a good question. We ultimately did not get to see a doctor until 1:00 although my appointment was at 11:30. Waiting. This meant my next two appointments had to be rescheduled, so I spent a good part of the afternoon, waiting for an echo, waiting for a CT scan, and waiting to see a doctor although she had yet to get the results of my test so we did not have much to discuss other than waiting. My appointments with the nurses and two doctors basically consisted of them asking me the same questions and answers that I supposedly had already filled out on MYChart's pre-registration. It was not a good day at the Cleveland Clinic.

6:48

The only bright spot to the day was we were staying at my sister's for the night rather than driving home to the lake. We arrived in Euclid by 5:20 and it was nice to not have to wait for a glass of wine or appetizers. Linda and Rich are always great hosts. We sat around talking and fortunately, they had mentioned to their kids we would be in town so three of our nieces and nephews stopped over to have a drink with us. It was great to see them, and all doing well. Unlike us, where all our kids live plane rides away, they have three kids who live within a mile, the fourth just a half hour away. So their lake house is always a gathering spot for family, especially the grandchildren, most weekends, holidays, and birthdays, How great is that. 

All but their daughter, Kirsten, left by 7:00 and Rich put the finishing touch on the ribs,  out on the grill. Dinner was great, ribs, baked potatoes, coleslaw, and a cucumber salad, with an apple tart and vanilla ice cream for dessert. We stayed up talking until 10:00 although I was so tired that I went up to bed early, at 9:30. 

New Think: "Old Age I have decided is a gift. I am grateful to be alive, a blessing many will never enjoy."