Sunny, Blue Skies, And 51º

6:44

It's a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky, a bit windy and cold or cool, depending on the season I suppose. Not a boat is in sight, perhaps it's too cold. It's 9:20 and I just returned from breakfast in Bemus and was able to get in a short 15 minute paddle before breakfast on an amazing lake morning. 

Kayak Morning

Blue Skies

Yesterday was a trifecta for me for once, starting with a good, long paddle, on a chilly morning. After the kayaking, I finished the blog, had breakfast, talked with Evie and was on my way to yoga at 9:40. Our usual teacher is hiking the Colorado Trail so Danielle took over and her classes are always good, interesting, and fun. After class, I cashed a check at the bank, then hit Walmart for a few things that I probably didn't need except for a carton of milk. I was home by 12:30 and Evie made me lunch, toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches and I watched Jack Ryan, finally figuring out what's going on.

The afternoon was chilly and overcast so we did not sit outside, rather staying in and reading or watching TV or napping, our usual. By 3:00, however, I wanted to do something so I drove to the Chautauqua Institution with my bike, and rode around the grounds for close to an hour, admiring all the amazing front porches, the yards of flowers and bushes,  I took my time, sightseeing rather than racing. The season is over but at least half of the residents have stayed, probably until after Labor Day.

CI Lakefront

Washed Ashore

Sculpture Made Of Ocean Plastic

Thunder Bridge

Ocean Plastic Debris

When I  got home, I charged the Kia, something I do every other day, then relaxed with Evie in our living room with a glass of vino. For some reason, I wanted a lemony orzo for dinner, to go along with our fish, so Evie put together a recipe and we had a delicious dinner, breaded tilapia filets, lemon, corn, and cream orzo, along with a salad. We watched a film called The One I Love, about a marriage on the rocks and the couple's attempts to make it right. How they do it, however, is confusing and complicated so we still don't have much of an idea of what went on. Watch it and let us know. We ended the night with ER and Kaitlin on CNN. 

A Mean Looking Morning

7:38

8:55

It's just 60º at the moment and only going to get cooler into the 50s during the day, almost like a fall morning. Unfortunately, at least to us, it will warm up next week, maybe getting up to 90º just as school starts.  It's just after 9:00 and I was out for only 25 minutes because of the strong northerly wind and choppy lake. 

Kayak Morning

North

The Sky

Great Blue On Neighbor's Dock

Tuesday began with a nice paddle, a shot of a couple of birds, then a drive to Lakewood to yoga with Julie, a good friend and great yoga teacher. After class, I stopped at both Walmart and Home Depot, looking for a roll of sand but neither had any, or at least the kind I wanted. Then, I drove to Jamestown, to La Cucina Della Nona, to pick up a jacket Evie left on Friday when we had dinner. And since it was across the street from Farm Fresh Foods, purveyors of great donuts, I brought home four assorted to Evie's delight and mine. 

When I got home, Evie was off shopping so I relaxed for a bit and got a phone call from our good college friends, Joe and Lou. They had read the blog and suggested a method for getting rid of weeds on a brick walkway(a mixture of white vinegar, salt, and Dawn). I am going to try it and it was great to talk to both of them, home recently from a couple of weeks' vacation with family on the beach.  Around 12:30, I made a simple lunch, ramen, and crackers with peanut butter, and watched my show, Jack Ryan on Prime. Evie returned around 1:00 with several bags of groceries so I helped unload the car and put things away before getting back to my book and trying to nap. 

The rest of the afternoon went too quickly, as we both took it easy, reading either outside on a beautiful afternoon or on the porch. By 4:00,  I was bored and did some weed wacking, then trimming of our privets. While trimming, a couple from the cottages stopped to talk. They have been coming to the lake for years and John, like me, likes to kayak, his wife, the novelist David Silva, one of my favorites. They are from the Beaver Falls area and often read the blog. In fact, they were nice enough to send us a great photo of our dock they took a couple of years ago. 

As our routine, we enjoyed a glass of wine on the porch after Evie's Zoom call with her sisters at 5:00. Dinner was something I have been wanting. Our neighbors, Jeff and Nancy, gave us a bunch of tomatoes from their garden and ever since, I have been wanting tomato sandwiches on sourdough bread. Well, last night that's what we had along with a couple of ears of freshly picked corn, Yum. We started a film we thought we might like but stopped after 20 minutes and returned to what else, ER. It's getting so bad that last night I dreamed about ER characters. Crazy.

A Busy Day In The Yard

6:59

8:35

It's 7:25 and the sun has been in and out, now out as the clouds have filled the sky. It's 58º and all I can hear is the cawing of crows, the honking of geese. A single boat is fishing off of Long Point on a calm lake. I paddled for 35 minutes this morning and shot both an eagle and osprey but no herons, alas. 

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

Southwest Sky

Juvenile Eagle On Long Point

Osprey Next To Campground

Yesterday was a productive day for both of us, a harbinger of days to come. It started as usual with a kayak paddle for close to an hour although I did not shoot any wild life, perhaps because I did not get out on the lake until 8:30. Once both of us were properly caffeinated to begin thinking about our day, we got busy around 10:00. Evie wanted me to edge and weed our brick walk, something I have ignored most of the summer. So I got out my edger and tools and worked for a good hour and a half, prying weeds and grass out from between the bricks, an onerous task. I should just use Round-Up and kill the suckers, right. While I was weeding, Evie was working in her garden, deadheading and pulling weeds,  tidying it up.

Cormorant Gliding By Our Dock

By lunchtime, I was halfway through the walk and my back was aching so I did some yoga while my lunch, leftover meatballs and spaghetti was heating in the microwave.  I started a new series, the third season of Jack Ryan on Prime, a confusing thriller, set in at least three countries. After lunch, I took it easy as did Evie, enjoying reading out on the dock. Once I got bored and after a brief nap, I returned to the brick walk for a half hour, did some yoga and read, then returned and finished the darn walk by 4:30. Meanwhile, Evie mowed a good part of the lawn, which she will finish today, then read under our maple tree until 5:00 when we both showered because we decided to eat out at Alexnders, in Findlay Lake, about a 15-mile drive.

Alexanders was not very busy so we easily found a seat at the bar. We have been there a couple of times but it's changed hands a couple of times as well. We both ordered burgers and hand-cut fries and both were great, just what we wanted. We had a beer as well and we were in and out in an hour. We decided to drive around the lake, which in the good old days we would have walked around. It was a lovely evening for a drive, the fields of corn lit by the setting sun and. amazingly, a vast solar farm just west of Sherman. What a beautiful area. We then watched our usual shows, nothing new to write about, before bed.

Field of Solar Panels

Sun Breaking Through The Clouds

7:24

7:47

It's 7:45, a mostly cloudy beginning to the day but the sun is beginning to show. It's on its way south across the lake and I am going to have to sit somewhere else soon. It's a chilly 55º and maybe will get up to 70º later in the day. I love it. It's 9:35 and I paddled for just over 50 minutes on a spectacular August morning, the lake calm, with a light breeze. 

Kayak Morning

Paddling North

Long Point

Yesterday was an outstanding Sunday, mostly because of the sunny, cool afternoon and the walk in the morning. First, however, I got in an hour of kayaking, over to the marina, across to Tom's Point and back. We then had a leisurely and long coffee, finally finishing the blog. Evie wanted to go for a hike so our favorite is Long Point State Park. It's close and we love the woods which are usually empty. So we drove over to the end of Lakeside Drive and walked for an hour in a forest of green and again, we were the only people hiking. We took our time, admiring the view, and checking the kind of trees with an app on Evie's phone. 

The Woods Of Green 

Stairway To Heaven

Black Walnut Path

We were home by 12:30 and Evie made me a couple of eggs on a bagel for brunch and I was happy watching the last episode of Friday Night Lights. It's a great series, at times like a soap opera, but still, a realistic picture of high school football, adult and teenager passions, and family and racial complications. Once I was finished, I was happy to get back to my book and join Evie for a while out on the dock. She spent a good part of the afternoon out there, reading and sunbathing. It was pleasant, a nice breeze made it not too hot. 

We enjoyed a libation and good cheese around 5:30 and as always, the lake on a Sunday evening settled down as the weekenders headed home. It's our favorite late afternoon of the week because back in the day, we always had to drive home on Sunday afternoons. So we never take Sundays for granted. We had the leftover Italian food for dinner and watched an ER and an eye-opening 2020 documentary called Miss Americana. It traces the growth of songwriter and performer Taylor Swift's career. Just recently I have started listening to her music, probably because of the success of her monumental tour this summer.  I can't remember one that's been so successful. Anyways, she impressed us both as a prolific songwriter and performer, gaining success at 17 and constantly remaking herself, a result of the ups and downs of her career. She is amazing and the documentary is worth watching. 

Morning Chill

7:21

It's 8:00 and I have been up for forty-five minutes. The house was full of sunshine, then, but now it's overcast, vast cloud banks hang over Bemus and it's surprisingly chilly for August. I didn't get out on the lake until after 8:00 but it was still a good paddle, over to the Boathouse and back to Sandy Bottom and home. I was rewarded with a heron sitting about 15 feet below an osprey, both above the reeds. 

Kayak Morning

Osprey

Same Guy, Different Smile

Great Blue

Saturday was typical as are most Saturdays because of my trip to the Transfer Station. So after a long paddle and breakfast, I decided to get in a bike ride before my task of getting rid of the trash. So around 10:00, I drove over to Bemus, parked just beyond the bridge, and rode through Bemus, to Long Point State Park, around its trails, and back to my car, in just under an hour. It was windy but for some reason, I hardly felt it. When I returned home, Evie had the trash ready, and the kitchen cleaned up so I gathered everything and dropped it off at the busy Transfer Station, same guys, new truck. I have to say they are not the most personable workers I have met, rarely talking, smiling, or helping.

Long Point Trail

By 1:00 I was enjoying the other half of my chicken salad sub and watching my series which is about to end I think. I better be thinking about a new one, perhaps rewatching The Wire, or something like that. I am into my new book, David Silva's The Collector. This is the 23rd Gabriel Allon thriller and I have read them all. Yep. We then dithered much of the afternoon, wanting to get something done, but not sure what so we just hung out on the porch, dock, or couch, I watched a bit of the Buffalo Bills game, then some FIBA basketball but neither grabbed me so I mostly read.

We were showered and on our way to La Cucina Della Nona, a restaurant in Jamestown, where we were meeting a couple of buddies and their wives for dinner. Both were friends from Ohio, where we played basketball together and taught. 

Old Friends, Good Friends

So it's been quite a few years of friendship. Everyone loved their meals, huge portions, such that all four of us took home doggy bags, enough for a dinner. It's always great to get together and thanks to John and Penny, who drive in from Ohio, we do get together. We were home around 8:30 in time to watch the usual junk TV, a bit of news, and then bed. 

Fog, Haze, And Gray

6:54

7:35

9:24

It's 7:26 and already three or four kayaks are out as well as a couple of fishing boats and our neighbor skiing, so it must be the weekend here at the lake. It's 63º, should get up to the high 70s later and we may have had some rain overnight. The sun has just popped up above the gray and I may have to move to another seat because of its brightness. It's almost 10:0 and I was out paddling for over an hour, across to the Marina, then across to Tom's Point and home. My paddle home was hard once again, as the wind picked up and the lake got choppy and I struggled some, wondering how long it was going to take me. 

Kayak Morning

Clouds Above The Bridge

My Heron

Friday was a  good day because I was able to get some exercise, starting with a good paddle, as always in the morning. So after breakfast and the blog and helping Evie get a few things done around the house, I hitched my bike onto the Outback and drove to Mayville's Lake Park. I then rode both sections of Webb's Trail, tough going, easy coming back. Then I  rode the Mayville asphalt trail to the cemetery and back to my car, close to an hour on my bike. I then stopped at Rite Aid, for a prescription, Tops for a few things for Friday night's dinner, then the Lighthouse for a chicken salad sandwich for lunch. In other words, I was busy until close to 1:00. 

Webb's Trail

Cathedral Of Green

I then had lunch, half of the sub, and watched my show. Meanwhile, Evie was busy prepping our dinner and making a peach/cheesecake galette for our dessert. We were having our good friend and neighbor, Ken, over for dinner. He's a retired educator like me, as well as a college athlete,  and a coach, in other words, we have lots in common. Once Evie had things set, we both were able to enjoy a leisurely afternoon, a strange one as well as the fog kept moving in and out during the afternoon. 

A Good Night

Ken arrived just at 6:00 and we spent a good hour on the porch, enjoying wine and appetizers and catching up on our lives since this was the first time we have been able to get together this summer. He has granddaughters who come up with their parents most weekends so he's always busy with them, a lucky grandfather. Dinner was a specialty of our son Tom, scallops, shrimp, and a creamy lemon and vermouth sauce over pasta, along with a salad and French bread. It was delicious, just what we wanted on a Friday night. And the peach galette was a perfect end to the evening. Ken walked home around 9:20 and then we cleaned up most of the kitchen before watching some TV and going up to bed, another good day. 

Overnight Power Washing

7:07

7:55

9:13

Well, storms and heavy winds were predicted overnight but I must have slept through them because I checked the rain gauge this morning and we got two and a half inches overnight and everything looks fresh and clean. Fortunately, I don't see any branches down at least in our yard, just twigs. It looks like a nice day, however, a high in the mid-70s although it's humid right now. It's 9:20, Evie's still sleeping and I just returned from a 50-minute paddle. I shot the same heron and osprey, in the same trees as the last week. It seems they have a routine just like me. 

Kayak Morning

To The North

Osprey

Heron

Practicing Yoga

Not much different about Thursday, as most days follow a routine. I didn't kayak, however, preferring to go to breakfast at Bemus at 8:00. I then had a good Yin yoga class at 10:00 and did a quick stop at Walmart to pick up a few things. I wonder if the new Target is as busy? When I got home, Evie volunteered to make me egg salad sandwiches. Yum. She also had a long phone call with our daughter, Beth, in Texas. After lunch and my series, I finished my book, Desert Star, by Michael Connelly and when I finished, I had a sense that I might have read it before because the ending seemed familiar. Still, I liked it and started another book which I supposedly read before as well although I don't remember it. 

The afternoon went quickly and I enjoyed sitting on the dock in the sun briefly until the bees chased me away. By 5:30, we were on the porch, enjoying the beauty of the late afternoon and a glass of wine.  It was surprising how quiet the lake was for August. We had pulled pork and coleslaw sandwiches for dinner and watched the Trump Indictment extravaganza for most of the evening despite my protest. He sucks up all the oxygen, both in the newspapers and on TV. Evie went to bed early so I was happy to watch something else before following her. 

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