The Sun, The Sun

7:02

Northern Sky: 7:29

7:41 Sun Rise

It's an unbelievable morning, with clear, blue skies and a sunrise off to the southeast. I am playing musical chairs in the living room, as I change seats to avoid the bright sunshine. It's 28º and may get up to a toasty 40º later in the day. 

7:41

8:05

7:42

Yesterday was another boring Chautauqua gray day, an early, colorless morning, with coffee. I was up early so we easily finished the blog and after breakfast, I was off to yoga by 9:10. We had a fun class with Courtney as we did most of our poses on a wall, making it fun and class went quickly. I decided to stop for coffee and I was the only one in the shop, unusual for a morning. When I returned home, Evie had my lunch ready, a tuna sandwich, and soup because she had made a tuna sandwich for our neighbor as well. I watched another episode of Jack Reacher and it has gotten better or I have been less critical. 

Not much happened the rest of the afternoon, a nap, some reading, maybe cleaning up the kitchen or emptying the dishwasher, but that was about it. Evie put together a dinner for tomorrow night so that will make her Thursday much easier and she worked out on her Rebounder for over an hour.  She, then, had a Zoom call with her sisters at 5:00 and we had a brief happy hour before dinner. Earlier, we had decided to have an old breakfast favorite, grits, sausage, and green chiles with eggs. It took Evie about 15 minutes to put it together and I loved it. We watched the last episode of American Nightmare and cannot believe we watched it. We then watched a couple of episodes of Beef, a Golden Globe nominee.  

In The 30's And Gray

7:38

A typical winter morning here, a dusting of snow both on the lawn and lake and 30º. It's not cold enough for the ice to thicken even though the lake is frozen. And no snow is forecast for the next week or two, alas, making us wonder where went winter. Also, it's hard to believe that February has just about arrived. Where did January go? 

Kinney's Run

Victoria Path To The Lake

Mondays are the only day of the week when I don't have a yoga class to attend. So it's wide open and I usually try to find something to do other than lay around and read. So after the blog and breakfast and a long coffee, I decided to go for a hike in our neighborhood woods, still slightly snow-covered. The ground was still frozen so it was an easy 40-minute hike around the Woodlawn/Victoria woods. I have not been doing much walking or hiking lately so I was surprised how tired I was when I returned. We then decided to get something done and went upstairs and put up blackout curtains in a second bedroom. Of course, Mr. Handy Man made quite a project out of it but got it done. 

Open Water 

Looking North To Woodlawn

It was lunchtime after our chore and I had a quesadillas and the last of Evie's carrot soup. For some reason, I was tired enough to take a quick half-hour nap before driving off to the KIA dealer for an appointment at 2:00. My Sportage was losing oil for some reason and I was worried about it. Fortunately, it was just a loose gasket which was easily fixed and I also got an oil change and tire rotation so I am good to go for the next 7000 miles. I then stopped at Tops which is next door to the Kia dealer and picked up a few things in a nearly empty store. I wonder how they keep open.

I was home by 4:00, happy to be back on my couch reading my book. By 5:00, we were enjoying happy hour, a glass of wine, and the always depressing news. Dinner was a classic, steak, baked potatoes, brussel sprouts, and a salad, with baklava for dessert, thanks to Linda. We hesitate to say that we watched, the first two episodes of ER for the heck of it, just to see how they compared after watching all 15 seasons. Both were compelling and we could see why the show took off. We ended the night with Hometown before I watched some basketball. 

Just Another Football Sunday

My Girl Friend For 63 Years

8:13

A dusting of snow and gray sky and lake welcomed me this morning. The lake is still frozen and the birds are at the feeder at 8:06.  I have been up for an hour and a half, since 6:30, and am already planning my day.

Yesterday was basically a day of waiting, waiting for the Chiefs/Ravens game to go on TV at 4:30. Up until then, our Sunday was mostly the same although we never did get out for a walk, alas, too lazy after a big Saturday. After coffee, breakfast, and the blog, our only accomplishment was to change the water filter, something we do every two or three months, depending I suppose on water usage, We know it needs changing when a blue light blinks off and on in our hot room. We then relaxed because we did not have to worry about dinner since it was Sunday and dinner at Linda and Rons. After my usual big breakfast, brioche, and egg sandwiches, I spent the afternoon reading, watching some of the lead-up to the football game, or trying to nap to no avail. 

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

We left for Linda and Ron's at the end of the first half and drove to Mayville in freezing rain, lovely weather. Linda had appetizers and drinks ready and we sat in their TV room watching the Chiefs pull out a win, enjoying cheese, crackers, jam and wine. Once the game was over, we made a selfie and sent it to my kids who are avid Chief fans. The game was over around 6:00, perfect timing for our moving to the kitchen, while Linda finished prepping our dinner. 

With My Buddy, Pi

Chiefs Win, All's Well 

Once everything was ready, we feasted on homemade gnocchi, pork tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto, and salad. As always, a Sunday feast with good friends. We then enjoyed homemade baklava for dessert, followed by Linda's homemade limoncello. Ron and I then left the gals and sat in the TV room, watching the third and fourth quarters of the 49ers/Lions game. The Lions lost a tough one because they blew a huge first-half lead. We left around 9:30, driving home on icy roads, in a wet, freezing snow. It was another good day despite the weather. 

A Day In Full

7:50

Long Point In Black And White

It's later than usual as I start this, 8:34 because I slept in till 7:45 a record. This morning, however, is nothing to get up early for, the usual Chautauqua Gray sky and lake, no color to speak of, and a 39º and wet morning. The lake is still frozen in front of our house but open off to the north and I may be able to kayak in another day or two if this warm weather continues. 

Road Trip

Yesterday ended up being a busy but fun day, a surprise to both of us because much of it was spontaneous. I woke with an irritated left eye, so after coffee, breakfast and the blog I called my eyecare doctor, Spectrum, and was able to get an eye appointment at 10:15. After a thorough check-up, I left with a prescription for an antibiotic and salve. After the appointment, then, I went to Wegmans to pick up the prescription, did some shopping, and waited for about a half hour for the prescription.

I got home around noon and Evie was ready for our excursion to Irving, NY, home of various Seneca Nation dispensaries. On the way, we stopped in Fredonia for a Whopper meal at Burger King. We shared it and then were on our way, stopping at the first gas station/dispensary on RT.20. While I gassed up the car with cheap gas, Evie purchased some sleeping aids in a very busy place. We then drove another mile to another dispensary, run by the daughter-in-law of a good friend called Gifted. I have never seen such happy saleswomen behind the counter, ready to fill your every sleep/pain/happy desire. Evie was quickly waited on and we were on our way home we thought. We stopped in Fredonia briefly at Tuscany, a neat Italian grocery, picked up a few things, and then decided to take the long way home, west on #20 to Westfield and then home through Mayville. 

21 Brix Winery

It's always an interesting drive in contrasts, past mega vineyards and then small, desolate towns, like Portland and Brocton, once prosperous. We almost drove past 21 Brix Winery but decided to stop because its parking lot was packed. We walked into a happy wine shop, bustling with wine aficionados, We ordered a couple glasses, then tried to find a place to sit, and finally were welcomed at a table by a couple. We ended up spending a fun hour talking with them. 

Vino And New Friends

They live in Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, and enjoy taking weekend trips around the area, often to Bemus Point and Chautauqua Lake. Charlie is a businessman and his wife Mindy is a teacher and both will be retired soon, hoping to retire to a house on Lake Erie. We shared our histories, kids, and favorite vacations/destinations, ending the afternoon by taking a selfie and exchanging phone numbers. They were on their way to Westfield, to Portage Pie, to pick up a banana cream pie for their son. It was a fun stop. 

Big Inlet 

We then drove through Westfield, almost stopping at Brazils for a drink, but decided to go home. Once we got to Mayville, however, we remembered that the Big Inlet Brewery was having a band called Black Widow recommended by friends, starting at 5:30. So we took a detour and were lucky to find a table upstairs overlooking the busy bar area. We ordered Evie's favorite beer, a Blond and Blue with a hint of blueberry. We were starting to get hungry so I went outside to the food truck and ordered a burger, curly fries, and chips with cheese sauce. Yum. The band started playing at 5:30 and they were pretty good, especially the attractive and buxom lead singer, much enjoyed by the men. We left around 6:30, having our fill of food, beer, and music. It was a good way to end our road trip.

 Black Widow With Lana And Dustin

We were home at 7:15, exhausted once we stepped into our house, wondering how we were going to make it through the evening but we did barely. We watched our usual TV shows and Evie had enough around 8:15 but I stayed up until almost 10:00, watching the women's basketball game between UCONN and Notre Dame which Notre Dame ended up winning.  Oh, what a day. 

A Chautauqua Gray Morning

7:30

It's 8:00 and I have been up for an hour, the sky and lake gray, of course, with some fog off to the eastern shoreline. Yesterday's 50º has dropped to a mellow 36º, as the lake continues to melt, open in some areas, still frozen in others. 

Enjoying A Sunflower Seed

Friday was Friday, not much different from any other day, the only difference being it was a Friday. I was up early, read, had coffee, and breakfast, and finished the blog before pulling the Outback out of the garage and putting air in a couple of tires. If it sits too long, the tires tend to need air. At least it started. I drove to a good yoga class, four of us, although one new woman's Ujjayi breath( a whispering, audible vibration) became annoying. After class, I did a quick run to Wegman's and picked up some sushi for dinner as well as a few other necessities. 

Lunch

When I returned home, Evie had been busy and taken some food over to our neighbor who had been struggling because her pipes had frozen. For lunch, I had Evie's soup and she made me a toasted cheese sandwich and I spread jam on it of course. And I watched the last episode of Season Five of The Wire. What a great series, a look at the scourge of the illegal drug problem as well as the politics endemic in any city's police department, government, businesses, and schools. It's not very uplifting or encouraging. Also discouring was an NPR program that discussed the rise of right-wing governments all over the world, in Germany, Hungary, and even India to name a few, with their emphasis on racial purity and anti-democratic governments. It's not just in the States and Trump's rise is not an anomaly but a reaction to immigration, globalization, and the changing world we live in fueled, I think, by the access to all kinds of media. And it's only going to get worse with AI.

After lunch, I tried to nap to no avail, read some, and then decided to work in the yard which was strewn with deadfall from the wind storms we have had over the past month. It took me a good hour and I filled three garbage pails with the deadfall before taking them up the hill to the woodpile. It felt good to be doing something outside although my back ached once I was done. 

I was rewarded with a great happy hour, two kinds of sushi, a Manhattan, and veggies with hummus, as we watched the day wane. We had planned on an easy dinner, hot dogs and leftover mac n cheese, with apple pie and ice cream for dessert. It was a good plan. We then watched a couple of boring episodes of Jack Reacher and basketball before going up to bed. 

A Spring Like 51º In January

7:13

I couldn't believe it when I looked at my watch and it said the temperature was 51º, warmer than Dallas where my daughter lives but there is no global warming, right.  We have been sitting here enjoying watching a muskrat sitting on the ice, enjoying a breakfast of what we assume are mussels. 

A Chubby Muskrat Through The Fog

Muskrat Feasting On Mussels

Yesterday was a busy morning for me and fortunately, I was up early. I had my coffee, wrote the blog the drove over to Bemus for breakfast with Jack at the Lake Life Cafe. He's doing well from his knee replacement and was able to drive to Bemus for the first time. After breakfast, I drove in the fog to Erie for a doctor's appointment with my cardiologist at Hamot. Rather than seeing one in Ashtabula, Ohio, I decided to switch to one in Erie, an hour closer. He seems to be a good guy so I will be going back as needed. I waited maybe five minutes for my appointment, unlike Ashtabula where I have often waited an hour or two. On my way home, I stopped at Orton's Market, just off of #90 on #89. It's been there since 1938, mostly vegetables and milk products and cherry pies. I bought a pie and a couple of chocolate milk for Evie from Pot Of Gold Dairy. 

I was home earlier than I expected around noon. I was not very hungry so I had a chicken salad sandwich even though Evie had a pot of spicy carrot soup simmering on the stove. Since I was up early, I was looking forward to my usual nap but started a new book, The River We Remember by one of my favorite novelists, William Kent Krueger. So I read for a good hour before napping, the good life. At 3:00, we met with our lawyer and finalized our Revocable Trust, something we wanted to get done for a couple of months. We then did a quick run through Wegmans, a very busy place at 5:30 on a Thursday. We then enjoyed a glass of wine, watching the lake melt under the gray sky, and thinking about what to have for dinner. We finally decided on leftovers, again, the ribs and mac n cheese as well as a bowl of Evie's soup. We are somewhat at a loss as to what to watch and decided on the second episode of American Nightmare because Micheal Smerconish highly recommended it. Why, we are not sure but we are not taken with it. We then watched an episode of Off The Grid, and in this one, a guy built a Greek-style home, with the front reminding us of a Greek Temple in the middle of a forest in Tennessee. It was actually pretty cool. After that, it was time for bed. 

Heavy Fog

7:14

7:35

It's 7:10 and so foggy that I can hardly see beyond the shoreline. The big melt began yesterday, the front yard has melted, and the temperature was in the 40s most of the day. This morning it's also 40º and will stay there most of the day,

Yesterday was the usual, so I don't have a lot to say that's different. No kayaking obviously, just a long coffee morning, finishing the blog, and having breakfast. I was off to a rigorous yoga class by 9:40 and the fog was not bad yet. I managed to make it through class, then came straight home, not feeling like a coffee and no need to shop. Evie suggested for lunch an appetizer she made a couple of days ago and had frozen, Buffalo chicken egg rolls, It was a good choice and I downed four of them in blue cheese dressing while watching The Wire. I cannot remember what I did the rest of the afternoon but I assume I read some, napped some, and got nothing done. By 5:00, however, I remember taking a shower because we were going to the Viking for dinner with neighbors.

4:55 PM

So we picked them up, Jim, Barb, and Newt, and drove in a heavy, scary fog over to the Viking Club, arriving at 6:00. Despite the fog, it was busier than we expected but we easily found a table and ordered beers. It was a fun night, with lots of wings and beers, a good way to spend an ugly evening in January. We stayed until almost 9:00, almost closing down the place. The fog let up a bit on the way home but there were still patches that were heavy and dangerous. We watched some news and Colbert then had enough for the day and went up to bed. 

The Big Melt

7:56

9:06

It's after 8:00 and I have been up for an hour and a half, as the day lightens although the melting lake is heavy with fog. It's a toasty 38º and should get into the mid-40s later today with mucho rain, thus the meltdown.

Tuesday was an ugly day, with icy roads as the snow began to melt. I was up early, of course, filled the bird feeder, then spent an hour reading the various newspapers online before writing the blog and having breakfast. I was off to yoga by 9:10, a 9:30 class that was devoted to poses that might help those who have sciatica. It was an interesting class, hopefully worthwhile. After class, I hit the bank to deposit a couple of checks. It seems I often overpay or pay medical bills too early and now and then get reimbursed.

When I returned home, Evie was ready to drive to Lakewood for a hair appointment, and then shop at Wegmans. Lunch was easy, the last of the soup and a chicken salad sandwich. I watched The Wire, then returned to the couch to relax, read, nap, and wait for Evie to come home. She was out until 3:30 and by the time she returned, I emptied the dishwasher, washed up the dishes emptied the dryer, and folded the clothes. What a guy.

Evie had a Zoom call with her sisters at 5:00 and I talked with my daughter Beth for a good half hour because she is thinking seriously of accepting a full-time teaching job in a week, a big decision and change. It's nice to be wanted. Dinner was the rest of our previous night's dinner, ribs, and mac n cheese, just as good as the night before. We watched an episode of a docudrama called American Nightmare and that was enough to watch something else, Hometown and the news of Trump's victory in New Hampshire. That's a real-life American nightmare.

Here Comes The Rain

7:20

7:56

It's a typical morning sky lately, gray with a white lake and a bird feeder filled with hungry finches. It's 29º and it's supposed to snow for the next six hours but so far, just occasional drizzle. Three or four ice fishing tents have popped up along the Long Point shoreline, none off of Victoria. 

Yesterday was a Monday, felt like Sunday, perhaps because we were having Linda and Ron to dinner and usually it was a Sunday. It was a day of prepping for dinner, on and off, intermixed with reading, napping, and watching some TV. Neither of us had the energy or 'want to' to go for a hike although it warmed up to 30º later in the day. So for me, it was a long morning, punctuated by filling and emptying the dishwasher. I am getting good at that.

Lunch was chicken salad and the last of Evie's vegetarian soup. I am getting towards the end of The Wire's last season and have begun thinking about what I should watch next during lunch. We were having baby back ribs and homemade mac n cheese for dinner, so I helped with the ribs, trimming and pulling off the skin of the back of the ribs before Evie covered them with a rub. Once she no longer needed my help, I took a nice nap because I was up so early and read my book, following Harry Bosch in his search for the tunnel killer, who killed a friend from their days in Vietnam. Evie's prepping went well until she discovered she used ginger rather than mustard in the liquid for the mac n cheese. She let out a scream and I joined her in the kitchen, calming her down she made another five cups of liquid and all was well. The last thing to do was put together the appetizer, Buffalo chicken egg rolls, and bake them just before Ron and Linda arrived. 

Late Afternoon Ice Fishing

After they arrived, we sat around the fireplace, enjoying the eggrolls and wine, catching up on what's been happening over the past ten days, not a lot of good because two of Linda's friends lost their husbands and we lost a good friend, part of my breakfast club. Dinner, however, perked us up, the ribs were falling off the bones tender and tasty, as well as the mac n cheese and coleslaw. We had brownies and ice cream for dessert, and while Ron and I were enjoying our desserts, the gals were in the kitchen, cleaning up some, filling the kitchen with laughter and giggles, about what I am not sure. They left for home around 9:30 and I cleaned up the kitchen while Evie went up to bed, tired but happy with her day. 

Dinner

 

An Early Morning Sky Of Orange, Blue And Pink

7:04

7:20

7:29

Wow, what a morning sky, it's no longer gray, but varying colors of blue, cream, orange, and now pink. And it's 7:28 and the sun has yet to rise. It's a cold 10º out there and I wouldn't want to be out on the lake ice fishing like a couple of guys.

7:43

7:50

7:57

The Sundays, lately, have taken on the theme of football Sundays and I have to admit, I am getting tired of sitting in the TV room watching one game, then another like Joey Bimbo. The only thing I lack are a pile of empty beer cans. Seriously, my morning started way too early, at 6:30 so I had an eight-and-a-half hour wait for the first NFL game, a twelve-hour wait for the game I cared about, the Bills and Chiefs. So I spent a good part of the morning with Evie, sitting on the couch with my computer as we tried to figure out what to do with our day. The weather, however, was cold and overcast so we decided it just was not pleasant enough to go for a walk. After breakfast, I donned my winter jacket and hood and went out and shoveled another three to five inches of snow, clearing the car first, and then shoveling. It may be the last time I have to shovel in a while because it's going to start warming up midweek. 

Lake Walk Looking North

Once I was done, I came in and warmed up for an hour but then decided to see whether the lake was ripe for cross-country skiing. So I put on my shin-high boots and tromped through a foot of snow to the lake and walked up and down Woodlawn, testing the ice. When I neared the two creeks, my boots sunk a couple inches and got wet so it would not have been good for cross-country skiing because my skis would ice up. If I stayed away from the creeks, I would be fine. I was out for 25 minutes, the wind belting my face when I walked north so I had enough and decided to stay inside for the rest of the day.

South

When I came in, Evie had been busy prepping things, like putting together cheddar cheese sour cream biscuits for our chili dinner. Around 12:30, she made me one of my favorite breakfasts, a Turkish omelet, with feta cheese, tomatoes, and scallions. Yum Yum. I realized that Iowa women were playing Ohio State and I wanted to see Caitlin Clark play so I watched the first half. She is amazing, the women's Stephen Curry. At half-time, I decided to take a nap because I had a bad night and slept for at least an hour, dead to the world. 

4:52 PM

I read some then watched the first half of the Detroit/Tampa Bay game, then read for a half hour or more and watched the rest of the game, skipping the commercials. By 5:30, Evie had the cheddar biscuits made and we couldn't wait, so we each had two before the start of the Bills game. Once the game started, we had our chili and a couple more biscuits and were happy with the way the Bills played in the first half. The second half was another story and the Bills lost again to the Chiefs, 27-24, leaving many Buffalo fans in tears. It was 9:45 by the time the game and the follow-up were over so we went to bed depressed for the Bills fans, but happy too because our kids are Chiefs fans.

Three Dogs, Two Grandsons , And Fourteen Neighbors And Family

Party!

8:00

8:06

As expected, it's another gray sky morning, punctuated by the whiteness of the lake and yard. It's 18º and the ice fishermen have been out since 6:30, in the dark, when I got up. At the moment, it's 7:37, and at least ten guys are spread out, mostly along Long Point although one is out in the middle, off of the reeds. The finches are out there, now that it's light, looking for sunflower seeds so I better fill up the feeder.

Mailboxes

Our Road

Saturday Morning

Yesterday, we got light snow on and off during the day, enough so that I shoveled twice and will need to again this morning because we got maybe five more inches overnight. It's a winter wonderland out there. We had no plans for the morning, so we were in no hurry to gather the trash for my weekly trip to the Transfer Station. Once the blog and breakfast were done, I went out and cleared off the snow from the car and cleared out the parking area. While I was doing that, Evie was putting together a chili for today's dinner and making the ingredients for an appetizer, Buffalo chicken egg rolls for last night's gathering.

I left for the Transfer Station at 11:30 and had to clear the snow off the car again. It was cold out there, in the low teens and the Transfer Station was not very busy. When I came home, Evie had the chili simmering on the stove and suggested making a quesadilla for lunch. So along with soup, I was happy to in be inside, enjoying lunch and watching my program. I then returned to my book, briefly napped, and took it easy, no shoveling. Around 4:45,  Evie put together the egg rolls and baked them, after having showered and gotten ready for the evening.

Excitement

With The Grandsons

We walked in snow over to our neighbors, Bud and Debi's house, and joined the rest of the gang for something called the Cousins' Christmas. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any cousins there, only neighbors, sons, and grandsons. The idea behind this yearly gathering is an exchange of gifts, usually, things you don't want or would donate, the sillier the better. Everyone brings a gift, gets a gift or if you don't like your gift, you can take someone else's gift, although no one knows yet what's in the gift. 

A Winner

Portrait Of Cat With Butterfly Hair Clips(sure to hang over a couch)

So once everyone has the gift they want, we go around the room and open the gifts, usually to laughter and oohs and aahs. The highlights may have been a ceramic cat that when plugged in, sends off an aroma. Also cool was a portrait of a cat with hair clips, or painted, ceramic angel napkin holders. Before the opening, we had lots of appetizers and drinks, priming the gang for the fun. After the excitement of the gift opening, we had pork sliders, so everyone left around 9:00, full and with a gift. By the way, it was mandatory to take your gift home. It was quite a night and we all look forward to next year because we can give last year's gift to someone else. 

Barb And Julie Excited With Their Gifts

A Happy Gang