Lake Thaws On A Gray, 30º Morning

 

7:30

Well, it's back to an overcast morning, and the lake, finally, seems mostly open and even a couple of fishing boats are anchored off of Long Point. Lots of gray and 30º but I was able to get in a half hour of paddling, down to the reeds and back. I had to stop at the reeds because an ice floe of a soup of ice pieces blocked my way. I saw my first pair of mallards floating by but nothing like the wildlife from yesterday afternoon. 

Kayak Morning Into The Soup Of Ice

Mallards Are Back

Yesterday morning was overcast, and the lake was still frozen, so I had a long coffee with Evie as I had no yoga. By 10:00, however, we were up and busy, gathering the trash. I drove off around 10:30, with a neighbor, who needed a ride to the Transfer Station. It was surprisingly quiet, so I must have picked the right time because often it's packed with cars. When I returned, it was almost time for lunch so I heated up the last of the veg casserole, my fourth time and it was still tasty. I checked to see if there were any basketball games worth watching but watched the Vietnam War documentary instead, as the troop levels continue to rise, young Americans continue to die.

The afternoon went quickly and as usual, I did not do much nor did Evie. We read, watched TV, napped, or did a few things around the house and never got outside for some reason. By 4:00, however, the blue skies and opened lake beckoned and I kayaked. The ice floe that locked our area in moved south yesterday so I was able to get out and kayak for the first time since December. Also, seemingly out of nowhere, the waterfowl returned, hundreds of seagulls gathered just off of Long Point, and a bevy of mergansers floated by.

Mergansers Are Back

Ice Pieces And Thin Ice

Afternoon Blue

Seagulls

Seagulls Off Of Long Point

Hanging Out On Thin Ice

We were meeting friends at 6:00 for dinner at The Empty Pint, part of the Southern Tier Brewery. The parking lot was packed, as was the beer hall but we fortunately found seats outside on their patio, enclosed with curtains and heated with propane heaters. Despite being busy, we had no trouble ordering beers or our dinners from the bar. There were various options but all four of us could not pass up the Double Smash cheeseburgers with tomatoes, lettuce, and Smash sauce.  They were worth the wait and we loved them along with a bag of potato chips. We stayed until 8:00 when we had enough beer, burgers, and conversation, and headed home, happy with our evening out. 

A Smashing Night Out With Jane And Tom

We were home by 8:30, in time to start a new series Tom and Jane recommended on Apple TV+ called Criminal Record, a thriller set in London. We liked the first episode and look forward to the rest. We ended the night with some HGTV and basketball. 

Partying With Mom At The Bar