Starting To Cloud Up

7:24

9:31

I woke to a calm lake, and some sun, but both are beginning to disappear so I better get out on the lake sooner rather than later. It's 56º and I am listening to Jerry Seinfeld's interview on David Remnick's The New Yorker Radio Hour. He bemoans the lack of funny shows on TV because of the extreme left and its emphasis on political correctness. Laughter is now only found in Comedy Clubs where comedians can take chances with offending. I have to admit I have never been to a Comedy Club but I will put it on my bucket list. It's 9:45 and I was out padding for 50 minutes, saw a couple of ospreys dive for fish, and took a photo of my first heron, a young one, perched on a tree branch above the reeds, a favorite spot. 

Kayak Morning

North

An Immature Great Blue Heron

Ruffled 

Yesterday was a splendid Spring day, with temperatures in the 70s, tee shirt weather. I kayaked for over an hour, and shot a couple of photos of ospreys so I was happy. After the blog, I went outside and, with a neighbor's help, solved a couple of problems with my blue Martin house. I have to jerry rig it but I needed some spring clamps or so I went to Tractor Supply and Home Depot to no avail so I ended up with plastic fasteners which should do the job. I stopped at Evans, picked up a wine box, and was home by 12:30.

Evie has been fighting a cold and cough so she was taking it easy, hoping it's not getting worse. Lunch was easy, the leftover noodles from the eggplant pasta and toasted rolls. I watched another section of Shogun but am still not taken with it but will carry on. I then took a decent nap, at least I woke wondering what time it was, morning or afternoon. And I am into a hot new book, Listen For The Lie. I don't love it but will stick with it. It was nice enough in the afternoon so Evie could enjoy our front porch with a view. I went for a brief paddle, looking to see if I left a pipe for the martin house in the lake. I didn't and found it next to my garage, a typical Biff move.

We enjoyed a glass of wine as the day waned and for dinner, Evie fried up eggs, ham, made a salad and pulled out the twice-baked potatoes for a side. We started a film called The Nice Guys but it was too silly so we quit it and watched a Hometown, more to our liking. 

Porch Time

Porch Life

6:55

It's later than usual as I start this blog, 9;35, mainly because I was out for over an hour on a great morning. It started out hazy but sunny, then cloudy but now mostly blue skies. As I was paddling across the lake from Long Point, I noticed two white dots in the trees along Sandy Bottom. As I got close, I realized they were bald eagles. Unfortunately, just as I pulled out my camera, they flew off. On way way home, however, two osprey circled the tree line, settled on a branch and I was able to shoot a photo of both.

Kayak Morning

Amazing Clouds

In To The Sun

Wood Duck

Osprey

Osprey

Yesterday began with a good paddle and talking with my morning kayak friends, Tina and Jim. When I returned home, we finished the blog and then planned our day because we were having Linda and Ron over for dinner. Evie had things to do in the kitchen,  getting ready for dinner. Our big project, however, was to open the front porch and clean it which took a good forty-five minutes but it was worth it. I also cleaned the back porch and vacuumed the living room. Having company once a week ensures that the house gets a good cleaning. Once we were done with the porches, Evie made me scrambled eggs and toast which is fast becoming a favorite breakfast. 

Dinner

I then took a nap, read some as usual, and helped Evie some in the kitchen as she prepped our dinner. We were both able to relax much of the afternoon and by 6:00, we were showered and ready for our friends. We were excited to have our bloody marys, brie and crackers, on the front porch, the first time since October. It was a perfect night sit-out, mild and scenic, with the blue sky and lake, a few ducks floating by. By 7;30, we were enjoying ham, asparagus, salad, and twice-baked potatoes. Yum. For dessert, we had carrot cake and we stayed at the dinner table, enjoying the last of the wine and talking until 9:30. After they left, Evie was tired and went up to bed while I cleaned up the kitchen, watched some basketball, and read before bed.

 

63º And Overcast

7:59

It's 9:35 and I just returned from a forty-minute paddle, having gotten up later than usual. It was a good paddle because my kayak friends, Tina and Jim, were out paddling as well. They had a good winter but are happy to be back for mostly weekends until late fall. 

Kayak Morning

Tina And Jim

Yesterday was a miserable morning, a bit better in the afternoon. I obviously skipped paddling and wanted to get my shopping done early. So by 9:30, I had my list as I was off to Ryders Cup for a coffee and then on to Wegmans to shop for tonight's dinner with our friends, Linda and Ron. Wegmans was not as busy as usual but because they have changed their aisles, it took me just as long to get to the checkout. The checkout gal was great, asking me if I had done anything interesting and said I looked like a hiker so I recommended a couple of hikes for her. I was home by 11:30 in time to gather the trash and head off to the always busy Transfer Station. 

Once I was back, Evie made me a couple of turkey and cheese sandwiches as well as a noodle soup with chicken broth. I watched the rest of episode two of Shogun before switching to watching a few minutes of the Cav's eventual loss to Orlando. Of course, I then napped briefly and read my Don Winslow novel, City On Fire which, I fear, I read a few years ago. The afternoon cleared up some, but neither of us was interested in working outside, happy to read, watch TV, or watch basketball. 

Around 5:00, Evie roasted some eggplant in the air fryer and made a tomato sauce for the eggplant. We then relaxed with a glass of wine until we got hungry, around 6:30. We loved our eggplant pasta and a salad and vowed to make it more often. Evie researched some Ryan Gosling movies and we ended up with a political thriller called The Ides Of March with George Clooney. It echoes today's political scene with its hypocrisy and dirty tricks. It does not make you want to get involved in politics. We ended the night with Drives In, Diners and Dives, and a few minutes of basketball before bed. 

Not So Fine Of A Morning

6:51

7:33

Well, stormy weather greeted me this morning when I got up, with rain and a howling wind. Strangely, it's 49º after waking to 29º a day or two ago. Clearly, I will not be out kayaking this morning and I assume no fishing boats will be out unless it clears up. I just heard thunder so it may be a while. A good way to start your day is to go to the NPR website and listen to their Tiny Desk Concert. This morning it was Iron and Wine. 

8:27

8:39

Yesterday was a sunny and blue Friday, a vivid contrast to this morning. I  got in a good paddle even though the wind picked up when I got out there. We had no real plans for the day other than yoga and some shopping for me and spending time with kindergarteners for Evie. I think she had the more demanding activity. Yoga was fine, just two of us and Grace, and then I was off to Wegmans's for a quick run-through, just picking up a few things. It seems like that's become part of my day when I have yoga. I must need a Wegman's fix a couple of times a week. In fact, I will be heading back this morning, just cannot stay away. 

I had to fix my own lunch since Evie was "working"...bummer. So I picked up a bowl of clam chowder soup from Wegmans and had it along with a couple of turkey sandwiches on brioche rolls. I picked up where I left off on Shogun but still am lost, trying to figure out who is who. As you know, all Asians look alike. I then read some and briefly napped until Evie returned home from school. We both relaxed until 3:00 when Evie wanted to mow the lawn so I got it out of the garage, gassed it up and she began mowing after engaging with five-year-olds... Wonder Woman. She mowed for 20 minutes and then I took over for a bit until she wanted to finish it up. It looks grand. After finishing, we sat out in our Adirondack chairs for a bit, marveling at the lake's blueness.

After washing some red potatoes and putting them in the oven, we adjourned to the living room with a glass of wine. The news never seems to change since Trump went to trial and it becomes not only boring but repetitious. The potential for a full-scale war in the Middle East was relegated to old news and hardly discussed. By 6:30, we were enjoying shisman (fat boy) pork chops, potatoes, salad, and applesauce while watching the final episode of Ripley and the ending was as we predicted. We then watched Caitlin Collin's interview with Bill Barr. What a disgusting hypocrite, almost as despicable as Trump. Where do these guys come from? We then watched some junk TV, and a couple of episodes of My Lottery Dream Home until Evie went up to bed and I watched a few minutes of basketball. 

Another Fine Morning

 

6:47

6:47

7:56

It's 7:35 and I woke an hour ago to a bright sun and cloudless sky, just like yesterday. It was 32º when I woke and the wind is picking up as I looked out the window although I still would be able to kayak. It's 9:00 and I was out paddling for 35 minutes, into a fairly stiff wind heading south, then a leisurely paddle home, but best of all, I had my first sighting of an osprey here at the lake,

Kayak Morning

Northern Blue

Victoria/Woodlawn

Osprey

Yesterday was a strange day, starting with an early rising, and then breakfast in Bemus. After breakfast, I decided to skip yoga and went out for a late paddle, the lake calm and inviting. I was back by 10:00 and started to feel nauseous for some reason and was glad I skipped yoga. I felt that way on and off the rest of the day but was able to get things done. I passed on lunch, deciding to keep hydrated and not worry about eating. 

After a nap, around 2:00, we both went outside and worked in Evie's garden for at least an hour. Evie wanted a hosta split and also moved, so I dug it up, split it four ways, and moved all four pieces under a tree in the shade. We also cleaned the flower beds, getting rid of leaves and weeds until we got tired and had enough. I did relax on a chaise lounge in the sideyard for a bit, enjoying the sun. It felt good to have gotten something done and be outside. 

We had a happy hour but made the mistake of listening to the always-depressing news, usually about Trump who is out of sight but everywhere, the Middle East, and protests on college campuses. Neither of us was hungry and I suggested just having baked potatoes, which sounded good. So along with a salad, we had baked potatoes and it was just right. I had three, topped with sour cream or yogurt. We binge-watched Ripley, three episodes, and have one more to go tonight. Will he avoid the clutches of the police or finally get caught? After Evie went up to bed, I watched the fourth quarter of the Knicks/76ers game, a slugfest eventually won by Philadelphia. 

A Chillly 29º And Sunny

6:49

9:10

Well, it's a sunny morning, a Thursday and I have breakfast in a half hour so I skipped kayaking this morning although I felt guilty because it's such a beautiful morning. Maybe I will get out there this afternoon, but it will probably be windy by then. It's 9:15 and I just returned from breakfast in Bemus at the Lake Life Cafe. I decided to skip yoga and go for a kayak paddle at 9:30 for forty minutes on a sunny morning.

Kayak Morning

Sandy Bottom

Blue Skies Over Victoria/Woodlawn

Not much different happened on Wednesday, in fact, most days. Because of rain, and occasional drizzle I skipped kayaking and stayed dry and comfy in our living room. I had plenty of time to read the NYTimes and Washington Post, or rather, to skim them, have breakfast and finish the blog. By 9:40, I have to be out of here and on my way to yoga. Class was the same as usual with Grace and just four of us made it to class. I stopped at Ryders Cup on the way home and Dave, a regular over the past few years, finally showed up. He had been having health problems, a three-week stay in the hospital, so he was just beginning to get back into routine. It was good to see him up and out walking in the village. And being the good husband that I am, or try to be, I picked up some tulips and brought them home to Evie to bring some joy to her life, the mantra from our yoga class yesterday. 

Heron In Our Front Yard

Lunch was the last of the roast beef on a kimmelwick bun and I finished my series, Godless, and started watching the second episode of Shogun but did not get too far. The afternoon went quickly and neither of us ventured outside because of the drizzle and gray skies. I read and napped and Evie got a few things done but basically, we had a leisurely afternoon until 5:00 when we both showered and got ready to pick up our neighbors at 6:00 and drive to the Viking Club. We were lucky to find a table for our group, all seven of us and Wednesdays at the Viking with neighbors is becoming a habit, a good one. They have a drawing each night and Barb was chosen to see if she won the jackpot of around $7000.00 bucks but, alas, she picked the wrong card. Next week. I had a Viking burger and Evie a salad and all of us were satisfied with our food, decent fair, not great. It was a fun night with neighbors and we were on our way home by 8:30. We watched the news on CNN, Kaitlan Collin's interview with Cassidy Hutchison, a former top aide to Mark Meadows, one of the first truth-tellers. She is impressive.  And I ended the night with basketball before bed. 

A Good Morning For Ducks

 

7:09

8:36

It's been drizzling since I got up at 7:00 on a dreary, gray morning here on Chautauqua Lake. It's a surprisingly warm 46º as the temperatures seem to go up and down, with a low of 30º tomorrow morning. It doesn't look like it's been raining for the past half hour but I know if I went out kayaking, it would begin again.

Tuesday was a busy day for Evie, the usual for me. I was up early and got in a forty-minute paddle, on a calm lake. Evie was up with me at 7:00 and was showering when I returned home from a paddle. After breakfast and the blog, I left for yoga with Evie not much later because she was again spending the day with a kindergarten class at Southwestern Elementary School, about a 20-minute drive. Yoga class was the usual group along with our former teacher Julie, back from five weeks in North Carolina. It was fun to see her. The class was interesting because it was not the same; I like variety when I can't anticipate the next pose. After class, I came straight home because Evie was going to Wegman's after her class. 

It's strange coming home to an empty house. Fortunately, we had leftover chicken with mushrooms, artichokes, and rice so I heated it up and enjoyed lunch as I watched the last episode of Godless. I then read some, napped a bit, and read some more until Evie came home, around 3:00 and helped her unload the groceries. She was a bad girl, having brought home a box of four jelly donuts. We could not resist and each ate one, the powered sugar covering my fleece. 

Once the groceries were put away, Evie watched her show and I read until 5:00 when Evie had a Zoom call with her three sisters. After the call, we relaxed with a glass of wine and listened to the news even though much of it was about Trump's every look, gesture, thought, or word. Enough! Who cares, let's get on with the trial, with substance. We knew Evie is exhausted on a teaching day so dinner was easy, sliced roast beef from Wegmans on kimmelwick buns. With tomatoes, mayo, and horseradish, I was a happy boy. We watched The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, then two episodes of Ripley and we are finally getting into it even though we dislike the Tom Ripley character. He lacks charm, never smiles, and just is unappealing. Evie was tired from her day and went to bed around 9:00 and I followed her at 10:00 after watching some NBA playoffs. The intensity level of these games is a notch below a fight or a brawl. 

Parly Cloudy And 40º

6:53

8:36

I woke to full sun sunshine at 6:45 but now, at 7:25, its hazy and the sun is behind veil of thin clouds. The lake has some ripples but it still looks like it will be fine to kayak.  It's 8:45, and Evie's showering and getting ready for school. I just returned from a 40-minute paddle, down to Sandy Bottom and back. My least favorite birds, turkey vultures, were hanging out on a neighbor's steps, about 20 of them. What ugly birds when compared to the striking beauty of the wood ducks, cruising next door.

Kayak Morning

Turkey Vultures

Mallard And Wood Duck

A Pair Of Wood Ducks

Yesterday was a glorious day for the most part, as I paddled down to Whitney Bay and back in bright sun and little if any wind, my kind of a morning. Mondays are wide open because I have no yoga and Evie had plans to make use of our day. We had an extended coffee which was pleasant and by 10:30, Evie was out mowing and I was cutting down the seven-foot Zebra grass from the side of our house, filling a couple of garbage pails with the grass. It always amazes me how tall it's gotten and how stiff it is when I cut it down in the Spring. Because Evie had a bad night, she took her time mowing, stopping every 15 minutes or so.

By noon, Cory, our plumber had arrived to fix the leak under our sink. He decided to put in an entirely new set of pipes since a couple more were rusting out. While he was working, I had lunch, tomato, cheddar, turkey and pickles on sourdough bread. Cory was in and out a couple of times, having to go back to the shop to pick up a few things. After lunch and my series, I took a brief nap, then went out and finished up mowing the lawn because Evie had had enough and just wanted to kick back and relax. Cory finished just as I was done mowing. After mowing, I picked up the mail and ironically, we got another bill from our plumber for fixing the leak in the dishwasher hose. I opened it and it knocked my socks off: $49.59! We thought as usual it would be at least a couple of hundred. Mid-afternoon, I noticed 20 or 30 buffleheads, mergansers and sea gulls, drifting in front of our house, still hanging out on the lake before heading north.

Hanging Out In The Afternoon Sun

It felt good to have gotten some yard things done and get back to my book, Tana French's The Searcher, set in Ireland. While we relaxed with wine, Evie prepped and baked our dinner, chicken, with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. We ate around 6:30 and dinner was great, chicken was nice and tender and juicy. When I walked into the kitchen, I noticed the moon was full in the southeastern sky and took a photo. 

8:10

We watched two episodes of a series on Netflix called Ripley, a remake of the novel and film, The Talented Mr. Ripley. So far, so good. We ended the night with a vow to start watching Curb Your Enthusiasm, all eleven seasons. So far, we have watched just two episodes. Evie went to bed and I stayed up, fortunately, to watch the Knicks beat the 76ers in the final 30 seconds when they were down five points and Philadelphia had the ball. Unbelievable. 

A Blinding Sunny Morning.

6:57

9:17

I knew it was sunny when I woke to a bedroom filled with light.  And when I walked downstairs, the living room was filled with sun as well. Surprisingly, it's 32º out and I had to bring my lake footies in because they were frozen. The lake is absolutely stunning, no ripples, just a sheet of glass, waiting for me to kayak. It's 7:55 as I finish this and Evie is still sleeping and I am going to go for a paddle. Hope my footies are not frozen. It's 9:30 and I was out kayaking for close to an hour, north to Whitney Bay and back to Victoria and home. What a gorgeous morning on the lake, sun, blue skies, and a light wind. 

Kayak Morning

Blue On Blue

Yesterday was our typical Sunday. We had a long coffee as we had no plans for the day. I did get in a forty-five-minute paddle before breakfast. Because the pipe underneath our sink is leaking, we have to be careful with water which is a pain. The plumber should be coming by today or tomorrow to fix it. Mid-morning, Evie showered and got ready for our walk around the Chautauqua Institution. We left around 11:30, later than usual and parked in Bestor Plaza instead of the south-end parking lot, a change of pace. We then walked the north end, marveling at some of the new homes going up, especially one at the north end of the lake. It must be in the millions. Contractors have until June 20th to get their work done and then they are banned until September. We walked for close to an hour, taking our time, enjoying the beginnings of Spring, a few wildflowers and trees and bushes beginning to bud. 

We were home having breakfast by 1:00. For me, a bagel with egg and avocado, for Evie the leftover eggplant parm from Friday night. We watched a CBS Sunday morning, always interesting because it rarely talks about politics. How refreshing. We then spent the afternoon as we usually do, with me reading or napping and Evie doing the same. It's not that we don't want to get outside but we do enjoy our leisure, especially as we get older. I watched some of the NBA playoffs on and off, just to see what was happening. By 5:30, we were back in our living room, enjoying the afternoon blue after a mostly cloudy morning. We are so fortunate to have this view of the lake, Long Point, the hills beyond, and the sky. 

By 6:30, Evie had grilled the salmon and made a salad, topped with the salmon, avocadoes and hard-boiled eggs, our favorite way to eat salmon. We decided to watch the much-ballyhooed series on Prime called Fallout, a post-apocalyptic world, based on a video game. We decided after the first episode it was not our kind of series and returned to the tried and true, an episode of Hometown. We watched some news then Evie went up to bed and I watched maybe a half hour of the NBA playoffs before joining her.

Slightly Gray And Cold

First Sighting Of A Great Blue Heron

7:01

9:21

It's 33º and I am not anxious to get out and paddle, wishing it were warmer. The sunrise is hidden behind a vast bank of a mixture of gray clouds. At the moment, the wind has died so I better get out on the lake quickly before it picks up as usual. It's 9:45 and I was out paddling for forty-five minutes, in a light sleet or snow flakes, a typical spring morning here on Chautauqua Lake. 

Kayak Morning

Paddling To Long Point

 Male Wood Duck

Female Wood Duck

Buffleheads

Yesterday was a surprisingly productive day for both of us. For Evie, especially, despite getting only six hours of sleep. So we were both up early and took our time getting started, enjoying the leisure of a Saturday morning. Once we got started, however, after my paddle, we worked on and off during the day. Evie decided to give the downstairs bathroom a deep cleaning, so that took a good part of the morning. She also wanted the living room done, so I volunteered and vacuumed while she did some dusting. I also cleaned up the kitchen although it's a mess because we have a leaky pipe underneath the sink so everything is out on the counter. I also swept and cleaned the back porch, and put away all the bird feeders because chipmunks were getting into them. Now we have birds returning, then flying away in confusion, wondering what happened to the feeders. By 11:30, we had gathered all the trash, cleaned out the refrigerator and I was on my way to the Transfer Station.

We had lots of mushrooms in the refrigerator so Evie suggested a mushroom omelet for lunch, a great idea along with some toast. I enjoyed my lunch and began watching the marathon of NBA games, the first, the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando. I watched it for maybe 20 minutes, then returned to my book, and took a nap. Once I woke, I admit to wasting the rest of the afternoon, letting Evie finish up with her chores while I read and watched basketball on and off. My book really grabbed me as I could not put it down, wondering how it would end, happily or with sadness. Mid-afternoon, Evie looked out the window and saw a heron on our lake wall and grabbed the camera, and took a couple of great shots of the heron.

A Prancing Heron

By 5:30, thank goodness, we were relaxing on the couch with guacamole and Aldis rip off of Fritos, much cheaper and darn tasty. It was Saturday night, so we enjoyed a Manhattan or two, listening to music from Evie's Manhattan list. We had no worries about dinner because we had more than enough leftovers from Friday night's Italian dinners. We devoured them and watched the usual shows.