Overcast and HUMID

7:15

8:04

It's 8:10, and I was out kayaking for a little over an hour because Chris called and is coming over to help steady our dock. I didn't see much during my paddle, just a disgusting green lake which is unusual for this time of the year. 

Kayak Morning

North

Yesterday was a busy day for me, a day of relaxing for Evie, mostly because of the heat. I kayaked for an hour, wrote the blog, then left for a good yoga class at 9:10. I was surprised at how many students were in class despite the hot, humid weather. After class, I had to go to Home Depot to pick up some straps for our dock, then did a quick run through Wegmans', busy as usual. 

For lunch, I had the leftover stir-fry, which was still good, and I'm struggling to find a show I like. I was looking forward, however, to reading in my air-conditioned bedroom and taking a nap but was downstairs and reading by 2:30.  Around 3:00, I went out on the dock, grabbed the ladder, and took it to my Iron Works guy. It's not long enough because of the depth so he's going to jerryrig two more steps for me to make it easier for the family to get out of the water. Nothing is easy anymore, the ladders too short, the new dock shakes. 

When I got home, I finished cleaning out my garage and despite the fact the floor is still damp, I put everything back. I then went out on the dock, jumped in, did some cutting of weeds and then swam for a few minutes, surprised at how the lake has warmed up in the last few days. When I got dressed, Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters but by 6:00, we were enjoying some sushi and a glass of wine. Dinner was haddock from Wegmans, just pop it in the airfryer, Mac N cheese, and a salad. We watched a  couple more epsidoes of Penille but its getting boring but we will stick with it. Once Evie went to bed, I watched the news and started a new series but I cannot remember the name. And so it goes.

We were supposed to go on a boat trip around Buffalo's Harbor yesterday afternoon or so we thought. It was on my calendar, June 24th. Fortunately, I saw our neighbors yesterday morning, asked what time they were leaving, and after some confusion, I realized the boat trip was July 24th, not June 24th. 

More Sun, More Heat

6:35

7:47

It's 8:00 and 77º, the sun already beating down on the lake. I paddled for close to an hour on a calm lake, little breeze, and only saw an osprey, no herons, alas. Today's high should be in the high 80s, but it's not much of a bother now that we have air conditioning and stay indoors. 

Kayak Morning

The Sun

Osprey's Eyes

Above The Victoria Reeds

Yesterday was a productive day, as we both accomplished our tasks. I had a long paddle, finished the blog, had breakfast, then went for coffee with the guys at 9:20. There was enough breeze to sit outside on the porch, which was nice. Around 10:45, I hit the bank, pulled out some cash, then drove to Jamestown and picked up some gummies from Lifted Dispensary on Main Street. I then headed home, filled up the Kia just in case gas prices increase, then arrived home around noon. I wanted to get some weeds out so from 12:00 to 1:00, I cut weeds in the lake and put them on the dock to dry. They are the worst I have seen and it's that way everywhere, from talking to people. Once I had had enough, I went for a swim to cool off, then came in and Evie had lunch ready for me, the rest of the salami and cheese on a bagel. She had been busy most of the morning with a couple of projects in the house. 

My afternoons don't change much. I turned on the air conditioner in my room and read and then napped since I supposedly got only three and a half hours of sleep the night before (I don't think my watch was accurate). We both relaxed for much of the afternoon, but when Evie started putting together our dinner, chicken and orzo, I went out and put the cover on my boat, working up quite a sweat and then cut more weeds and swam until it was wine time at 5:00. We sat inside, enjoying the coolness, then had a great dinner around 6:30, grilled chicken and lemony orzo. We started watching Penille but then noticed that Chris was out on the dock, putting on the straps to steady it so I joined him and helped out for close to an hour. When he left, we watched some TV until 8:30, when Evie went to bed, and I scrounged around looking for something to watch until going up to bed. 

Sunny, Hot, And Humid

6:29

7:53

It's 8:00 and I have been out kayaking since 6:35, down to Bootey Bay and back on a fairly pleasant 73º morning. It was a heron morning, too, as I shot three different herons, no osprey.

Heron #1 In Tree

#2 Along the shoreline

#3 on Woodlawn Dock

Northern Sky

Kayak Morning

Yesterday was too hot to do much but I did get a few things done, like take the cover off the boat for the first time and I went swimming twice, once in the late morning, and then in the late afternoon after a cruise over to Bemus. I started the day with a long paddle, over an hour and saw nothing worth shooting. I came home, had breakfast, and then drove off to Home Depot to pick up a few items needed for the yard and house. As usual, on Sundays, the parking lot was busy. 

I was home by noon and by 12:30, I was enjoying a salami and cheese sandwich on a bagel and I finally finished up my series, Boston Murder and I will miss it. Now I am looking for something else to watch during lunchtime. I went upstairs after lunch, turned on the air conditioner and read and napped for an hour, then went out and took everything out of my garage, hoping it would dry out, fat chance with this humidity. We also watched Caitlin Clark's team lose again, and she had a mediocre game, the third in a row where she did not dominate. Around 5;00, we went for a boat ride over to Bemus and joined many others with the same idea, to take a late afternoon cruise. It felt good to be back out there and the boat and motor handled well. When we returned, I jumped in the lake and took a brief swim around the weeds. I am going to get back out there today and start cutting the weeds, which are numerous all around the lake. Before dinner, we talked on FaceTime with our granddaughter Marisa for half an hour. She is starting Med School today and moved into her apartment this past weekend. She's excited, especially because she adopted two kittens, brothers, on Saturday. 

For dinner, Evie put together a delicious shrimp stir fry and we watched some of the news, then a couple more episodes of Penille before Evie went up to bed and I started watching the NBA finals. I stayed up for the first half, then went up to bed, thinking the Thunder would eventually prevail because of the injury to the Pacers best player, Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles. 

Hot And Humid

7:26

9:06

It's 9:10 and we are both up, listening to the analysis of last night's bombing of Iran's nuclear sites by the United States. I was out on a warm Chautauqua morning, 73º when I woke, for over an hour. On my way home, the wind picked up for ten minutes, and I had to struggle to keep going, and then it just stopped. It looks like a disgustingly hot and humid day, one of three or four to come. 

Kayak Morning

Clouding Up

Woodlawn

Yesterday was a surprisingly productive day. We woke up with no real plans, other than to somehow survive the 80+ weather. After kayaking and writing the blog, I volunteered to wash the front windows, which is not like me. Evie didn't mind and helped me get set up, with a squeegee, mop, rags, water with vinegar and Dawn, newspaper, ladder, and finally a window spray. It took my around forty minutes, working up a nice sweat because of the humidity. 

Once it was done, Evie had gathered the trash, so I drove off to the Transfer Station, stopped at Hogans to pick up a paper, then drove to Troyers Greenhouse in Panama, getting lost on the way. Idiot. The last time we were there, the parking lot was packed; yesterday, there were three cars. I guess we are bit late in buying our geraniums and wave petunias, fifty bucks worth. I was home by 12:30, had the last of the soup and sub sandwich for lunch and watched my show. I forgot to mention that while I was gone, Evie organized the pantry and began mowing the lawn, taking numerous breaks because of the heat.

I started the new Michael Connelly, then napped and did little the rest of the afternoon, other than read, either in the house or out on the front porch. Once Evie was finished mowing, we worked on potting all of the geraniums and wave petunias as well as herbs. By 5:45, we were finished, just in time to have a weekly Manhattan with a brie with blue cheese. Yum. 

7:45 PM

We decided to have an easy dinner, eggs, hash browns, and bagels, and watched the breaking news and a couple more episodes of Penille. When Evie went up to bed, I listened to the news and stayed up until 10:00 to hear out feckless leader announce the bombing of Iran's nuclear sites. Below is the final paragraph of his address. I love his paean to God...a true Christian. 

Tomorrow, General Caine, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will have a press conference at 8 a.m. at the Pentagon. And I want to just thank everybody. And, in particular, God. I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Partly Cloudy And Getting Warmer

7:15

8:34

It's 8:50 and already 71º with a light wind. I paddled for close to an hour, down to Bootey Bay and back, an easy paddle. I chased off a heron but got a couple of good shots of an osprey along Sandy Bottom. It looks like a nice day, the high in the low 80s. 

Kayak Morning

The Sun

A Proud Osprey

Yesterday was a full day for Evie, a full morning for me. I paddled, of course, then finished the blog and had breakfast by 9:00. Evie showered and got ready to leave by 9:40 and since it was her last day and the class was having a substitute, she decided to stay until the end of the school day. I was unsure of what I wanted to do, but I decided to ride my bike. I drove to Mayville Park and then rode Webb's Trail, going down and back. I then took Sea Lion Drive to Hartville, where I stopped at the Hartville Deli and bought a sub for lunch. I was out riding for close to an hour, but was glad when I finished. On my way home, I stopped at Tops and picked up a couple of pork chops for dinner. 

Webb's Trail

I was tired out when I got home, so I went upstairs and read on my bed until 1:00, when I started to get hungry. I had a bowl of soup and half a of sandwich, both filling, and I watched another episode of Blue Murder. I am surprised at how much I have grown to like this show and its characters, a police force of five people. I then went upstairs, read some, and fell asleep for an hour. Around 2:30, I came downstairs just a Evie was returned home from school. She was exhausted after a full day, and all she wanted to do was watch her show and have some popcorn. I finally finished my book and started Michael Connelly's newest, Nightshade. 

By 5:00, we were happy to be sitting on our front porch with a glass of wine and enjoying the view, always changing, never the same. Earlier, Evie had prepped the pork chops and I emptied the dishwasher so by 6:30, the pork chops were browned, then baked, corn husked and cooked in the microwave and potatoes fried. Dinner was a feast, the pork chops perfect, with apple sauce and we continued with our series, Pernille, until Evie went up to bed around 8:30. I watched CNN until I got bored, then watched another episode of Blue Murder before going up to bed early.

Mostly Sunny

Osprey

6:58

8:12

It's 8:20 and I just returned from an hour paddle, down to Whitney Bay and back. We were both up at 7:00, me reluctantly, Evie because she has her last day of kindergarten, alas. She's going to miss the kids (and they will miss her).

Kayak Morning

The Rising Sun

North

Yesterday was almost a normal day except for the fact I skipped kayaking because of the weather, and I just didn't feel like getting out there. I was on my way to breakfast in Bemus at 7:50. As I mentioned, the Lake Life Cafe is becoming busier as summer nears. I was home by 9:00, finished up the blog, and had Yin Yoga at 10:00. Class was crowded, so I hardly found a place to put down my mat. After class, I did a quick run through Wegmans', picking up a few things for dinner and the weekend. I shop at either Wegmans or Aldi at least four or five times a week. Needless to say, we are not good at planning; we often come up with dinner each morning over coffee. 

When I returned home, Evie had mowed the lawn just in time, as it started to rain when I took the groceries out of the car. Lunch was the leftover burrito and soup, so I was happy and I watched my show. I am still reading The Twelve Lives Of Samuel Hawley. I napped of course, and then wasted the rest of the afternoon watching the 'breaking news' on CNN, reading or browsing on my computer. We enjoyed our wine for an hour, then had dinner, a salmon salad, which is my favorite way to eat salmon. We watched a couple of episodes of Pernille. We were getting bored with it, but the last two episodes pulled us back so we will continue with it. Once Evie went up to bed, I watched the first half of the Pacers/Thunder game, won by the Pacers, then the first half of the Fever's game on Prime before going to bed.

Partly Cloudy And Windy

7:25

It's 7:30 and I woke too late to get in a paddle, or rather I woke at 6:00, then went back to sleep until 7:00.  I could have gotten in a short paddle before leaving for breakfast but to  be honest, it felt good to stay home and relax. It's 9:15 and I just returned from breakfast in Bemus, a busy place this time of the year. 

Jamestown Trail

Yesterday was a busy and wet day for many areas surrounding us. We experienced a lot of heavy rain and flooding, but we were lucky and received only about half an inch. I paddled for close to an hour and came home ready to finish the blog and have breakfast. Evie left for school at 9:30 and would be gone most of the day because they were having a big kindergarten song fest. I decided to go for a bike ride on the Jamestown Trail, so I left around 10:00 and stopped at Steeners Pub, talked with Nate, their cook, about catering a rib and mac and cheese dinner for when our kids arrive in July. We did it last year and everyone loved it. I then drove to the beginning of the trail and rode my bike into Jamestown, around the Chadokoin Park then over to Fourth Street. I parked my bike at the Labrinth Press Coffee shop and ordered a Havana burrito for my lunch. I put it in my backpack and rode back to my car.

Labyrinth Coffee Shop

I was home just after noon and had lunch, half of my burrito and watched my series. I was tired from my morning so I went upstairs, read and then napped, probably for an hour. When I woke, it was after 3:00, and Evie had just gotten home, exhausted from her fun day. Neither of us did much the rest of the afternoon, and it rained some, but nothing like other areas, although it looked threatening. 

Threatening Skies At 5:45

We had our wine time and Evie regaled me with her kindergarten stories until it was time to eat. Dinner was the soup we made the previous afternoon with rolls and it was quite good and filling with lots of beans, veggies and turkey. We watched a couple of episodes of Penille, one of The Residency before Evie went up to bed. I watched the news and it reminded of non-stop watching of Desert Storm back in January of 1991, the first time war was televised. I had had enough after half an hour and watched another episode of Blue Murder before bed. 

72º And HUMID

8:26

It's 8:40 and I was out for over an hour, down Woodlawn, across to Long Point, then back to the west side and Bootey Bay, then home. I was surprised at how humid it was, 86%. I walked in the house and it was surprisingly pleasant because Evie had turned on our new air conditioner for the first time. 

Kayak Morning

Paddling Towards Tom's Point

Northern Blue

Heron At Woodlawn Creek

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Osprey Near Sandy Bottom

Tuesday was overcast and humid, with occasional rain, but it ended up being a good day. I paddled for close to an hour, finished the blog, had breakfast, and was off to yoga at 9:10. The class was crowded, which was nice to see, and it was another different and interesting morning. I left feeling much better and drove off to Aldi to pick up a few things for a soup we were going to make later in the day.  

When I got home, I was really tired, even sleepy, so I made my lunch, cheese and salami sandwiches, and literally dozed off a couple of times as I watched the second half of the Thunder's win over the Pacers on Monday night. I made it through the second half, then went upstairs and fell quickly asleep for a good hour. I woke feeling groggy, but eventually my mojo returned, and I pulled out everything we would need for the Lemon White Bean Soup With Turkey And Greens. As you probably realized, the recipe is from our new cookbook, Easy Weeknight Dinners, and it will be our dinner tonight or tomorrow. It took about half an hour to make, with Evie's help, and we let it simmer for a good half hour before letting it sit until the evening.

I took a shower at 5:00, put on pants (not sweats), a nice shirt, and we were off at 5:40 to pick up our friends, Fred and Judy, from the Chautauqua Institution. We got to know them about 15 years ago, and we try to meet them for dinner at least twice a summer. We had reservations at Brazil's in Westfield, and it was a good thing because it was packed. We had fun catching up on them. They spend their winters in North Carolina, close to their daughter and grandson.  Evie was looking forward to their pork chop, but they had a new menu and a different pork chop, which, unfortunately, tasted nothing like the other one. I ordered my usual, short ribs with mashed potatoes, gravy, and mixed vegetables, and I loved it. We dropped Fred and Judy off at their home around 8:30. When we returned, we watched the last episode of Season Two of Penille on Netflix. Evie then went to bed, and I watched the news but went up to bed early.

 

Same As Yesterday, Overcast And 60º

6:59

It's 8:04 and I was out paddling for forty-five minutes, down to Sandy Bottom and back. Not much action until I photographed a heron in a Victoria tree. Evie's been up since 7:00 and has school today and I am going to yoga. 

Kayak Morning

Osprey

Monday was not a day of much work, to be honest as we took it easy most of the day. I got in a good paddle and by 9:30, I was on my way to run a few errands for Evie, then shop at Wegmans. First, I stopped at Ryder's Cup for a coffee, then went to drop off a couple of boxes of goodies at the Salvation Army, but if their truck is loading, they will not accept anything. This is the third time this has happened to me. After that, I went to Wegmans and picked up a few items for a soup we're going to make, as well as other necessities. Finally, I stopped at Michaels and dropped off packages to send back to Amazon. 

Lunch was the leftover garlic noodles and a hot dog, and I watched my show. After lunch, I read, briefly napped and relaxed on the couch, and read until 3:00 when I decided to do something. I grabbed our weed-eater and spent a good forty-five minutes working up a sweat, clearing the weeds and grass from our brick walk. I used to do it by hand until I discovered the weed eater does just as good a job and is quicker and easier.

The Birthday Girl

We both showered around 5:00 and picked up the birthday girl, Linda, and Ron at 5:30 and drove a half hour to Fredonia to the White Inn. We were fortunate and found a place at the bar. We celebrated Linda's birthday with a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc and a calamari appetizer before our dinners. Our dinners were decent, not great, but we enjoyed the atmosphere, the bartenders, and it was a surprisingly busy place, with people sitting outside on the front porch as well as the dining room and bar. We left around 7:45 and drove home through a striking, green countryside as the day waned. We dropped them off and were home by 8:30. Evie went up to bed because she knew she had school the next day and I watched the first half of the Thunder/Pacers game.