A Spectacular Morning Sky

7:05

7:25

7:30

7:30

It’s another cold, gray day, though no snow is predicted. I woke at 6:00 and couldn’t get back to sleep, so by 6:30 I was up, enjoying my coffee, and taking numerous photos of the morning sky. It’s a busy morning: I leave for yoga at 9:10, and Evie heads off to school at 9:30.

7:30

7:31

7:41

7:59

Monday was a busy but good day for me, and a day of well-deserved leisure for Evie—time she was clearly saving up for today with her kindergarten kids. I was up too early, so I spent the first hour reading, then wrote a couple of checks to Aetna to cover our health care payment for the year. After finishing the blog and having breakfast, I decided to go for a hike around 10:00. The campground seemed perfect.

Hiking Chautauqua Campground

I put on my older crampons with the shorter spikes and walked the perimeter of an empty campground. For forty-five minutes, I didn’t see a soul as I followed the road past vacant model homes, manufactured homes, and RVs. It felt good to be outside, and although it’s not quite the woods, many of the homes and trailers sit among trees. I walked about a mile and a half, and when I got home, I realized one of my crampons had fallen off somewhere along the way.

Severe And Less Severe Crampons

After relaxing for a few minutes, I grabbed my shopping bags and headed out. As I was leaving our road and starting up the hill, I glanced left onto Pine Hills Road and noticed something black sitting in the snow in the middle of the road. I pulled over, got out of the car—and voilà—it was my missing crampon.

I stopped for coffee at Ryder’s Cup and chatted with Dave, the honorary mayor, for about fifteen minutes before heading to Wegmans. I didn’t need much, so I was in and out quickly. Evie wanted lamb chops for dinner, so I stopped at Aldi’s as well—and of course couldn’t pass up a couple of other bargains.

I didn’t get home until 12:30. I doctored up the leftover stir-fry with hoisin and oyster sauce and had it for lunch while watching my show, The Fall. I’m really into it, so I watched for a good hour and a half—mostly because I couldn’t nap.

The afternoon flew by, and before we knew it, it was 5:00—wine time. For some reason, we listened to the news, and then Evie helped me set up a group chat with my granddaughters. We’re each going to write two or three sentences about the last book we finished and say whether we’d recommend it. All four are readers, so it should be a fun experience. I sent them my quick reviews: Night Road by Kristin Hannah—yes; Train Dreams by Denis Johnson—no.

Around 6:00, Evie grilled a bunch of lamb chops, sauteed spinach, and microwaved the Bob Evans four-cheese pasta. We had more than enough lamb, so I’ll probably have a couple of chops for lunch later. We watched our series, and after Evie went up to bed, I finished the evening with a little football.