Monday, Monday

7:04

7:50

It’s 8:00, and I’ve been up since 6:45. I woke to a dark gray sky that shifted to heavy clouds and has now settled into a bright but overcast morning. The lake and yard are snow-covered once again, though there’s little activity on the ice—unlike a year ago, when dozens of tents clustered around Long Point for ice fishing. So far this winter, there’s been very little of that.

Sunday was, once again, full of football. I woke early at 5:30 but didn’t get up until 6:30. After two cups of coffee, I read the New York Times and Washington Post before Evie came downstairs. Snow fell steadily through the early morning, and after breakfast and the blog, I decided to go for a hike while it was still coming down. By the time I pulled on my boots and crampons around 10:00, the snow had stopped, but I headed out anyway.

Some Sunshine

Show, Ice, Water

Blue Skies

I walked for about forty minutes through a mix of snow, ice, and water. The crampons kept collecting clods of dirt and ice, forcing me to stop every few minutes to scrape them clean. Still, as always, a walk in the woods lifted my mood, letting my mind relax and take in the quiet.

Victoria Creek

Looking Towards Maple Springs

Southern Sky

Long Point

When I got home, the kitchen was a mess—Evie was busy preparing dinner, a chicken and mushroom casserole, along with her penicillin soup. I jumped in and washed and dried most of the dishes, so by the time she finished cooking, the kitchen was back in order. By 12:45, we were done, and I doctored up the leftover stir-fry with hoisin and oyster sauce, reheating it in the microwave for lunch.

The Bills–Jaguars game kicked off at 1:00, and for the next couple of hours we sat nervously on the couch as the Bills pulled out a win in the final minutes. I’d had enough sitting, so I went outside and shoveled the three or four inches of snow off the driveway and the car.

By 4:30, we were watching the second game of the day, Eagles–49ers, but only made it through the first half. We had the chicken casserole for dinner and then watched a few episodes of our series—a welcome break from football. 

I’m already looking forward to February 8th—the Super Bowl, and the end of football season.