Morning Sun And Light Winds

6:37

7:49

It's 8:17, and I was up way too early — at 6:00. I didn't get out on the lake until 6:30, paddling for fifty minutes down to Sandy Bottom, across to Long Point, and home to Woodlawn. I spotted an osprey sitting in the same tree in Victoria as yesterday, so it may be the same fellow.

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun

Paddling to Long Point

Osprey

Monday was another great day at the lake — lots of sun, high near 80°. I was out on the water before 8:00 for forty-five minutes, though I had to fight a headwind on the way home. Afterward, Evie and I went through the usual routine: I wrote the blog, she picked out the photos, and we read through it together before publishing. Since getting back home, we've resumed our morning habit of listening to Michael Smerconish from 9:00 to noon.

Around 10:45, I attached the bike rack to the Outback, pumped the tires, and drove to Mayville, parking near the trailhead. My first goal was to ride Webb's Trail all the way to the end and back without stopping — except for a photo — and I managed it. From there, I picked up Mayville's pathway to Sea Lion Drive and rode it out to the end and back. It felt wonderful to be on the bike again, and I never tire of either of those routes.

Webb's Trail

Sea Lion Drive, North End Of The Lake

When I returned at noon, Evie had lunch waiting — ham and cheese on brioche buns. I watched my show for a bit but was eager to get back to my book, the latest Michael Connelly novel, Ironwood, mostly set on Catalina Island off the coast of California. He introduces a new character, Detective Stilwell, though Stilwell teams up with Renee Ballard, which was a nice surprise. I drifted off briefly while reading and took a short nap. Around 2:30, I headed out to run some errands. I stopped at Aldi's but came away empty-handed, then crossed the street to Home Depot for grass seed and rope, and finished up with a quick swing through Wegmans to pick up a few things for dinners over the next couple of days.

4:57 PM

When I got back, Evie was on the porch reading, so I settled into the living room with my book. The whole house was filled with the aroma of pork ribs, sauerkraut, and tomatoes slow-baking in the oven — dinner that Evie had assembled early in the afternoon. Happy hour turned into a genuine treat when Jim and Barb stopped over from next door, and we laughed and talked with them for a good half hour. Dinner was one of my favorites: the pork ribs and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. Two big yums. We watched a couple of episodes of Friends and Neighbors and caught the lead-up to the Knicks game. Evie went to bed just as the opening tip-off, and I lasted through the first half — so I'll be watching the second half of the Spurs victory this morning.

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