Another Hot One

7:24

9:50

It's 7:30, and I've been up for 15 minutes on another 77º morning. It's too late to kayak now, so I'll head to breakfast at 8:00 and kayak when I get home, skipping yoga today. It's too hot, and I want to get a few things done in the yard.

Cutting Weeds In Our Lakefront

It's late, 10:00, and I had breakfast until 9:00, then worked with the weed cutters to clear our front yard, and then kayaked for 15 minutes.

Looking East

Kayak Morning

A Couple Of Weed Cutters

Kayak Morning

Yesterday began early with an uneventful paddle — no shots of wildlife, just a long paddle down to Sandy Bottom and back. I have no yoga on Wednesdays, so it's an open day to do as I like. I voted to stay home and have a leisurely morning, enjoying coffee and listening to Michael Smerconish until 10:00. I then borrowed a weed cutter attached to a rope from a neighbor and used it off my dock for about 25 minutes. I got back in the water and raked, and between throwing the weed cutter off the dock and cutting with my rake — going back over the area I'd cleared two days ago — I still filled three buckets of weeds and left them to dry on the dock. It was pleasant to be in the water, and when I finished, I took a quick swim. When I got out, though, the sun's heat was surprising, even though I was wet. It was 11:30 by then, so I came in and changed into dry clothes, and Evie made me a great lunch: fried eggs over onions and potatoes.

I watched my show during lunch, and since I was taking my Outback in for an oil change and tire rotation, I tried to get in a brief nap — no luck. So I read and relaxed until 2:30, then drove off, stopping at Petersons for a basket of peaches. I haven't been to the Subaru dealer in a while, but the same guy has taken care of me and has been working the desk for 16 years. It took about forty-five minutes, but I was entertained first by Fox News trying to explain the similarities between Teddy Roosevelt and Donald Trump. Then Trump came on and, as usual, went off topic — rarely speaking about Teddy, just how wonderful he is, how he's loved by everyone, and how America is hot, the hottest country in the world. Well, I can attest to that, since it was 90º when I left for Wegmans. I had to pick up a prescription and a jelly donut for Evie.

When I returned, it was too warm to sit on the front porch, so we relaxed with a glass of wine, and I took a few minutes to turn the weeds on the dock so they'd dry thoroughly. We had the leftover chicken and noodles and corn, and it was better than ever. We continued watching our Danish series until 8:00, when the US/BHG game started. I stayed up until the very end, and Evie lasted through the first half. The US won 2-0 but lost their top scorer to a red card, so they played the last 36 minutes down a man, and he'll be ineligible for their next game.

Heat Wave

7:32

8:45

It's 9:00, and I have been up since 7:20, out on the lake by 6:45, hoping to beat the heat. It was 77º when I woke, and I was surprised by the breeze, which made it difficult to paddle back after heading south to Sandy Bottom. I even tried to take a photo of an osprey, but the wind and waves made it impossible to focus, and he flew off.

Kayak Morning

Northern Blue

Yesterday was the beginning of the heat wave and the first day we turned on our air conditioner, and I have to admit, walking into the house after being outside was a delight. This is our second year having air conditioning, and it was a good choice, as our summers have become warmer and warmer. Tuesday, I was up early and out on the lake, and had written the blog before Evie woke. We got it published by 9:00, and I was off to yoga with Courtney at 9:30. It's a good class, and there are four of us who have been together for four or five years now. It's rigorous, and we always feel much better when it's over. I skipped coffee on the way home and stopped for gas — $4.29 a gallon, so I didn't fill it up, hoping for lower prices down the road.

When I got home, Evie was off in Jamestown for a blood test, then shopping at Wegmans. I relaxed a bit in the nice cool living room, then had lunch — the last of the kuru fasulye — and watched my show, The Agency. I was hoping for a good nap, and though I didn't turn on the air conditioner in my room, it was pleasant enough. I may have slept a half hour, not sure, then got up because I had things I wanted to do. First, I gathered the weeds that had been drying on the dock, filled two garbage cans with them, and hauled them up the hill to the wood pile. Then I decided to take my first boat ride of the year. Evie wasn't interested, since it was so warm, so I was only out for twenty minutes, testing the boat and motor — everything's copacetic. Since it was going to be hot for the next few days, I closed up the bimini top and put the cover on the boat, timing myself: twenty minutes flat. After that, I jumped in the lake and enjoyed the weed-free patch I'd cleared next to our dock. The water was chilly at first, but it gradually warmed as I stayed in and pulled more weeds.

I was done with chores by 4:30, and when Evie had her Zoom call at 5:00, I turned on the TV and watched the World Cup match between France and Sweden — France won 3-0, and they're looking like clear favorites to win it all. Before her call, Evie had simmered chicken thighs and set them on a tray, and once we were ready to eat, I barbecued them on the grill for a nice char and color while Evie boiled noodles in the chicken broth. This is one of our go-to dinners over the years — we loved it, and wondered why we hadn't made it sooner. Afterward, I watched a couple more episodes of our Danish apocalypse series. When Evie went to bed, I was about ready to watch the Mexico/Ecuador World Cup game, but the start was postponed an hour because of lightning. So I watched my series instead and caught the first fifteen minutes of the World Cup game once it kicked off at 10:00.