A Blinding Sun Morning

6:36

7:37

It's 7:30, and I was out for a short forty-five-minute paddle. It was another morning with no photos of waterfowl. For whatever reason, they are not at their usual spots. I have seen herons during the day, and I don't think the ospreys have migrated south yet, so I am not sure why I have not seen them over the last two days.  It's 9:10 and I just returned from a great breakfast. We talked about travels, family, our jobs, teachers, and nothing about politics, never mentioning Charkie Kirk or that it was Sept 11. 

Kayak Morning

Sun Rising

After The Paddle

Yesterday was a day dominated by the guys working on putting in grinders in our neighborhood, specifically in our yard. I did get in a decent paddle, then spent the next hour moving cars and talking with guys about where I wanted the grinder placed. By 10:00, however, I was on my way to Home Depot, in my neighbor's truck, to pick up some lumber to build a roof over the outside air condenser to protect it from the snow and ice. We easily found what we needed, loaded it in his truck, and drove home, dropping it off in his yard because of the work in front of our house.

Placing The Grinder In Our Yard

I didn't do much the rest of the morning except watch the guys work and read until it was time for lunch. I toasted some Dave's bread, put together egg salad, and made sandwiches. Meanwhile, Evie was off for a doctor's appointment and a couple of stops at various stores. I watched my show and one of the main characters was dropped from the series.  Evie was home around 2:30, and I helped unpack the car. We then spent a good part of the afternoon in the yard, enjoying the sun and blue skies until the wind picked up and we went inside.

We had an hour of wine time, when Evie put together our pasta dinner of eggplant, mushrooms, and Italian sausage. It was delicious and I had two helpings. We watched another couple of episodes of All Saints when Evie went up to bed. By the way, when Evie returned home from the store, I asked if she had picked up a sweet. She hadn't but unknown to me, while I was reading, she made me brownies so I was able to have a sweet, brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce, a great way to end the evening.

A Sunny And Crisp Morning

7:49

8:47

It's just about 9:00, and I was out for only a half hour because the guys are putting sewers (grinders) in by our house, and I wanted to move our cars before they start. So I had a quick paddle and saw no waterfowl despite taking my usual paddle down to Sandy Bottom and back. 

Kayak Morning

Yesterday was not the best of days despite the fine weather. I skipped paddling because I had a doctor's appointment at 8:30. I was in the office for ten minutes and headed home, a waste of time really. I then stopped at Aldi's when I received a text from Evie asking if I would pick her up some gummies. So I decided to drive back to Jamestown and pick them up. The only problem, however, was that the store was not open until 10:00, and it was 9:30. So I bagged that and stopped for a coffee at Ryders Cup before driving home. 

Since I was home by 10:30, I decided not to waste my morning, so I drove over to the Chautauqua Institution and rode for forty-five minutes, circling the grounds twice. As always, it was a scenic ride, as everything was still in bloom and every home's front yard was filled with shrubs and flowers. The only better time to ride is mid-fall when everything changes colors.

CI's Sailing Club's Waterfront

Thunder Bridge

When I returned home, Evie was about ready to mow the lawn so I got the mower out for her and she put in maybe 20 minutes before coming in and making me toasted cheese sandwiches with tomatoes, my current favorite. For the last half of the year, we have been buying Killer Daves Good Seed Bread, which was ranked the healthiest bread in a recent poll. I owe finding out about this bread to my granddaughter, Marisa. I watched my show, of course, and then took a surprisingly long nap. When I woke, Evie had finished mowing and was reading in the side yard. I decided to join her just as she was thinking about going into the house, due to the wind and cool air. 

At 5:00, she had her Zoom call with her sisters, and then we relaxed with a glass of vino. Around 6:15, she put together our dinner a salad with tomatoes, eggs, sweet corn, topped with salmon and a great dressing. Again, one of our favorite ways to enjoy salmon. We have looked for something to watch so we ended up trying an Australian medical series called All Saints, and liked it. So we may have found our new series even if it's dated. After Evie went up, I watched an episode of Spooks and was happy to get back to my novel, Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. 

8:45 PM

Good Morning Sunshine

7:16

It's 7:20 and because I have a doctor's appointment at 8:30, I am skipping kayaking this morning. It looks nice out, with the sun out on a 46º lake morning.

Yesterday was another stellar lake day; we are so lucky to wake up each morning to the sun rising. I kayaked for a good hour, spied only a cormorant, as the ospreys and herons must be hiding from me. I was home at 9:00, finished the blog with Evie's help, and had breakfast, peaches, and coconut yogurt. I wanted to get in some exercise, so I drove over to Greenhurst, parked my car at the beginning of Jamestown's Riverwalk, and rode into the city around the park. Then, I stopped for a matcha latte for the first time. It's made from pulverized green tea leaves and tastes like it. If I keep drinking it, I will end up liking it, but I was not impressed. Give me time? I then rode back to my car, stopped at Peterson's for corn, and drove home.

Cormorants In Downtown Jamestown

Biking Along The Chadakoin River

I didn't get home until after 12:00, and Evie had been busy and was about to start mowing the lawn. I had the leftover chicken, rice, and sauce for lunch, and it was quite good. We will definitely buy it again from Wegmans. I then did little the rest of the afternoon, other than read off and on, nap, and finally got a few things done in the yard. Evie mowed maybe a third of the yard, but was enjoying sitting in the chaise lounge so much that she put off the rest of the yard until tomorrow. I don't blame her.

We had our winetime inside because it was getting too cool to sit on the front porch. Dinner was pork chops with applesauce, baked potatoes and a tomato and onion salad with feta cheese. We watched the last quarter and a half of the Bills' amazing comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens. We then watched a couple of home improvement shows until Evie went up to bed, and I watched a bit of  Monday Night football, but was happy to get back to my spy thriller series, Spooks. 

Another Full Moon

Another Classic Lake Morning

 

7:34

9:04

It's 9:10 and I was out for an hour, returning just before 9:00 because I slept in until 7:30. The lake is practically empty of any boats, except for my neighbors skiing and Jim and Tina kayaking. It was 46º when I started out, so I wore three layers to keep warm. 

Kayak Morning

North

Same Cormorant

Sunday was football Sunday for me, as well as most of America, our new religion. I did get in a paddle on a choppy and windy lake. It was not much fun. After breakfast and the blog, we drove to the Chautauqua Institution and took a walk, a rather amusing one. First, we met our neighbors, Jim and Barb, also out for a walk. After them, Jim, a retired pharmacist, stopped his car to say hi, and we talked with him for five minutes. We then started around Bestor Plaza, and another car stopped, and it was a friend from Fredonia, a retired AD and basketball coach from SUNY Fredonia. We then walked around the plaza and were asked by several couples to take their photo. We started talking with them, and we both attended Euclid High School; they now live in Hudson, where we used to live. That was it for our walk.

Thunder Bridge

Brick Walk

We were home by noon, and we relaxed until 1:00 when I heated up the pancakes and had them for lunch as I began the marathon of football games. Unfortunately, after forty-five minutes, I got bored and got back to the book and took a nap. I then alternated between football, tennis, and my book until 5:30 when we settled down in the living room for a drink and appetizers. Our dinner was easy: rice and an interesting meal from Wegmans, a bag of chicken and sauce, which you put in the oven for an hour, and you had dinner. It was pretty good and in a pinch, it would be a quick and easy dinner. We watched some TV until the Bills game at 8:30. Evie did not last long, and I went up to be after the first half, missing the amazing comeback by the Bills, according to all the pundits. Fortunately, I saved it so we will watch the second half sometime today. 

Blood Moon? 

An Autumn Like Morning

7:45

8:54

It's just after 9:00 on a brisk morning of 50º, some wind, and lots of puffy clouds, blue skies, and some sun. I was out for 50 minutes and found myself fighting the waves and wind once I crossed the lake, so I fought my way back to Victoria and paddled home. 

Kayak Morning

Cormorant

Heron Near Campground

Long Point Heron

Victoria Osprey 

Saturday was typical except for one thing: I turned eighty-two years old. It began with a long paddle in the rain and I came home drenched and hung my clothes up in the hot room. I felt like doing something and knew we had a couple of prescriptions at Wegmans so I drove off to Ryder's Cup, talked with Joyce about my friend Paul, who has been under the weather, then drove to Wegmans and shopped for a few things. Saturday, as I have mentioned before, is always a busy day at Wegmans, and I wanted to shop at Aldi's but their parking lot was full so I skipped it. 

When I returned home, Evie was busy making cupcakes to take to our friends on Saturday night to celebrate three of our birthdays within a few days of each other. We then gathered the trash, and I took it to the Transfer Station, of course, despite it being my birthday. When I returned, Evie was making me a birthday breakfast, buttermilk pancakes, heavily buttered, dripping with maple syrup. Yum. After breakfast, I watched some college football, but was soon bored, and I started a new book, Karin Slaughter's Pretty Girls. I napped as well and spent the afternoon either reading, watching some of the tennis, or browsing on my computer. We both showered around 4:00 and then Facetimed my grandson, Nick, and our great-grandson, Rhys, for 15 minutes. What fun. We then walked to our Woodlawn Association meeting and stayed until 6;00 when we walked over to our neighbors, Pat and Dave's house for dinner along with friends, Tom and Julie. We sat on their front porch for nearly an hour, enjoying wine and appetizers, then had dinner, which included pigs in a blanket, mashed potatoes, pierogies, and a salad. All six of us loved it, and the dessert, coconut cream pie from Westfields Portage Pie, was to die for. 

74, 80, 82

Each of us went home with two of Evie's carrot cake cupcakes at 9:00, happy and full. It was a fun evening. When we returned home, Evie went to bed and I stayed up and watched a bit of football, then my series, and then went to bed around 10:30.

Last Night's Full Moon

Paddling In The Rain

Eighty Two And Still Paddling

7:20

9:17

It's 8:52 and the rain has stopped of course, because it rained the entire time I was out paddling, from 7:20 to 8:10. Fortunately, it was not a heavy rain, just a constant patter, and I returned home soaked but happy to have gotten out on the lake. 

Kayak Morning

Heron Under A Woodlawn Dock

Cormorant

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty good Friday. I got in a good paddle, noted a couple of ospreys, and then came home to finish up the blog. I had breakfast, then decided to go for a bike ride, so I drove over to Bemus and parked near the bridge. For whatever reason, I felt energized, happy to be on my bike, so it was an exhilarating ride, through Bemus, out to Long Point State park, through the woods, and out to the Long Point and back to my car, an hour ride.

Long Point State Park Woods

Long Point

Our House On the Right

I was home around noon, and Evie was relaxing after cleaning up the kitchen and doing laundry. I read for a while until 1:00, when I had lunch, the rest of the sub from Wegman's, and watched another episode of Snoups. I was tired enough after my lunch to take a brief nap and read much of the afternoon. At 4:00, I started watching the last two sets of the U.S. Open, as Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in three sets. At 5:00, Evie gave me a needed haircut and I showered and got ready to go out for dinner at the Rod and Gun. 

Linda and Ron picked us up at 6:00, and of course, it started to rain. The Club's parking lot was packed so we had to park in their auxiliary lot and walk to the front door under an umbrella. Fortunately, the girls were able to find us a table in the bar because we had at least half an hour wait. We ordered pretzel bits and beer chees, a favorite, and beers, of course. The Rod and Gun is probably the busiest restaurant in Chautauqua County and the largest,  easily serving over a  hundred diners on Friday night. All four of us ordered the fish fry, and it was great, as good as any around. When we left at 8:15, the crowd had dispersed, and a band started playing in the bar area. We were home around 8:30, and Evie went up to bed and I watched the first half of the Chiefs/Charge game on YouTube TV. It was played in Brazil, and the Chargers upset the Chiefs, 27 to 21. 

 

Early Overcast, Later Sunshine

7:01

8:22

It's 8:30, and in the last 15 minutes, the sun has burst through the cloud bank. When I got up at 6:45, it looked like it was going to rain. The weather report, however, indicated the sun would be out by 8:00 and for once, they were right. I paddled for an hour down to the Powerboat Club and back. And bizarrely, I spied no herons but two osprey, the opposite of my paddle on Wednesday morning, when I photographed four different herons but no osprey. I listened to another depressing podcast where a college president suggests that Trump and associates are attempting to destroy civil society by going after colleges, law firms, the media, health care, and anyone who has disagreed with him. 

Kayaking On A Gray Morning

Northern Sky

Sun Is Beginning To Burn Through The Cloud Bank

Sun And Blue Skies

A Single Osprey

Cormorant

Another Osprey

Thursday was a wasted day. It began with wind and rain, so I couldn't get out on the lake. I sat around for almost two hours, on my computer, writing and publishing the blog. The reason is that I had a dentist consultation at 8:45, and they requested that Evie be there as well. We were there for forty minutes, and they took various measurements because I am having an implant in a couple of weeks. Fortunately, the dentist's office is across the street from Wegmans, so we shopped there and picked up some essentials for the week.

We were home by 11:00 and had no plans for the day. I was depressed because of having to get dental work done so I didn't do much the rest of the day other than sit around, read, nap, and watch TV, my usual routine I guess, except my mood was dark. For lunch, I had a sub from Wegmans and shared it with Evie, and I watched a new, old series called Spooks, a British spy series from the early 2000s.  Around 4:00, I went for a walk around our neighborhood and noticed large grinders for our new sewer system strewn in driveways around the neighborhood, ready to be put in next week.

We had our winetime at 5:00 and listened to the news, always a downer, making us wonder why we listen to it. We had a great dinner, air-fried catfish, baked potatoes, spinach, and corn on the cob, with peaches and ice cream for dessert. We watched a couple of episodes of Bargain Block until Evie went up to bed. I then watched the first half of the Eagles/Cowboys game.