40º And Blue Skies

Eagle In Tree Above Whitney Bay

7:03

7:11

It’s 7:30 and we’ve both been up since 7:00, watching the sky change and enjoying our first cup of coffee. It looks like a typical Tuesday for Evie, with kindergarten. I’m skipping yoga because it’s too nice to be inside. Instead, I’ll ride my bike on the trail into Jamestown and back.

9:20: I was out for an hour, paddling north to Whitney Bay and back.

Kayak Morning

Moon Over Whitney Bay

Into The Sun

Cormorant

Yesterday began with a great paddle, into the sun for the first half, literally blinding me, then at my back on the way home. I love this amazing weather, but paddling into the sun is not fun. We then finished writing the blog and posted it by 9:30.

I wanted to get in some physical activity and combine it with some shopping, so I drove into Lakewood, parked across the street from Ryder Cup, and rode for forty-five minutes into Celoron and back. It was surprisingly chilly, and I should have worn my heavier fleece and vest. The lake was amazingly calm, not a ripple, during my entire ride. I then had a cup of coffee and talked with Dave and Joe for 15 minutes before driving to Home Depot, then Wegmans, and home by 12:45.

Looking North From Harbor Hotel

Looks Like A Big Pond

While I was gone, Evie put together a photo album for our grandson Rhys, reminding him of his visit to the lake a couple of weeks ago. It's really cool, including a poem Evie wrote with help from ChatGPT.  Around 1:00, she made me a couple of cheese sandwiches for lunch, and I finished up the last of the broccoli cheddar soup. I’m into my book, finally, and enjoyed reading, then napping briefly until 2:30. 

Needs Mulching

We both took it easy until 4:00, when I turned on the electric mower and mulched the leaves in the front yard. It looks like I might have to do it one more time. I was done in time for a glass of wine and the news, mostly about who is going to win next week’s election. What a bore.

7:59 PM

Moon Rising

Dinner was gold pan chicken parm from Wegmans, with spaghetti, and it was surprisingly good. We’ll buy it again. We watched the news on TV, then some Monday Night Football, finishing the night with another episode of Lioness.

What A Beautiful Morning

7:14

7:30

7:52

9:10

It’s 9:20, and we’re both up listening to Michael Smerconish. I was up at 7:15 and out on the lake around 8:00 for over an hour, paddling down to the Power Boat Club and back. It was an amazing morning: blue skies, light wind, no boats, lots of sun, and a heron sitting at the north end of Woodlawn.

Kayak Morning

North

Great Blue Heron

Sunday was a typical day for both of us. It began with an early morning paddle under sunny, blue skies, then home to finish up the blog. Neither of us wanted to do much, so we sat around enjoying the morning with our coffee. Around 10:30, I decided to go for a walk in the woods, always colorful this time of year, and was out for a half hour.

Victoria/Woodlawn Woods

Lunch was the usual: eggs and toast before the start of another afternoon of football. We either watched football on our devices or napped. I did work for about a half hour in between games, putting away more chairs and tables for the winter and getting things ready for the cold weather. I watched too much football, to be honest, but it’s Sunday, right?

After our wine, neither of us felt like fussing with dinner, so we had hot dogs, the broccoli/cheddar soup, and a great salad while watching TV. Around 6:40, the Hunter's Moon rose over the Bemus shoreline, so I walked out and took some photos.

6:45

Hunter's Moon

At 8:30, we switched to the Chiefs game, our second favorite team. Unfortunately, they lost to Seattle. I ended the night with another episode of Lioness before getting back to my Gabriel Allon thriller.

Sunny, Blue Skies And Chilly

7:48

7:50

9:05

It’s 9:10, and I just returned from another spectacular morning paddle, with clear skies, blinding sun, rising fog, and no one else on the lake. What a way to start the day. I paddled across to Long Point, back to Sandy Bottom, and then home.

Kayak Morning

Blue Skies

Great Blue Heron 

Saturday was a good day for me, not so good for Evie, who wasn’t feeling well much of the day. I had a good paddle to start the day, came home, and we published the blog around 9:15. By 10:00, I was on my way to Mayville to bike. I left my car in Mayville Park, rode two sections of Webb’s Trail, then down Sea Lion Drive to the end of the lake and back to Mayville. It was a great day for a ride, just like it was for kayaking: lots of sun, blue skies, and I was literally the only one on the trail.

Webb's Trail

When I got home, it was time to pick up the trash. I drove to the Transfer Station, dumped a bunch of cardboard boxes, and headed home. Evie had lunch ready for me when I arrived, since I had skipped breakfast: broccoli cheddar soup and two toasted ham and cheese sandwiches. Yum. I watched some football, then one of my series. Then I went upstairs and tried to nap but mostly read for an hour.

Alex, Maggie, And Arlo And Louie

Enjoying Clams

We were having a neighborhood clambake at 4:00, and unfortunately Evie felt worse and decided to stay home. I went over around 4:15 with a pumpkin pie Evie had made on Saturday and some beer. There were about 20 of us, from three neighboring houses plus most of the Kinney family, who were putting on the bake. We stood around the bake, talking, enjoying libations, and nibbling a few appetizers. Around 5:30, Alex, one of the sons, heated clams on the grill and served them to all. Around 5:45, the clam broth was ready, and I was careful to sip it so as not to burn my tongue. Just before the clams were done, those who had ordered lobsters watched as Bill got them ready to serve. Along with the clams, we had sweet potatoes, coleslaw, and barbecued chicken, a veritable feast. Everything was great, and we even had dessert: Evie’s pie, brownies, cheesecake, cookies, and a few other treats.

Neighbors

Neighbors And Hubbies

Enjoying The Clambake

Around 7:15, I left to check on Evie as the gang was ready to play games on their phones. When I got home,  I watched two episodes of Lioness on Paramount+ before heading up to bed to read.

Blue Skies, Light Winds, And Bright Sunshine

6:53

7:49

8:50

What a morning. I can’t remember us having such a string of sunny days, not even during the summer. It was 37° when I woke, and the high will be in the low 60s, perfect weather for a neighborhood clambake.

Kayak Morning

Northern Blue 

Friday was the same as the previous week: a heavy fog in the morning, then lots of sun and blue skies, and a bit chilly for much of the day. I was up earlier than usual and tired of waiting for the fog to lift so I could get out on the lake. Finally, around 10:15, I went out, but it was still too foggy to see much, so I returned home and finished up the blog. 

Kayaking Friday Morning

Friday Fog

I spent the rest of the morning getting a few things done and wondering why I didn’t have the mojo to go for a bike ride. Evie told me to just cool it and enjoy the morning, so I did, by starting the newest Gabriel Allon thriller, Ransom, the 26th in the series. I think I’ve read all of them. In contrast to me, Evie was busy making broccoli, cauliflower, and cheddar soup and a pumpkin pie for today’s clambake.

For lunch, I finished my pastrami sandwich, had a bowl of Evie’s soup, and watched some TV. Since I’d been up so early, I was happy to nap, and then to dig into my new novel. After my nap, I drove to Wegmans to pick up a prescription and a few things for the weekend. When I got home, I spent a half hour cleaning up the kitchen, emptying the dishwasher, and doing other things, then read until 5:00, when I showered and got ready to go out to dinner. We picked up Ron and Linda at 6:00 and drove to Bellini’s, a mile away. It has a great happy hour from 5 to 7, so we took advantage of it. We hadn’t seen Linda and Ron for at least three weeks, mostly because they flew to Portland for 10 days to attend their niece’s wedding, so we had lots to talk about over fish fries, beers, and wine. They had a great time and loved everything about Portland, although Trump calls it a “burning hell, war-ravaged.” We were home by 8:30, and I watched some NBA basketball, then switched to a couple of programs, neither of which grabbed me, so I was happy to go up to bed and read.

Yep, Another Foggy Morning

7:20

8:43

It’s 7:30, and I’ve been up for an hour. The plumber is supposed to come sometime soon, inshallah. As I look out the front window, the fog is so heavy I can’t see beyond the dock. How long will I have to wait for a paddle?

Update: It’s 8:00, the plumber has arrived, and it’s still foggy, so I don’t know when I’ll get out on the lake on this chilly 41º morning.

Yesterday was a good day for both of us. I didn’t get in a paddle, but I had breakfast in Bemus Point at 8:00, then went off to a Yin Yoga class at 10:00 in Lakewood. After I wrote the blog and Evie read it, she left for kindergarten at 9:30 and didn’t get home until 2:30, another fun day with five-year-olds. After yoga, I stopped at Brigiotta’s Grocery for a sub sandwich, then the bank, and then Evans for some wine before driving home to a beautiful lake afternoon.

Around 12:30, I had my sandwich, watched my show, and got a few things done in the kitchen. I planned to read and nap early in the afternoon, but when I came downstairs, Evie was back home. The front yard was covered in leaves again, so I fired up the Honda mower and spent a good half hour mulching, the third or fourth time in the past two or three weeks. It looks nice for a couple of hours before the leaves begin to cover it again. Our two maples in the front yard are almost done losing their leaves, but the red maple and tulip tree in the side yard have hardly lost any, so I’ll be mulching or raking the side yard for the next couple of weeks.

We had our wine at 5:00, and Evie kept me entertained with stories from her kindergarten class. Five-year-olds are so innocent and honest, with no guardrails. Dinner was an Evie special: noodles, chicken, béchamel sauce and veggies, all in a casserole. Yum.  We watched some TV, but I couldn’t wait to catch some of the Cavs game. They were up by 29 points at one time in the first half but managed to lose by six. Once it was over, I watched some NFL football until 10:00, when I went to bed and finished my Jeffrey Archer novel, A Prisoner of Birth.

Morning Fog

7:21

It’s 7:15, and we’re both up: Evie for school, me for breakfast at 8:00 in Bemus. The fog is so heavy we can hardly see beyond the dock. It's 9:20, and I just returned from breakfast. I am finishing up the blog and then going to yoga at 10:00, a busy morning.

Yesterday was another amazing autumn day, with blue skies, temperatures in the 50s, and light winds. I won’t go into our plumbers, who were supposed to arrive at 8:00. Let’s just say we’re still waiting for them. Because of the fog, I didn’t get out on the water until 8:30, but I managed to stay close to shore and avoid most of it. I was home by 9:15, wrote the blog, had breakfast, and then drove to Jamestown for PT. This was my second appointment, and we worked mostly on my balance for a half hour. I’m not sure it’s strengthening my left leg, but it was a good workout. I’ll go one more time and stick with the recommendations he printed out for me. On the way home, I stopped at Aldi and picked up some sea trout for dinner and a few other things Evie needed.

When I returned, Evie was busy going through clothes she no longer needs. She’ll donate them to a friend at school who knows of a free shop. It’s hell deciding what you no longer want or need. I had a chicken pot pie for lunch and watched my show. I’m making progress on my Jeffrey Archer novel, with maybe a third to go. After my nap, I read some, but I wanted exercise, so I drove to the Chautauqua Institution, rode the circumference twice, and was out for 50 minutes. It’s glorious riding through the tree-lined streets and past front yards in their various fall colors.

Thunder Bridge

Brick Walk

Bestor Plaza

Returning home around 4:15, it was almost time for a glass of wine, a view of falling leaves, and Jake Tapper on CNN. For dinner, we had a salad with sea trout, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and lettuce, our favorite way to enjoy either salmon or sea trout. We watched TV and ended the night with some of the Minnesota/Miami NBA game and Southland before going to bed.