A Cosmos Morning

 

Cosmos In Evie's Garden

7:37

8:48

It's 9:00 and another sunny morning, the high may be up to 80º. I was up at 7:30, paddled for 50 minutes down to Sandy Bottom and back, spying probably the same two herons I see every morning. I couldn't help but notice the cosmos in our backyard, so amazing even this time of the year.

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun

Heron On Boatlift

Heron #2

Heron On A Dock

Yesterday began with a long paddle, and I was feeling good. I came home and Evie and I had our coffee and planned our day, which included our friends, Ron and Linda, coming over for dinner. We started alternating dinners at each other's home each Sunday during Covid and have continued whenever possible. Evie needed a couple of things for dinner, which we forgot to get on Saturday, so I was off to a very busy Wegmans around 10:30. It always surprises me how busy Wegmans is on Sundays. I was in and out quickly, despite the lines at the checkout, and was home by 11:15. I wanted to get a few things done before breakfast, such as cleaning the porches, while Evie prepped a few things for dinner.

For lunch, I had a couple of Swiss cheese and ham sandwiches with two fried eggs, a change from an omelet, and watched the first quarter of an NFL game. None of the games during the afternoon were of much interest, although I watched some of each. I also took a good nap and spent much of the afternoon reading. Evie was able to relax and enjoy some sun in the side yard after prepping a few things. 

Sunday Dinners

Linda and Ron arrived at 6:00, bearing a couple of bottles of wine. We immediately filled out glasses, toasted our gathering, and adjourned to the porch to enjoy the late afternoon, our libations, and sliced baguette toasts, with cream cheese and tomatoes, a bruschetta. Yum. We had not seen each other in close to two weeks, so we had a lot to catch up on, especially my four days in the hospital. Boring. Around 7:15, we sat down to a good old-fashioned American dinner, meatloaf with ketchup or gravy, scalloped potatoes, sweet and sour green beans, and a salad. We loved it. For dessert, Evie served rice pudding with raspberries and blueberries, a perfect end to our dinner. All four of us were tired so they left around 8:50, vowing to get together at their house next weekend. Once they were gone, Evie put away the leftovers, and I did up the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher. She went up to bed, but I watched the first half of the boring Bills game before going to bed. 

Quiet Morning, Empty Lake

7:03

7:04

8:31

 It's 8:40, Evie's up, and I just returned from an hour and ten-minute paddle on a calm lake. Lake traffic was minimal as we begin the slide into fall and winter. Weekdays will be quiet, weekends will heat up some but nothing like the summer. 

Kayak Morning

Paddleboarding

Osprey

Labor Day was mostly uneventful in our neighborhood as many headed home. We were having Ron and Linda over for dinner, but much of the preparation was already done, so we both had a leisurely day. I wanted to get in some activity, so around 10:30, I drove to Mayville Park and rode two sections of Webb's Trail and Sea Lion Drive for a good hour of biking. It was still cool enough, so it was a pleasure to be out riding. Interestingly, the first two legs of the trail took 16 minutes, but the return, a slight downhill, took eleven minutes. I enjoyed the return. 

Biking Webb's Trail

When I returned, Evie had finished making Nora Ephron's peach pie,  a favorite, and was sitting in the side yard, sunning and reading. I heated up the leftover pasta and a bowl of corn chowder for lunch so I was happy. The afternoon seemed to go slowly because neither of us had much to do other than Facetime with our granddaughter, Marisa, and her kittens, in Austin, and sit around and wait for 5:00 when Linda and Ron arrived. 

Muffin

We had planned a cruise, but the wind picked up so we sat on our front porch with a beer, cheese, and pretzel appetizer, and drinks. It was a perfect evening for porching it, a slight breeze to keep us cool. Around 6;15, Ron and I went out and grilled the marinated butterflied leg of lamb. We struggled with three different thermometers to get the temperature right, brought it in, and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving it. Despite the thermometer, the lamb was raw and had a gristly texture. Thank goodness Evie made a delicious ratatouille, rice, and a salad. Linda and Ron were nice about the lamb, saying it was 'fine,' but I couldn't eat it, the only honest one. What a disaster. Dessert, however, was fabulous, the Nora Ephron peach pie. Around 8:45, Ron and Linda bid us adieu, and Evie, tired from the day, went up to bed. and I cleaned up the kitchen, watched another episode of Fauda, and went up to bed to read and sleep around 10:00. 

Another Labor Day

What A Lake Morning

 

8:38

7:11

It's 8:40 and I paddled for over an hour, down to Booty Bay and back. I had a good morning of birding, spotting eagles, ospreys, a heron, and maybe a hawk. I was not sure. Our friends from Hudson spent the night and are out on the dock enjoying the morning. 

Kayak Morning

Some Kind Of Hawk

Osprey

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Great Blue Heron

Yesterday was a busy day getting ready for the company.  After my paddle and the blog, I went out and mowed the lawn and cleaned the porch, which took me at least a good hour. Evie had a doctor's appointment in Westfield at 11:00 and was gone until 12:15. I was basically through with my chores by then, and she made me a salami sandwich, and I watched my show.

I tried to nap to no avail, probably because I had a dentist's appointment at 2:30, to discuss major work on my front teeth. I now know what to expect and just need to make an appointment. It's not going to be fun. On my way home, I stopped at Tops and at Peterson's, picking up corn. I was home by 3:30 and our friends from Hudson, Barb and Mike, were there. They spend a couple of months in a cabin outside of Jackson Hole each winter and volunteer once a week at Yellowstone, so it's always fun to hear about their experiences. We also talked about grandchildren, since their son, Ian, had just had his first child, a daughter. By 5:30, they were off to visit with classmates (it's Barb's 50th Jamesstown High School Reunion) at The Pub, a bar in downtown Jamestown.

Mike And Barb This Morning

They were back by 6:45, and we relaxed with a glass of wine before having dinner, pasta with brie, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. It was great, just what I wanted, and we had fun talking about our kids and grandkids, what else. We had peaches and ice cream for dessert and stayed up talking until 9:30. 

The reunion is this evening in Jametown, and they will hang out with us during the day. We hope to get in a hike and maybe lunch at the Asheville Country Store before the reunion. 

Not A Happy Day

6:33

Sun Rising Over Long Point

It's 7:36 and I just returned from a 35-minute paddle. Henry and I are up, but I can hear stirring upstairs because the gang, alas,  will be heading home this morning, leaving at 10:00 for the Buffalo Airport.

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

Heron On Boat Cover

In The Woods

Yesterday was another perfect August day, lots of sun and not too warm. My day started as usual with a paddle, then coffee as one sister after another woke and came downstairs for coffee. We sat around talking, figuring out our day until 10:45 when Henry and I drove off to Lake Erie, and the sisters drove to Lakewood for a walk through our Wegmans grocery store.

Trail To Lake Erie

Mouth of Chautauqua Creek

Lake Erie

Bros

Henry and I drove the backway to the parking lot, where we walked along Chautauqua Creek out to Lake Erie. The drive is neat because we have a view of Lake Erie and vast fields of grapes before we get to our parking area. The walk out to the lake is short, less than a quarter of a mile. It was a beautiful day on the beach and I wish I had brought my bathing suit because the water looked so inviting. After walking back to the car, we stopped at Jack's Barcelona Drive-In, sat outside, and had great perch sandwiches with curly fries. Henry loved the sandwich. On the way home, we stopped at Portage Pie in Westfield and came home with a blueberry pie for dinner. 

2016

The Petkovsek Sisters: Jean, Claire, Evie, Elaine: 2025

We didn't get back until 1:45, and the girls were having lunch, the corn chowder or lentil soup, and sandwiches. I was tired and tried to take a nap to no avail. When I came downstairs, the sisters were playing Scrabble on the dining room table. Around 4:00, Henry and I took the boat out and cruised the east side of the lake to the Viking Club, then crossed the lake to the CI and cruised home on the west side. Evie's sister, Elaine, is a swimmer and wanted to swim across the lake. We settled on her swimming for 15 minutes out, and 15 minutes back as I followed her in a kayak. It took a little over half an hour, and she swam probably a half mile. 

Elaine Stroking

Loving The Water

When we returned, it was happy hour, and we sat on the front porch talking and laughing until after 7:00. We then got dinner ready. Henry and I grilled the juicy lucys and hot dogs, and the girls steamed the corn and put together the condiments for the burgers and dogs. 

Ready To Grill

Dinner

Once again, we were able to sit outside and enjoy dinner as the sky began to darken. We ended up in the living room, having blueberry pie and ice cream around the dining room table about 9:15, and then most went up to bed. I closed up the downstairs around 10:00 and went up to bed.

Sturgeon Moon

Clearing UP

 

7:01

8:21

It's 8:30, and I got in a decent 50-minute paddle. The forecast of rain never materialized, and blue skies and sun now reign. Unlike yesterday, I saw no interesting waterfowl, just the omnipresent turkey vultures. 

Kayak Morning

Some Blue In The Northern Sky

The Sun

More Blue

Friday was a busy day for both of us because we had two couples for dinner. That means Evie spends a good part of the day prepping dinner and I am her helper. The day began with a good paddle, the blog, and breakfast. Around 9:30, my boat guy called and asked if it was all right to bring my boat over. So about 10:00, he dropped the boat off, and I drove him back to his truck and trailer at the Prendergast boat launch. Evie had started prepping on Thursday, but no matter how organized she is, we both end up spending a good part of the day getting ready. I guess that's normal for anyone who preps for company. I just think it was easier when we were in our forties. Duh! No kidding; everything was easier when we were younger. 

Lunch was easy, the leftover pizza and I watched my show, read some, then took a nap and woke ready to help Evie in the kitchen. Most everything was done by 2:30 so we were able to relax until our friends arrived at 5:30, after we both showered. We were lucky it was such a nice evening, so that we were able to sit out on our front porch for the first time this year. We enjoyed our wine with a couple of cheeses, crackers, grapes, and edamame for the healthy ones. 

Dinner With Pat And Dave, Julie, and Tom

We had fun talking about the old days of Woodlawn, reminiscing about the changing families over the years, because both Tom and Julie grew up on Woodlawn in the 1950s and 1960s. Dinner was a rack of pork, cut into chops, a cabbage/cheese/ onion strudel, a salad and for dessert a raspberry cake. All were delicious,s and we sat around the table until 9:00 when everyone went home. It was a really fun night. Once everyone left, Evie put away the leftovers and went up to bed while I stayed up and did the dishes. I was going to watch the Celtics/Knicks game but when I put it on, it was a Knicks blowout so I watched an episode of my show, The Killing, and went to bed.