Why We Spend Our Winters On Chautauqua Lake

8:12

Ice Fishing This Morning

Note: Our electricity went out early this morning and did not come back on until 11:15, thus the lateness of the Blog. 

It's 7:40, and I've been up since 6:00, sitting in the dark until recently when the gray sky appeared—no sun, no clouds, just overcast. Today is a bit warmer at 27º with highs in the low 30s, but by Tuesday, we're supposed to drop to single digits with snow. And today at 4:30, the Bills play Denver in an NFL playoff game. I just put our bird feeder back out our front window after a hiatus of a month because of a squirrels. Within a half hour, the sparrows and tufted titmice are feeding as well as an aggressive hairy woodpecker. 

Yesterday was another good day—in fact, a great day, especially in the morning. I was up at my computer when I received a message from my neighbor, wondering if I was interested in hiking Long Point State Park. Of course, I said yes, so after breakfast and the blog, I walked over to his house at 9:45, and we headed to the park accompanied by Ripley, his dog. The woods were spectacular, snow frosting every branch—a winter wonderland, and exactly why we love it here in the winter, if only for a couple of days. Ripley loved it too, running wild, darting left or right, sometimes disappearing but always returning. We were the only ones out hiking and had to blaze our own trail at times. What's interesting is I rarely hear or see any birds or animals when I hike—mostly silence or the wind blowing. We were out for forty-five minutes and home by 11:30.

Wow

Ripley

The Woods

Jim And Ripley

I then shoveled our parking areas, came in briefly, then decided to tackle a few errands and took off to Lakewood, then Jamestown. I stopped at Walmart to get a photo printed for Joyce at Ryder's Cup.  I then drove to Jamestown and picked up some sleep gummies for Evie. I was tempted to stop at Wegmans but got gas instead and was home by 1:15. Hungry, I heated up the leftover spaghetti and meatballs with naan and watched my show. I then went upstairs and finished my tear-jerker, Kristin Hannah's Night Road, and napped briefly.

The rest of the afternoon we wasted waiting for wine time and the news. I can hardly listen to Republican pundits applaud and justify Trump's daily lies and craziness. It's scary. Dinner was a Turkish favorite, Tas Kebab—basically stew meat braised with tomato paste and Turkish spices. It sounds simple, but I love the flavor, and with mashed potatoes, I was happy. We watched a couple more episodes of DOC, but Evie had enough of its soap opera storylines and went to bed. I watched some of the Cavs game, then switched to TASK on HBO, which is decent. I've been having trouble finding a book to read and have started a couple, but this morning I received an email from the library telling me I have two books on hold. I hope one of them grabs me.

A Big Day

7:11

7:35

8:08

It’s 7:15, and I had a bad night. I’ve been up since 6:00, probably the result of staying up too late reading and then struggling to fall asleep. Today, we’re having a walk-in shower installed in the downstairs bathroom, and the crew should arrive soon. Let’s hope everything goes smoothly.

Yesterday turned out to be a good day. Evie and I were both up early and started with coffee. After the blog and breakfast, I got ready for yoga, leaving at 9:10, while Evie headed out at 9:30. I hadn’t been to yoga in a month, so it felt good to get back on the mat. I really enjoyed the class and seeing the regulars, and I was pleasantly surprised that I could keep up. The class ran 75 minutes, and afterward, I stopped at Ryder’s Cup for coffee before doing some shopping at Walmart—a stark contrast in clientele from Wegmans.

I was home by 12:15 and had lunch: penicillin soup and ham and salami sandwiches. I watched my series until Evie returned around 1:30, then went upstairs to read and take a nap. Evie had a busy day at school and came home tired, ready to relax. I felt the need to get outside, so I took a half-hour walk through the Victoria/Woodlawn woods. There was a brief drizzle, but it didn’t bother me.

Trail

Winters Colors: Black And White

Woodlawn

Dinner was Aldi hot dogs, advertised as having no nitrates or fillers. I’d been looking for an easy cabbage salad and thought I’d found a foolproof one. During wine time, I washed the cabbage, salted it, rinsed it, and just before dinner added the soy and garlic dressing so it would be ready to eat. At 5:00, Evie had a Zoom call with her sisters, and afterward, we listened to the news and enjoyed a glass of wine. Around 6:15, Evie grilled the hot dogs, and I served the salad. Unfortunately, the salad was inedible—far too salty—and the hot dogs were just average, nothing to get excited about. Dinner was a bust.

We watched our series, and Evie ended up having a bowl of cereal while I had an orange, followed by some ice cream. After Evie went to bed, I finished watching my series and am finally down to the last episode.

A Spectacular Morning Sky

7:05

7:25

7:30

7:30

It’s another cold, gray day, though no snow is predicted. I woke at 6:00 and couldn’t get back to sleep, so by 6:30 I was up, enjoying my coffee, and taking numerous photos of the morning sky. It’s a busy morning: I leave for yoga at 9:10, and Evie heads off to school at 9:30.

7:30

7:31

7:41

7:59

Monday was a busy but good day for me, and a day of well-deserved leisure for Evie—time she was clearly saving up for today with her kindergarten kids. I was up too early, so I spent the first hour reading, then wrote a couple of checks to Aetna to cover our health care payment for the year. After finishing the blog and having breakfast, I decided to go for a hike around 10:00. The campground seemed perfect.

Hiking Chautauqua Campground

I put on my older crampons with the shorter spikes and walked the perimeter of an empty campground. For forty-five minutes, I didn’t see a soul as I followed the road past vacant model homes, manufactured homes, and RVs. It felt good to be outside, and although it’s not quite the woods, many of the homes and trailers sit among trees. I walked about a mile and a half, and when I got home, I realized one of my crampons had fallen off somewhere along the way.

Severe And Less Severe Crampons

After relaxing for a few minutes, I grabbed my shopping bags and headed out. As I was leaving our road and starting up the hill, I glanced left onto Pine Hills Road and noticed something black sitting in the snow in the middle of the road. I pulled over, got out of the car—and voilà—it was my missing crampon.

I stopped for coffee at Ryder’s Cup and chatted with Dave, the honorary mayor, for about fifteen minutes before heading to Wegmans. I didn’t need much, so I was in and out quickly. Evie wanted lamb chops for dinner, so I stopped at Aldi’s as well—and of course couldn’t pass up a couple of other bargains.

I didn’t get home until 12:30. I doctored up the leftover stir-fry with hoisin and oyster sauce and had it for lunch while watching my show, The Fall. I’m really into it, so I watched for a good hour and a half—mostly because I couldn’t nap.

The afternoon flew by, and before we knew it, it was 5:00—wine time. For some reason, we listened to the news, and then Evie helped me set up a group chat with my granddaughters. We’re each going to write two or three sentences about the last book we finished and say whether we’d recommend it. All four are readers, so it should be a fun experience. I sent them my quick reviews: Night Road by Kristin Hannah—yes; Train Dreams by Denis Johnson—no.

Around 6:00, Evie grilled a bunch of lamb chops, sauteed spinach, and microwaved the Bob Evans four-cheese pasta. We had more than enough lamb, so I’ll probably have a couple of chops for lunch later. We watched our series, and after Evie went up to bed, I finished the evening with a little football.

Monday, Monday

7:04

7:50

It’s 8:00, and I’ve been up since 6:45. I woke to a dark gray sky that shifted to heavy clouds and has now settled into a bright but overcast morning. The lake and yard are snow-covered once again, though there’s little activity on the ice—unlike a year ago, when dozens of tents clustered around Long Point for ice fishing. So far this winter, there’s been very little of that.

Sunday was, once again, full of football. I woke early at 5:30 but didn’t get up until 6:30. After two cups of coffee, I read the New York Times and Washington Post before Evie came downstairs. Snow fell steadily through the early morning, and after breakfast and the blog, I decided to go for a hike while it was still coming down. By the time I pulled on my boots and crampons around 10:00, the snow had stopped, but I headed out anyway.

Some Sunshine

Show, Ice, Water

Blue Skies

I walked for about forty minutes through a mix of snow, ice, and water. The crampons kept collecting clods of dirt and ice, forcing me to stop every few minutes to scrape them clean. Still, as always, a walk in the woods lifted my mood, letting my mind relax and take in the quiet.

Victoria Creek

Looking Towards Maple Springs

Southern Sky

Long Point

When I got home, the kitchen was a mess—Evie was busy preparing dinner, a chicken and mushroom casserole, along with her penicillin soup. I jumped in and washed and dried most of the dishes, so by the time she finished cooking, the kitchen was back in order. By 12:45, we were done, and I doctored up the leftover stir-fry with hoisin and oyster sauce, reheating it in the microwave for lunch.

The Bills–Jaguars game kicked off at 1:00, and for the next couple of hours we sat nervously on the couch as the Bills pulled out a win in the final minutes. I’d had enough sitting, so I went outside and shoveled the three or four inches of snow off the driveway and the car.

By 4:30, we were watching the second game of the day, Eagles–49ers, but only made it through the first half. We had the chicken casserole for dinner and then watched a few episodes of our series—a welcome break from football. 

I’m already looking forward to February 8th—the Super Bowl, and the end of football season.

Wind, Rain, And 44º

8:03

8:23

8:23

A miserable morning greets us at the lake—windows streaked with rain, snow melted away, everything draped in gray. Our front yard shows patches of green where the snow has retreated, and the forecast promises more rain or sleet over the next few days.

Yesterday stood in stark contrast: abundant sunshine, blue skies, a spectacular winter day here in Chautauqua County. Waking to such brightness and driving across the bridge to Bemus for breakfast in the sun felt almost miraculous. After breakfast, I finished the blog while Evie left for school at 9:30 in our Outback. Around 10:00, I dropped off my Kia Sportage at the dealer to have the air flaps repaired and picked up a loaner—though unfortunately not the Four Wheel Drive I need, so I'll have to return today to get a Four Wheel Drive Sportage.

Noon Blue

With such beautiful weather beckoning, I decided on a hike around the Chautauqua Institution, figuring the usual woodland trails would be waterlogged. I was wrong about the roads being clear, though, and spent much of my forty-five-minute walk navigating slush. On my way back, I stopped at Common Grounds for coffee, where locals gather daily. I chatted with Linda, who volunteers on Thursdays, and met a fisherman who pursues steelhead trout in the local streams and was hoping to get out later that day.

Thunder Bridge

Brick Walk

Walk At Bestor Plaza

Thunder Bridge

I was home by 12:30, heated up Evie's leftover Reuben from Wednesday night, and started rewatching The Fall—a series I first saw at least ten years ago. Gillian Anderson plays the lead detective hunting Jamie Dornan's serial killer, and it remains both compelling and terrifying. We follow Jamie as a devoted husband and father of two whose secret life involves stalking and killing, while we also follow Gillian's relentless pursuit of him. I also started a new book, Train Dreams by Denis Johnson, and queued up a film on Netflix.

Evie arrived home around 2:15, and we spent the rest of the afternoon indoors, savoring the unusual blue skies and sunshine.

For dinner, we were having tilapia. Evie prepped the fish while I made tartar sauce, and we had our wine while listening to CNN and Jake Tapper discuss the latest tragedy: an ICE agent's shooting of a mother in Minneapolis. Democrats say it was an illegal use of force, especially three shots; Republicans argue it was justified. And so it goes. We ate around 6:30—the tilapia baked in the air fryer alongside baked potatoes and coleslaw—while watching our series. Evie went to bed at her usual, and I watched another episode of The Fall before heading upstairs to read and sleep.

Quote Of The Day: "Trump has the terrible strength peculiar to people who are incapable of embarrassment and cannot fathom that they look ridiculous." George Will

I used AI Claude today, and the blog doesn't sound like me, does it? Too flowery. 

Rain, Sleet And Snow

7:34

It's 7:45, and I've been up for an hour, watching the sky turn from dark to gray. Our yard remains blanketed in snow, but the lake has turned gray, beginning to melt as the temperature hovers between the 30s and 40s. By 8:00, as I look outside, sleet or snow begins to fall, just as predicted.

Tuesday returned us to routine, especially for Evie. We were both up by 7:15, on our devices with a couple of cups of coffee in hand. Evie then showered and got ready for school while I finished the blog and waited for her to read it before she left. I wanted to go on a hike, but I wasn't sure where to go—it depended on whether the trails had been groomed by snowmobiles or cross-country skiers. 

Trail Marker

I decided to drive over to Long Point State Park, hoping for the best. Just as I arrived, it started to pour, so I sat in my car for five minutes until it let up and finally stopped. The trails were initially marked only by cross-country ski tracks, making for tough going until I reached the major trails, where someone had pulled a sled or something similar, making walking easier. The highlight of my hour-long hike was spotting three deer. They stood perfectly still while I photographed them, and even when I moved on, they remained motionless.

Sun Appears Just As I Start My Hike

Trail Marked By Cross Country Skiers

Deer

Three Poised To Run

Head Shot 

I was home by noon, heated up the leftover spicy eggplant and rice, and watched the first half of the final episode of Prime Suspect. Chief Inspector Tennison is set to retire in a couple of weeks, and this will be her last case and the end of the series. Evie returned around 2:30, energized by her time with the kindergarteners—nothing like hugs and appreciation. I then went upstairs for a brief nap. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and by 5:00, Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters.

Foggy Afternoon

After the call, we had an easy dinner: schnitzel sandwiches with mayo and tomatoes, paired with Boulder potato chips made with avocado oil—we discovered them at my son Tom's house in Kansas City. Delicious. We're still deep into our series, All Saints, and I'm not sure we'll watch anything else until it's over—493 episodes! Once Evie went up to bed, I finished Prime Suspect. It ended beautifully, with Helen Mirren skipping her retirement celebration and simply walking out the door.

* I am beginning to ask Chat CPT to polish my blog, but today I used Claude, another AI website. I know it's cheating, but at my age, I need it! Do you notice any difference? 

A Fine Day For A Walk In The Woods

6:43

8:25

It's 7:00 and I have been up for an hour, watching the sky turn from dark to various shades of pink and orange. It's 42º with a light wind so the lake should be good for kayaking. It's 8:30 and I was out for 50 minutes, chilly morning on the lake, with only a photo of a heron, no eagles or osprey but for the first time this fall, a couple of mergansers. 

Kayak Morning

Sun Rising

Heron

Mergansers 

Monday was a good start to the week, with lots of sunshine, with temperatures in the 50s. My morning paddle was exceptional, so I stayed out for over an hour and a half, just enjoying the sky and foliage around the lakefront. By 10:30, I had breakfast, finished the blog, and walked around the neighborhood while Evie cleaned up the kitchen and started some wash. We knew we wanted to get in a walk so we decided on the Bentley Preserve, near Greenhurst. 

Trail Head

Up On The Boardwalk

Beavers

We walked it last year and liked it although it's relatively short walk, less than a mile. So we drove over, parked our car, and really liked the hike. It follows a stream much of the way, one where we passed at least ten or more dams by beavers. Because it's a wetland in some areas, we walked on lots of boardwalks along the way. Although our walk was less than a mile, it took us forty-five minutes. After our hike, we drove around the lake to Wegmans and did some quick shopping before heading home. 

Bentley Preserve

Woodlawn Road

On Sunday, Evie made a pot of Indian cauliflower soup, so that was my lunch along with a couple of cheese sandwiches, topped with Wegman's jam, of course, the best. I am getting tired of Game of Thrones but stuck with it because I am not sure what else to watch next. I then read and had a good nap before joining Evie out in the yard to sit in the sun. It was delicious, enjoying some sun and reading. We then watched another episode of The Killing, wanting to make sure we finished the series before our road trip on Wednesday. 

Kinney's Run

Around 5:00, Evie put together our dinner, rigatoni with mushroom pasta sauce. While she was doing that, I walked Kinney's Run, a path up our road to #394 and back, seven-tenths of a mile. The rigatoni was really tasty, even without meatballs or sausage, just mushrooms. And we watched two more episodes of The Killing, with one to go which we will watch today. We have finally figured out the killer after many false starts. We ended the night watching some NFL, the Chiefs vs The Raiders. 

Harvest Moon Rising