RAIN, FINALLY!!!

5:40

5:48

6:19

Well, it's raining now at 7:30 and I just returned from kayaking, soaking wet, but it felt great.  For the first time, I did not need layers or gloves because the temperature is in the high 50's.  I started out, of course, on a calm, windless lake, no rain but when I got down to the reeds, it poured and rained my entire paddle back home.  It was great to be out, especially since I was able to photograph a great blue heron, standing in along the shoreline.

Kayak Morning

The Great Blue Herons Are Back

Yesterday was a different day as we were driving to Erie to the Pain Clinic.  Evie was getting an epidural to see if it helps alleviate her back pain.  I did get in a paddle, some work in the yard and a shower before we left.  We stopped on the way at Stan's Garden Center and miraculously, walked out with a thirteen dollar bill, no plants, no bushes, no flowers.  We arrived at the clinic at 1:00 and Evie timed her taking of valium so that she was relaxed during the ordeal.  She was done by 1:20, woozy and unstable from the valium and shot.  On the way home, she was really out of it, wondering if we were at the clinic yet.   As she reminded me, 'valium is a wonderful thing,'

We were home by 2:00 and Evie settled down on the couch in the TV room and promptly fell asleep for a couple of hours, something she never does but needed.  I did my usual, read, napped, and cleaned up the kitchen.  Around 5:00, Evie started to stir and we listened to the news in the living room as it rained, much of the afternoon and early evening.  By 6:00, Evie gathered enough mojo to make an eggplant, chopped Campari tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and Turkish peppers pasta.  Along with a salad, we were both happy,  Evie loved her dinner, having had little to eat during the day,

We watched a HomeTown, three episodes of Dead To Me, and an episode of Off The Grid, where crew restored an abandoned lighthouse on an island off the coast of Maine.  It was amazing to watch them not only restore it but get the materials out there, ten miles from the mainland.

A Sky Of Storm Clouds And Blue Skies

6:22

Southern Sky at 7:00

Northern Sky at 7:00

It's 7:30  and I have been up for over an hour, watching the storm clouds from the north push the blues skies in the south aside, darkness to the north, light to the south.  It's 55º without a whisper of wind, no boats in sight, as the lake remains quiet on a Thursday morning.  It reminds how quiet this area becomes after Labor Day, especially after the Chautauqua Institution season ends this Sunday. And there used to be a sign at one of the homes in Bemus, counting down the days till Labor Day when life in Bemus would return to normal,  the tourists would go home for the year.  We don't quite feel that way but...

A Rainy Day For A Paddle

We were both at sixes and sevens yesterday morning, not sure what we wanted to do and the sky was dark, threatening rain.  So what did we do, put on our slickers, get out our life jackets, and go for a long kayak paddle, despite the fact that it was beginning to rain.  The lake was like a vast piece of gray slate, motionless except for the waves from our paddles.  We started out with a drizzle, slid along the shore line of Long Point, headed back to the reeds, when it started to pour.  We loved it, being the only ones on a lake being pelted with raindrops.  By the time we got home, our slickers were dripping rain, water soaking our bathing suits and bare legs.  We were  slightly chilled when we got in the house, so we both took hot showers to warm up.  A great way to start our day, getting drenched by a storm while kayaking!

Around 1:00, Evie drove into Mayville to the doctor's office for a blood test, then stopped at Tops to pick up a few things.  I stayed home, ate leftover Cubans and Reuben's, and watched the beginning of the Longmire series, about a sheriff set in the Northwest.  I have been meaning to watch it but have never gotten around to starting it.  Now is the time.  It cleared up some in the afternoon, and we both went out on the dock to read, with blankets because it was windy and cool.  We spent much of the time ogling the amazing puffs of clouds but went in after forty five minutes

Clouds On A Wednesday Afternoon

Earlier in the day, we had decided to go to the local theater in downtown Jamestown, the classic Reg Lenna, with refurbished inside, with balcony and opera seats.  A Sundance award winning film was showing that we had wanted to see called, ME and EARL and the dying GIRL.  First, however, we ate at our favorite Mexican place, Taco Hut, on Third Street, across from the theater.  It was busy so we sat at the bar, struck up a conversation with the bartender, Taylor, only  twenty one, a student at JCC. She was fun to talk with and efficient and helpful.  Evie got her usual, a vegetarian pizza with portabellos, and I got the enchilada dinner, with rice and black beans, both quite good.  The movie was well attended, a couple of hundred of us, in the vast theater.  I, unfortunately, did not get invested in the film, the two main characters, until late in the film.  I wanted to like it more than I did but still would recommend it, especially the performance by the narrator, Greg (Thomas Mann) an awkward, insecure, self conscious kid who befriends a young girl with leukemia.  It's a tear jerker, of course, with some humor, set in a high school of various tribes.

We were home around 9:15, in time to watch Fox News' Megan Kelly discuss Donald Trump's latest faux pas, his argument with commentator, Jorge Ramos who challenged Donald at a news conference. We are getting sick of the coverage the media is giving this dope, keeping his name in the headlines, winning him more and more attention and voters.  The media is making his campaign.  It was good to get back to my book, Dead Monkey, set in the Florida Keys.

It's Back To A Gray Lake and Sky

St. Williams Church

Dorothy with flowers from our kids, Beth, Tom and Jill

Evie's sister, Elaine, with her children, Alex and Kianna,  and Evie's sister, Claire

Dorothy, with Nuns from the Poor Clare Monastery in Rocky River

Evie with Cousins and Aunt Lilly, eighty seven years young

My sister Linda, her husband Rich, and my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Tom

Evie's sister Claire, with her niece Kianna

I was up around 6:30, cloudy and colder, the lake calm, the flag hardly moving.  It's 31 degrees outside and supposed to go up only to 38 degrees, a light covering of snow on the cars.  Lots of rain during the day yesterday, over a half inch.  There also must have been quite a wind, as lots of branches littered the lawn and parking area.

We had Evie's father's service yesterday morning at St. Williams Church in Euclid, Ohio, the same church Evie and I were married in 47 years ago.  The service was quite nice, even though the Priest did not know my father in law, and my sister in law, Elaine, gave a wonderful eulogy which captured her Dad perfectly, his work ethic, sense of humor, and love for his family.  I would estimate just over a hundred people were in attendance, an amazing number considering the death notice appeared just the day before.  Most were Ed's extended family, as he had four brothers and four sisters, all deceased.

We had a luncheon at Dubrovnik's, a Croatian restaurant in Willoughby.  Lots of good Slovenian or Croatian food, cabbage rolls, Slovenian potatoes, chicken cutlets, a salad, with  apple or cheese strudel for dessert. About a hundred people showed up  for the luncheon and stayed till about 2:30, telling stories and reminiscing about Ed Petkovsek.  Relatives flew in from Chicago and Atlanta, some drove in from the Carolina's, and of course, most were from the Cleveland area.  Quite a turn out for a great guy.  Another Mass will take place in Scottsdale on November 30, for friends and family in that area.

We said goodbye to Evie's sister and mother in law around 3:30 and drove home though pouring rain, returning about 5:30. We relaxed, ate dinner and went to bed early.

7:27

Warmer and Overcast Morning

7:37

Long Point

Long Point

Merganser in Flight

Fall Maples

Victoria Woods

Kinney's Waterless Run

Up later than usual, around 7:30 to another gray morning. mists and fog on the lake, a warm 62 degrees though it's now 8:30 and the sun looks as though it's trying to break through the barrier of fog.

Yesterday was a Chautauqua gray day though it hardly rained, just 2/10ths of an inch over the past twenty four hours so you could be outside if you wanted; it just wasn't sunny.  Evie made more cookies for our trip to Darien, CT, tomorrow, for the grandchildren of course, as well as a baked ziti for dinner our first night.  Later, she went shopping in Lakewood and went to Master Cuts.  I  stayed home, a  bit bored, but found my way.  Though it was foggy, it reminded me of a Japanese painting, so I went kayaking on the smooth, windless lake, gray and black colors, mostly, and took photos as you can see, trying to get a picture which reminded me of a Japanese print.  It was fun.  Later,  I walked the Woodlawn/Victoria woods, still dripping from the rain, marking a path as best I could, getting ready for my winter walks.  I also got the urge to get more gravel for my driveway, drove to Tri James but they are closed, either for the year or just the afternoon.  Sad.  I then came home and gave the Pilot a good cleaning, both inside and out, perhaps because I have decided to spend money on the Accord, keep it for another three or four years, the Pilot as well.  I just don't want to have a monthly car payment and both cars are in decent if not good shape. I also read some, as I am finding Hitch 22 very interesting.  Christopher Hitchens has always been an iconoclast and he lead an amazingly interesting life, seduced by Marxism when he was younger, an atheist all his life, a screaming liberal,  he changed somewhat in later life, supporting Bush and the Iraq War.  Many of his attitudes, especially towards religion were formed in his fascistic prep schools in England, with daily forced religious services, compulsory games, and kowtowing to authority.

We had meatballs and bulgar for dinner, even better than the night before and watched the first episode of The Forsythe Saga, a mini series made about ten years ago, with Damian Lewis, from Homeland, as the major protagonist.  It's a bit dated but pretty good, a somewhat older version of Downton Abbey, as we watch one of the wealthy families in London begin to lose their way, culturally and financially.

A Foggy Saturday Morning

7:28

Heron and Ducks

Fog Rising

Kinney's Run

Up at 7:20, to a lake obscured by fog, just the silhouettes of feeding ducks and a heron on the lake in front of Leonards, an area that seems to attract wildlife, perhaps because it's relatively shallow compared to our lake front.  It's a chilly 40 degrees, as the sun has just peaked out above the bank of fog over the Bemus Point skyline.  It looks like a fine day, with rain to come in later tonight, highs in the 60's, as we wait for a warm day, in the 70's, to go for a boat ride or Presque Isle one more time.  The leaves are changing, the leap peepers will be in attendance all around the state.  We will join them, next Thursday, when we head to Darien for five days.

Yesterday reminded me of Seinfeld, a day about nothing. Neither one of us felt like doing anything and luxuriated in the thought that we did not have to do anything.  I did take an early morning walk, up Kinney's Trail, around through the Woodlawn and Victorian Woods, and back along the lake front, a nice, easy thirty minute walk.  We did do a few things, the major focus being a Chinese dinner, with all the chopping it takes to get that ready.  And I did ride into town, to get my tires rotated, radiator filled with antifreeze (the dealer forgot to fill it), and I also went to Wegman's to pick up some food for the week.  Lots of little trips but it took me a couple of hours.  We did have a few drops of rain, some in the morning, some in the afternoon, but it did not amount to much.  Dinner was a stir fry of mostly vegetables and some pork left over and frozen from this past summer.  It was perfect with brown rice as our carb.  We watched a couple more episodes of Damages, complaining how it did not measure up to previous seasons but we kept watching.  I finished my Jack Reacher book, a bit of a late down in the second half, as I will tell in my review.

We look forward to another great day, having the sun out is always exhilarating, making me want to do something outside.  We will have to see.

A Dab of Orange on a Blue Morning Sky

7:13

Front View of Darwin Martin House

Covered Pergola and Garden

Outdoor Porch, Side View

William Mc Kinley Monument and City Hall, Buffalo

It looks like a great day, clear skies, steam rising on the lake, the roar of a bass boat, and 43 degrees outside.  We are back from 36 Hours in Buffalo and even though we were not gone long, it's nice to be back on the lake, especially in the morning, watching the sun rise.  The view from my hotel in Buffalo just does not compare.

We did enjoy yeseterday though it rained most of the afternoon.  We got a late start, just enjoying our hotel room, free breakfast bar, and lots of coffee.  I did go out for a walk, leaving Evie to shower and get ready for the day in her leisure.  I walked a circle, past some of the great buildings in downtown Buffalo, the City Hall, for one, the various circles or squares, surrounded by older buildings, the names of I was unsure.  Main Street has a free train ride down the middle of the street, which will take you from one end of the city to the other.  If you go farther, you do have to pay.  Buffalo seems to have more interesting buildings then Cleveland though it too seems somewhat empty downtown, even on a work week day,  I wonder what will happen to cities if people keep leaving though I have read that the reverse has become happening in some areas, as people leave the suburbs to return to the city.  We will have to see.

We drove up Delaware, past what's called Millionaire' Row, by amazingly preserved homes of the wealthy Buffalo capitalists from the early 20th century.  Most of the houses are now owned by law firms and investments groups.  They are spectacular.  We ended up at Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Darwin Martin House, near Nichols School campus.  It is an amazing residence and our tour guide was really good, making it worth the twenty six dollars it cost.  It was built in 1905, one of Wright's first major homes.  Martin was a millionaire who worked for the Larkin Soap company.  Wright also designed their administrative building but, unfortunately, it was demolished in 1949.  The house cost Martin a total of 175,000 dollars, not counting the painted glass windows, hundreds of them.  That would be around 10 million dollars today, I estimated.  There is a main residence, a carriage house, with a pergola leading from the main house, and a house for Martin's sister.  Both the carriage house and Martin's sister's house were torn down in the later 1930's, after Martin went bankrupt and the house stood empty for 17 years.  Apartments were put up in their place, but in the 1990's, a trust bought the house from the University of Buffalo, tore down the apartments and painstakingly rebuilt the carriage house and Martin's sister's home, so that you cannot tell the difference between the three buildings.  It's a typical Wright house, with an emphasis on horizontals, the Prairie Style as its called, so radical compared to the Victorian homes of that period, the neighborhood it sits in.  He seemed to pioneer the open floor style, where on room led to another, without doors, so different from the  numerous small rooms in Victorian homes.  He used some of the building techniques from Louis Sullivan, here using steel beams to span large area so he didnt' need walls between rooms.  We spent about an hour and half touring the buildings, well worth the time.  Before we went to the Darwin Martin house, we walked and browsed the other major shopping area, Hertzel Street, what I guess was the Little Italy of Buffalo.  Not as charming as Elmwood, mostly because of its lack of trees, but it did have lots of shops and restaurants, which made it a place to go in the evenings.

We left Buffalo around 1:30 and drove to East Aurora, home of Roycroft Inn and the home of the Arts and Craft movement.  It's a prosperous looking town, about 15 miles from Buffalo, with three large shops with arts and crafts types of furniture and lamps, the kind you would have found in Wright's homes.

We drove home in rain, getting back around 5:30.  We had an easy dinner, sweet corn and a mushroom omelette and watched a couple of more episodes of Damages.  I am reading the new Jack Reacher, so I went to bed early, so I could get back to Jack.  It's a good read, fast and easy.

A Blanket of Clouds

6:06

7:02

Up at 6:20, to a darkness obscuring the beginning sunlight.  Off to the south, a patch of light,  but mostly darkness as clouds blanket the sky.  It's 46 degrees, a partly cloudy day to follow, a special day for Evie, as it's her birthday and for our son, Tom, as it's also his birthday.

Yesterday morning, we went to Jamestown, to escape from the insulating of our crawl space and because Evie had a dentist appointment.  We shopped some first, in Bemus, picked up a wedding present for friends in Ohio,  dropped my SUV off at Keystone in Lakewood before going to the dentist.  While Evie got her teeth cleaned, I went to the Labyrinth Press for lunch.  I had a great wrap, a Havana wrap of black beans, salsa, avocados, sunflower seeds, and sour cream, really tasty and healthy, sort of.  We got home around 2:00 as the guys were finishing up, measuring the amount of air that escaped from our house.  They had to get it below a certain point to sign off on the job.  So our house is tight, or tighter than it was, saving us money in the long run, I hope.  They seemed to be a pretty efficient group, knew what they were doing, and could do almost anything, whether plumbing, laying wood floors, or electrical.  Let's hope the investment was worth it.

Since it rained off and on most of the day (6/10 ths of an inch), we stayed inside, getting no exercise other than picking up the car later in the afternoon, making Turkish tea, and changing the channels on the TV.  A lost day, more of less, because of the appointment and the guys working on our house.  Dinner was a rotisserie chicken from Sam's. with baked potatoes and salad, an easy dinner.  We watched some Louie CK, not as good as we had hoped, read, and vegged out for most of the evening.  Although I like my book, RIVER OF SMOKE, I have not been in to reading much lately, so it's a struggle  to get through it.

Almost An Autumn Saturday

6:51

7:31

Yesterday afternoon, after the Rain

Little Valley Seniors Go Wild!

Up at 6:50 to the reoccurring sound of bass boats, roaring out of Long Point.  It's a scary cool 47 degrees, harbinger of months to come, and the mist on the lake has obscured the shoreline.  In fact, I can hear the bass boats but cannot see them the fog is so thick.  It looks to be a fine day, cool and sunny, highs in th3 60's, perfect for a walk or hike.

Yesterday, we decided to get a kayak paddle and walk in before we went to Lakewood to do our shopping for the week.  So we paddled over to the Pavilion at Long Point, the lake still green and algae ridden, pulled out boats up on shore, then walked up through the beach to the trails.  It was nice and cool in the woods, damp for some reason, and we walked for about an hour.  Just as we started, I saw a school bus pull in and I laughed, telling Evie its probably a bunch of kids and they will take our kayaks for a ride.  We both laughed at my joke.  Well, after our walk, we came to the beach and, alas, our kayaks were gone, a group of seniors from Little Valley High School were meandering on the beach.  We talked to some kids who were wading in the water and they admitted some of their friends had taken our kayaks out for a ride.  We finally saw them off to the south, yelled to come back and eventually they made it back.  A couple of the seniors came over, when they realized what had happened, and apologized for their classmates though two culprits were less than chastened, saying "We[ll pay your for using them,"  Ah youth!  We can understand the temptation but would have liked to see more of a sense of wrong doing.  And worst, I suppose, is that their teacher never came over to ask what was going on or apologize for the student's actions.  So, another adventure on the lake, not quite as exciting as the previous day's topless spotting.

I then met with the contractor who is going to tightened up our house, signed a contract, and they will be by next Monday to start the process.  I hope this is money well spent,  My brother in law, Jim Gill, is actually in this business, has looked over the recommendations, and told me I should go for it,  So I am.

We then went to Lakewood, to Sam's, to Wegman's, to Home Depot, dropping mega bucks, as groceries keep going up, especially veggies.  We hardly ever buy meat yet our bill is always over 100 bucks.  I cannot imagine what it's like for family of four or five, like our kids.

We had pizza and salad for dinner, and watched a new series for us, Season 1 of comedian Louie CK.  It's certainly X rated in language, certainly not PC but interesting, as his grossness often has a message worth thinking about.  He's not just vulgar and vapid.  It attempts to follow his day as a comedian, and we see his life, sometimes at home with his kids, in the comedy club, with friends, as well as his attempts to reconnect with the dating scene, as he's recently divorced.  We'll have to see if we continue to watch it.

Fog Bank Over Long Point

6:41

6:59

Up at 6:45, to fog on the lake, moving slowly across its surface, at times obscuring the shoreline, even the lake.  The sun has just peaked out, above it, a huge ball of brightness, filling our living room.  It's a chilly morning, 48 degrees, and day, high of 68 supposedly, as fall falls early.

Yesterday was a day of leisure for both of us, the major task the making of a delicious moussaka by Evie for dinner.  We did get in a walk at the CI.  Ironically, as we got there, it started to drizzle and continued through most of our walk.  We did bring our umbrellas, so we had a good walk, circling the CI, counterclockwise, as is our wont.  Not much action, of course, though I did manage to witness a wedding, thus the picture.  It rained on and off (2/10ths)  the rest of the day though for the most part, it was pleasant outside, some sun, though quite windy, so that sitting on the dock to read was quite cool, especially if the sun lay hidden behind the clouds.  I am taking time off from my biography of Joseph Smith to read another Elvis Pike novel by Robert Criais, a quick fun read.  And I read that a new Jack Reacher novel was just published, and the first Jack Reacher movie hits the theaters in December, with Tom Cruise as Reacher, a bit of a stretch to imagine that.

Happy Couple at CI church

For some reason we spent little time outside yesterday, staying inside, me watching football, the US Open and golf, channel surfing, reading some, and Evie talking to he sisters, to Dorothy, and making the moussaka.  We watched a couple of more episodes of Breaking Bad, as we have maybe three more episodes.  The latest was nail biting, as they rip some chemicals off a train, then blow away a youngster on his bike, a real shocker.  Mr. White and Jessie are digging deeper and deeper into their own hell.  Walt seems to amoral, Jessie still retains a modicum of humanity.  We fear for their families mostly, having given up on them as worthy of respect.

A Mountain Like Morning

6:58

8:16

Looking Out of Forte's Window

Enjoying Forte

Thee Audience at Mojos

Enjoying a couple of  Yuengling's at Mojo's

The Elektra Kings

Up just before 7:00, much later than usual, to a cloudy sky, puffs of fog dotting the the dark green hills over Bemus,  reminding me of summers camping in the Dolomite's and Alps during the 1970's, back when I was a young boy.  I used to love waking early, the tent muggy, going out side in the crisp mountain air, watching the sun on the dark green and stone gray mountains.  Ever since then, any time there's wisps of fog on the Bemus hillside, I think of our seven summers spent camping in Europe, thirty five years ago.  It's much cooler today, 56 degrees, a drastic change in weather from Friday, when it was warm and humid. In Evie's garden, towards the west, the sky is clear and blue, the garden looking clean and fresh, as if it was just washed.  Now, however, off towards Bemus, a huge gray cloud bank sits on the shoreline,  threatens a storm, what a contrast between the east and west.

Yesterday was one of those rainy days we love, as long as there are not too many in a row.  It rained off and on most of the day and we collected just short of an inch in our rain gauge.  I drove off to Westfield in the morning, to pick up my Keen sandals from the shoe store.  I picked up some vegetables at the open air market on the square, despite the rain, and got home around 11:30 to what looked like a clearing sky.  I decided to take advantage of the lacuna and get a bike ride in, heading towards the CI and back.  Unfortunately, the threatening clouds cut my ride short, as I got soaked the last mile by a storm.  The rest of the day we spent inside, relaxing, watching the US Open, reading, like most days. Evie decided to tackle the attic, a mess since our family left in August and spent much of the day working upstairs. It's going to take both of us a good day to get it organized and back in recognizable shape.

Around 6:00, the Mc Clures came over for a sundowner before we were to go downtown to Forte, Jamestown's fanciest restaurant, and celebrate both Evie and my birthdays.  As usual, they came up with great presents, a John Deere cap for me, a casserole, a dish, and coasters for Evie, all quite cool.  I even wore my John Deere hat to the restaurant, the farm boy in khakis and button down shirt.  Forte was great, a packed not too noisy bar, great table next to the window, looking out on the street, and all of us loved our meals.  I had a seafood stew called a seafood lagniappe, with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and chorizo to give it a great flavor.  Evie had chicken Milanese, a tasty fried chicken breast with a salad on top.  Ron had a scallop risotto and Linda had a steak salad. We also had a great shrimp teriyaki sushi for an appetizer.  After our dinner, we took in the Infinity Music night, an event we attended last year.  To support the Infinity Youth Music School, we bought a wrist band, ten dollars each, which allowed to you visit five or six venues in downtown Jamestown, where bands were playing from 7:00 till midnight.  Various groups donated their time, from rock, to folk, to Irish, to eclectic.  We spent a couple of hours sampling the musical fare, ending up like last year at Mojo's.  We happened to run into the owner on our walk there, and he told us all about running the bar, the bands, the value of this event in supporting young musicians, an interesting guy.  He also mentioned that above the bar was a new, cool boutique/antique store, run by a guy from LA, who used to provide props, especially clothing for programs like The Seventies show.  I guess he has some cool stuff, from bizarre shoes to handbags to clothes.  It's on 2nd and Pine, second floor, above Mojo's but I don't know the hours.  A very enthusiastic young woman told us how much she loved the store as well, though it was open a couple days a week, from early afternoon to the evening.  More on this later.  We got home around 10:00, read, watched some TV and were in bed by 11:15.