A Bright Sunny Morning Is Back

7:07

9:20

I came downstairs at 7:00 to a living room filled with sunlight and 60º. Surprisingly for a holiday weekend, few boats are out. It's so bright that I have to wear my baseball cap unless I switch seats. It looks like a stellar day, cool compare to the past few days and sunny.

Kayak Morning

Gettting Tired Of Osprey Photos? 

Cormorant Buoyed

Same Guy

Yesterday was another day to relax because we only had to go to our neighborhood gathering at 5:00 and for Evie to bring an appetizer.  The day, however, began as usual, the paddling, the blog and breakfast. I decided to not rush off and take the trash to the Transfer Station and instead, let Evie relax and I would drive to the Chautauqua Institution and ride my bike. Now, because the season is over, all gates are open so I parked my car at the south end and rode around the circumference twice, taking forty-five minutes. It's a fun ride, with lots of look at, mostly the front yard gardens and few people seem to be out walking in the streets. When I returned home at 11:30, Evie was still on the couch and talking with my sister Ellen for an hour. Around noon, I filled the car with trash and empty boxes from Amazon and drove to the busy Transfer Station, and got rid of everything, bottles in one container, plastic in another, and so on. From what I hear, they are just thrown in a landfill, not separated for reuse. Crazy.

Thunder Bridge

January 7th, 2025

For lunch, Evie made me tuna sandwiches, watched my show and was looking forward to reading my Karin Slaughter book and napping, Napping has become so much a part of my afternoon that I would feel lost without one. Unlike Evie, I have always been able to nap, whether early or late in the day, even in the car. 

The rest of the afternoon we relaxed until 5:00 except for Evie's putting together a bruschetta appetizer for our gathering.  We arrived 15 minutes late, and they already had the meeting and all that was left was to vote on new officers for the Woodlawn Association. We stayed and talked with neighbors until 7:15, our only chance with some because we are all busy with families on holidays. We are lucky to have such a friendly and neighborly group. When we got home, we relaxed with our phones before Evie made a salad and microwaved the pastitsio for our dinner. We watched a 2024 film on Hulu, Suncoast, with Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson. I would give it a B-, and Evie a B+. 

A Gentle Morning Rain

An Amish Child At Lake's Edge

6:18

What a delight to wake up to the sound of raindrops falling on our roof, gray, cloudy skies, and a 58º morning.  There's practically no wind although the lake looks ruffled, a single fishing boat floats off of the reeds, an occasional duck or heron flies by.  It's 8:50 and I just returned from a fun paddle in the rain, the rain peppering the water, soaking my rain jacket. "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays" my kayak morning.

Saturday was one of those days that got away from us.  We had no major plans but assumed we would get busy with some task during the day.  And the day started out well, with a long paddle over to Warner Bay and home, a beautiful morning on the lake.  We then did a few things inside, cleaning up the kitchen, gathering the trash and I went off to the Transfer Station.  And that's about it for the day which slipped away.

Now that I think more carefully about it,  I forgot something.  While at the Transfer Station, our neighbor, Bud, ran up and asked if I got a message on my phone about the Porch Party they were having last night.  I hadn't as he used our home number, not our cell phones.  So we finally had something to do on Saturday, attend a porch party.  Evie decided to forget about the frozen hankie pankies in the freezer and sent me off to Mayville, to Tops, to pick up two jars of Clausen pickles and some mozzarella cheese stixs because she wanted to make her new, new thing...pickles stuffed with cheese, breaded, then baked and cut into pieces.  When eating, they are dipped in ranch dressing.

Evie And Birthday Girl, Debi

So, when I returned home, she had everything ready and had already started stuffing a few pickles from a jar we had in the refrigerator.  It took a good half hour to get them ready to be baked.  Meanwhile, I had lunch, cauliflower soup, and a turkey sandwich and took a quick nap.  Evie went outside to enjoy the dock, wrapped in a fleece and blanket because of the wind and the cool air.  That lasted about an hour until she came in and it was time to bake the pickles.

Neighbors, Barb And Bud

Mom And Son, Alex

We went over to our neighbor's Porch Party about 5:30 and the grand 40 x 15-foot front porch was already busy with friends enjoying appetizers and drinks.  The rain held off, fortunately, and we were able to enjoy various libations, tasty appetizers, even pies, and cake to end a fun gathering.

Watching The Belmont With Friends

Maggie, Arlo, And Alex

We had fun catching up with all the neighbors, even a couple of acquaintances from Hudson, Ohio.  We stayed until 8:30 as did everyone, enjoying the evening, the first neighborhood gathering of Spring.  We had intended to have dinner but we were full of appetizers, so we just had dessert, bananas, strawberries, chocolate sauce and French Vanilla ice cream.  Yum. We watch Real Time with Bill Maher but Evie kept falling asleep, so she went up to bed while I finished watching before joining her.

A Welcome Cool On An Overcast Sunday

6:25

A Fishing Morning

I woke to filtered light, through our bedroom shades, was surprised to see it was on 6:15.  It was a quiet lake but now, a half hour later, ski boats and jet skis have gone by, so people are up and ready for the day.  Nevertheless, the lake still seems quiet and empty for a day in later July.  It 66º, the coolest it's been in at least a week and feels delicious.

Yesterday morning we got quite a bit of rain so I decided to go to yoga, to begin my day.  There were five of us, a good class for once with Chris, as we did a variety of poses, both standing and lying down, on both our back and stomach, so I felt good when I left.  He read from a book by called The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, with translations and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda, not your common name. For many yogis, this book is like their Bible.  His mantra, in a few words, 'Just do good and be good.' Chris read about the four pillars from the first Sutra, Friendship, Compassion, Delight and Disregard, and went on to explain them.  I found it interesting enough to order the book and I now have it on my Kindle.  Let's see how much of it I read.

After yoga, I got my coffee from Ryder's for the first time in a week, came home, gathered all the trash and headed to a busy Transfer Station.  It always feels good to dispose of the weeks trash, to come up with an empty garbage can.  Today was the beginning of Evie's preparing meals for the family arrivals, next Friday.  While I shopped at Topps and the Lighthouse, she defrosted both our freezer and small refrigerator, getting them ready for next few weeks.  When I got home, with groceries, five pounds of ground chuck, a five pound brisket, and two pounds of meatloaf mix, she began making sloppy joes for lunches, as well as hanky pankies, lasagna, and vegetable soup, all to freeze and bring out when everyone arrives. Making three meals a day for two weeks becomes a lot easier when you can pull something our of the freezer for lunches or dinners.

Rain Filled Hostas

It cleared up in the afternoon, so we could enjoy the outdoors, getting some sun, kayaking, cutting some weeds, and swimming.  It was quite warm in the sun, humid as well from the rain, but it was fine in the water.  At 5:15, we went to the Woodlawn picnic, in the Scholtz and Miller yards.  We were the first ones to arrive, and we all wondered if anyone else was coming.   Finally, we had about 15 neighbors gather, to share appetizers, have a drink, and catch up.  We stayed only an hour, as did most. Though sparsely attended, it's still fun to get together.

Ladies of Woodlawn

The Guys Gather at Woodlawn Picnic

We were full enough after the gathering, so Evie boiled a few Slovenia sausages, and that was our dinner.    It was a pleasant night, so we sat on the porch and enjoyed the early evening with a beer before eating dinner.  I love porches, as do most of us along Woodlawn, where they, the porches, are always filled with people in the summer months.  Porches are the best, however, when it rains and you are dry and cosy under the roof.  We watched a few more episodes of Nurse Jackie, read some, and went to be around 11:00.

Back To Normal, Gray, Overcast, With Drizzle

6:45

Enjoying the Sunshine

Up at 6:40, again we did not hear the bass boats take off(windows were closed) and I was surprised to see how stormy it looked, a southerly wind, a few rain drops, 62º, with thundershowers expected on and off during the day.  At least yesterday was the perfect Saturday, sunny and pleasant, warm enough but not hot.

Yesterday began with my sixth day of yoga in a row, the first time I have been so consistent.  Five new students and me, so Chris was happy.  A good class, I came home, bragging to Evie about my consistent yoga-ing, and she had to the gall to call me a 'yoga wimp,' that real men would be in a gym, tossing weights around, working up a sweat, not lying on their backs with a bunch of ladies chanting OMM.  Ah wives, they know how to wield the knife.  So, I don't think I will go to yoga next week, but get out the compression shorts, the wife beater tee shirt and hit the gym.

Yesterday was a great day, as I mentioned above, and we spent much of it getting ready for the Woodlawn picnic at 5:00.  Evie made potato chips, a neighborhood favorite, and cut the lawn, so it looked like a green you might find at the U.S, Open.  I did some trimming around the bushes, went to the Transfer Station, read, watched the U. S. Open, had thoughts of kayaking but I was too lazy to walk down to the lake's edge, jump in my kayak, and paddle out into the open sea.  What a yoga wimp!

Appetizers and Socializing

Ah, Evie's Home Made Potato Chips

Our neighbors came over at 5:00 and for June, we had a nice group; everyone brings an appetizer and their own drinks, so it's easy for the hosts and we usually have enough food so that you don't need dinner.  The nice thing about this gathering is that it lasts only till about 7:00, neighbors and their friends are invited,  so it does not necessarily get in the way of doing something later in the evening.  The Fox's and Friends, for example, came for an hour, then went off to the Southern Tier Brewery, where Big Leg Emma was playing a free concert.  It was good to talk with some of the neighbors we have not seen since fall, as the summer residents are beginning to show up.  And it's fun to meet some of the neighbors' grandchildren, who often come along with their parents, in this case, Mary Ann Miller's grandchildren.  We probably had around twenty to twenty five people total and everyone headed home around 7:00,  It was an easy clean up for us, empty the waste basket, take the table cloth off the table, bring in the empty chip bowl and that was it.

Three Generations of Woodlawners...Mary Ann Miller and Family

Susie Elste and Joyce Leonard

Around 8:30, we had some left over pasta and eggplant, from a couple of night's ago, and it was better than ever.  Anything with tomatoes in it always tastes better the next day or two.  It began to cloud up around 8:00 and we expected some rain during the night but it never did rain, waiting, I suppose, for today when everyone wants to enjoy the outdoors.  I am trudging through a highly recommended book called HARVARD SQUARE, which I don't like much but I am loathe to put it down, thinking it might get better.  I doubt it.  To bed around 11:00, after some TV and reading.

Gray, Overcast, and Rainy... And I Like It

Saluting Our Veterans on Memorial Day

6:30

Up at 6:30 and surprise, no sunshine in the living room, but the sound of rain on the roof, rain drops on the front windows, the furniture on our front porch damp (I forgot to cover them), and a gray, gray outdoors, lake, sky, a line of heavy rain across the lake, over towards Bemus.  It  feels nice and cosy inside; I feel lazy and may just skip yoga this morning, as I am getting tired of it.

Yesterday was a perfect Memorial Day, sunny and breezy, but enjoyable outside, even if a fleece was necessary.  Around 10:00, I drove to Mc Clure's, parked my car, and I had decided to ride my bike, enjoy the Mayville Memorial Day Parade that my buddy Ron had mentioned started at 10:00, which he had checked out on his computer earlier in the day.  So off I went, biking the back road, but could not find a trace of a parade, thought perhaps it was later in the day.  I biked around village, off again to the lake, along Sea Lion Drive and back to Lighthouse Point, jumped in my car, bought some ground chuck at the Lighthouse and went home.  Evie, meanwhile, had made a banana cream pie for tonight's picnic and was about ready to deep fry more potato chips as well.

At 1:30, I did some more shopping for the picnic at Topps, then stopped at Mc Clures, to help Ron launch his monster pontoon boat, mentioning that there was no parade.  He assured me he had found it on the Internet, went back to his computer to show me, and realized he was reading about Mayville, Wisconsin, not New York.  He had a good laugh!  Launching the boat went easily, no hiccups, the only difficult part getting the ropes set up correctly so, when docked, the wind does not move the boat into the next slip.  I was home by 3:00, relaxed some, read, then we started to get ready for the picnic, wondering if it would be warm enough to sit outside.

The Gals, Happy to Be Back At The Lake

Well, it was warm enough till about 6:30 when it suddenly seemed to get cold, so we went inside to get dinner on the table.  We had the Mc Clures over, of course, and our two neighborhoods who just arrived for the summer, the Leonard's from Valley Forge, the Joneses from Houston.  We had lots to talk about, as we enjoyed Evie's home made chips (Dave Jones wanted to know what brand they were), with bleu cheese, as well as guacamole and tortilla chips.  For dinner, I cooked burgers and Sahlen hot dogs, to go along with Linda's potato salad, Evie's broccoli and cheese salad, Florida corn, and all the fixings for the dogs and burgers.  Everyone loved the meal, as the last time we had a picnic like this was likely Labor Day.  For whatever reason, it was the perfect meal for a Memorial Day.  And, of course, we topped it off we banana cream pie and Turkish tea, with a fire in our fireplace, a nice way to end the day.

Three Veterans, Enjoying Memorial Day

Everyone  helped some with the dishes after we cleared the table, so when our guests left around 9:30, we had the kitchen cleaned up within 15 minutes. This after dinner clean up is getting to be a habit; we like a clean kitchen when we get up in the morning.  I wonder if this is  being obsessive, too controlling, or just common sense?  An article in today's New York Times asks that question: "Is it healthy to keep our bodies and homes squeaky clean, or should we relax a bit?" You know my answer and probably Evie's!

A Bright Shiny Memorial Day

Jim and Barb Fox on their Porch

6:00

With Alex Kinney and his Fiance, Maggie

Up in time to watch the sunrise over the lake, steam rising from the water, 38º so we missed a freeze.  The lake's quiet, no fishermen or kayakers at this hour, most likely because of the cool morning.  It's going to warm up over the next couple of days, a high around 70º today, perfect for Memorial Day parades.

Yesterday was sunny but cool, highs in the low 60's and if it were winter, we would be raving about how warm it was. It's spring, however, so it feels cold to us, so we get out the fleeces.  We took our weekly Sunday walk around the Chautauqua Institute and each week, it gets more busy, with docks going in, more crowded, more families, more people out for a Sunday walk.  The azaleas and rhododendrons, the dogwoods, even some of the perennials are in bloom, so it's a much different place to walk in then a month ago, when the trees were just barely showing a green bud.  No wonder spring was so magical for farmers, for the Romantic poets, for the Greeks and Romans...a change in weather, a longer day, more sun, brings a panoply of life and color to the barren world of winter.

Marjorie, Jim, Debi, and Evie

We spent the afternoon relaxing, a leisurely Sunday, reading mostly and Evie made her specialty, home made potato chips and blue cheese dip for the Fox's porch party late afternoon.  We did not go outside much, other than our walk, and for once, we did not work in our yard, just enjoying a day of rest, what Sunday's are for.

Enjoying the Appetizer, Sun, and Lake

Bergens and Jim Fox's Sister and Husband

Mary Ann Miller, son Tom, and daughter in law

At 5:00, we went to our neighbor's home for their porch party.  Because it was so cool, everyone was in jackets and fleeces and we spent no time on the porch, but in the sun where it was warmer.  It was a glorious afternoon, breezy, sunny skies, blue lake, as we all reconnected after a winter of hibernation.  Barb and Jim are welcoming hosts, fun to be with, and we enjoyed seeing our neighbors, most we have not seen since last Summer.  Everyone brought tasty appetizers, the highlight being Barb Fox's deviled eggs, marinated in wing sauce, topped with blue cheese. The major topic of conversation was the Kinney's new sailboat, trailered a couple of weekends ago from Long Island and just launched Saturday afternoon, now ready for a summer of sailing.  As the sun began to disappear behind the trees, Jim Fox built a fire and we all gathered around it, on benches, to enjoy the setting sun and the fire's warmth.  Evie and I went home around 8:30, to relax and read, before going to bed around 11:00.  The party was a great way to end the day, welcome late spring, the coming of summer.

Love My Pink Gloves

Cool and Changing Morning Sky After The Clambake

My Dad, Bake Master, 1985

7:20

7:55

One of the Bake Essentials, Cases of Beer

Getting Ready for Thirty

A nice morning, a mostly sunny Sunday to look forward to.  It's 42 degrees outside, smooth lake, clouds but also some pink and orange, as the sun peaks in and out of the gray.  I walked outside to get the paper, to take some photos and the cool air felt refreshing, made me want to hike or walk or kayak.

Yesterday, the rains held off, allowing us to get some things done outside,. Evie cut the lawn, and I started putting things up in my garage, clearing the dock, the usual fall sort of things.  But, about 4:00, just as the Fox/Kinney clambake was to begin, it started to rain.  And around 3:00, Evie started frying potato chips for the party, so that took her over an hour but I have to say, it was worth it.  I was the tester, as she fried.

Ah, Evie's homemade chips

Watching the Bake Boil

I had forgotten how much work a clambake involves, as the guys and gals started in the morning, clearing out the garage, getting the tables and chairs for thirty ready, icing the beer, getting the bake ready chickens and sweet potatoes, all those sorts of things.  It's much easier to attend then put on, no doubt.  It did bring make good memories, of clambakes at my house in Euclid when I was young, at my sister Linda's house when we lived in Hudson.  And the best thing, rain does not seem to matter.  Everyone just enjoyed the afternoon and evening, drinking beer or sipping wine, occasionally stepping out side to talk with Jim Fox, the bake master who, fortunately, had a canopy over the bake, making is easy enough for four or five people to stand and wait for the bake to come to a boil.  Both Barb and Jim Fox grew up in the Cleveland area and their families always had clambakes, from Euclid Fish, where else.  So they brought the bake and boiler from Cleveland on Friday, on ice.  And the bake included the usual, sweet potatoes, chicken halves and, of course the broth, so hot that if you are not careful, you will burn your tongue.  I did my best to help Jim out with the bake, and Bud Kinney with barbecuing the chicken but they pretty much had things in hand.  I know I always like having some around to talk to if I am  outside barbecuing.

Enjoying the Bake in Kinney's Garage

Chris, Susan, Ted and Jackie Riek

The group was made up of mostly neighbors, Barb and Jim Fox, his sisters Diane and Sue and their husbands, John and Chris, Bud and Debi Kinney and their three sons with girl friends, Joe and Betsy Bergen, and her cousin, Michael, and the Lauer/Riek/ Dempsey house, Jackie, Lynn. Ted, and Flip. A few other friends of the group were also invited, like Julie Lescynskii, our late neighbor, Doc Landon's daughter.  We had a great time catching up. Jim's sister Diane and her husband, John, get the award for driving the farthest, from near Berkeley Springs,  West Virginia.  John also made these amazing sculptures out of gourds, various shapes, even a duck, with lights inside to create neat table decorations.  I am sorry I don't have a good picture of one.

Michael, John and Betsy

What a Great Clam Bake (Possible screen saver Barb?)

We had desserts compliments of Joe Bergen and Betsy's cousin, Michael,  to top off the evening.  We sat around till about 9:30, just enjoying the night, the conversation, as it's always fun to gather with our neighbors. We feel very lucky to be included in this group.  It was also fun to have all ages included,  the Kinney's kids as well as us older folks.

Another Warm Sunday on the Lake

Marisa's Irish Dance Recital(photo by Bella Luna)

6:00

Some of the Ladies of Woodlawn

Some of the Woodlawn Boys

Appetizers

Woodlawn's President...Four More Years

Debi Kinney and Evie

Woodlawn Meeting

Up early. 5:50, to a clear sky, breezy, with a muddled lake.  Not much action on the lake; I wonder where the Bass Tournament went?  Perhaps it was only on Saturday.  A chance of rain later today, high in the low 80's.  Later today, we head over to Bemus to celebrate Linda Mc Clure's birthday, with drinks on the Lenhart Porch, then dinner at the Seezurh House.

Saturday was an easy day, with not much we had to do.  I hit the Transfer Station early, then went in to Lakewood, to the bank, a nursery and Ryder's Cup for coffee.  When I returned home, Evie was already on the dock reading Rodger Rosenblatt's Kayak Morining, the sequel to his Making Toast, the story about his daughter's shocking death and her children coming to live with him and his wife.  I decided I needed some exercise so I went to the CI for a bike ride.  I rode around the grounds twice, staying on the outer edge as it's getting crowded because it opens in a week.  I also went to the library and picked up the next two Kurt Wallander novels, my fourth and fifth. The rest of the afternoon we spent on the dock (Evie finished Kayak Morning on the Kindle) and I slogged through The White Lioness.

At 5:30, we walked down to the Woodlawn picnic and enjoyed seeing all the neighbors, especially those we had not seen since the fall.  These picnics are always congenial.  No pressure to come or stay, everyone seemingly happy to stop by for fifteen minutes or two hours.  It's an easy and nice way to stay connected with neighbors, catch up and yet not ruin the day.  It lasts from 5:00 to 7:00.  Everyone brings a dish.  If you have friends up, they are invited, as our any relatives hanging around the house.  And if you still want to do something that evening, you have time to do so,

After the gathering, we walked over to the campground because they were having a chicken barbecue. We thought we might be able to pick up a dinner but we were too late.  We did talk with Mark Anderson, the owner, who recognized us from past meetings.  I mentioned that I heard him on WJTN, the local radio station this morning and he laughed, saying this was always good publicity for the campground.  It was a busy campground, but Mark mentioned it was because it was half price weekend.  It's that way every year.

We went home to hot dogs and attempts to watch two movies, neither one we stayed with for long, Affliction and Adaptation.  We were happy to 'cop some zees' by 10:30, another college term.

My Dad Enjoying the Lake

Happy Father's day to my Dad, Frank Davis.  We all miss him.  He died on March 31st, 2006 and was  born on July 27th, 1914.  A good guy.

And Happy Father's Day to my father in law, Ed Petkovsek, ninety three years old and still kicking.

Fast Eddie