Attending The Church Of Nature

6:45

7:00

7:20

7:34

It's now almost 8:00, have been up since 6:15 and Evie, the lucky girl, just got up.  The pre sunrise sky has been spectacular, lots of clouds, colors, shadows, so that  I didn't know when to take a photograph but I did.  It's much cooler, as fall is in the air, a modest 50º out, bracing when I went out to get the paper.

Yesterday we finally got the rain we have been wanting, perhaps more than we wanted (1.25 inches).  It rained early when I went off to dispose of my paints, tires, etc, at the Cummings Engine Plant.  I got there at 8:00 and there was already a line up of cars and trucks, filled with stereos and TV's.  I was out and on my way home within 15 minutes, the employees of Cummins efficient and helpful.  What a great way for Cummins to give back to the community.  Neighbors went later in the morning and had to wait close to an hour to get through the line.  I was surprised they would not take an old air conditioner but when I took my trash to the Transfer Station later in the morning, they took it without a question.  And that was my business for the day.

Evie, meanwhile, spent a good part of the morning and afternoon on the phone, with our kids, who called to wish her a happy birthday.  It was cloudy and threatening much of the afternoon, keeping us inside but around 3:00, Evie decided clouds or not, she was going to enjoy the dock.  So while I sat inside watching Ohio State play for a quarter (they looked bad), she enjoyed the dock, wrapped in a towel because of the breeze.  I finally decided to kayak and fish, took off for Long Point, then fished by the reeds, catching nothing of course, then hurried home as the clouds began to gather.  Within 15 minutes of my returning, the sky opened up, the winds picked up, and we had a vicious storm for about forty five minutes, heavy winds, pounding rain, flooding the yards and roads, sending more mud into the lake, alas,  While this was going on, we were both showering and getting dressed to go out to Brazill's in Westfield with the Mc Clures, to celebrate Evie's birthday.

The Birthday Girl And Linda

It had stopped raining by the time we picked them up so the drive to Westfield was easy.  We parked literally in front of the restaurant and our table was waiting.  It was busy but not overly so as I assume the end of the Chautauqua Institution season has cut into their business.  Now its just locals like us that patronize it.  We really like the atmosphere, the food, always good because their menu remains the same, with the exception of a special each night.  Evie and Linda had the salmon, Ron the steak special and I had scallops.  All were good and for dessert and her birthday, Evie got a grape/peach pie which we all shared.

We were home by 9:30 and for some reason I was wiped out, perhaps getting up so early was catching up, so I went up to bed and fell sound asleep, trying to read my book.

Today we hope to go to the twice cancelled Chalk Walk in Jamestown later in the day, always fun.

Early Morning Showers/Happy Birthday Wishes to Evie and Son, Tom

7:05

Bass Boats In Rain

No spectacular sunrise this morning, just the steady sounds of rain on the roof, dripping onto the ground and gray skies and lake, once the darkness disappears.  It's 64º out and may rain on and off most of the day, a special day actually because it is both my wife and son Tom's birthday.

Yesterday, at least for me was a waste.  I had a doctor's appointment in Erie at 9:00, so I left about 8:00, got there on time,  and was out of the office by 9: 15.  I had an appointment for an oil change at 11:00 so I had a couple of hours to waste, so I browsed at Dick's, then T. J.'s, picking up a pair of light weight running pants, seemingly talls which are hard to find.  I got a coffee from Starbucks, the first in quite a while and I am always surprised at how busy a Starbucks is, even during working hours.  I wonder who works.  I got to the Honda dealer at 11:00 and was out by 12:30, in time to check on when our new Subaru will arrive at the dealer, just down the street...another week.  I then drove home, stopping at a veggie stand on RT 89 to pick up some Pot Of Gold milk and tomatoes, then drove on to Westfield.  I pulled into the new Mazza wine building's parking lot, and along with seven or eight others, tasted their beverages.  It's no longer just a wine tasting venue, as they now have craft beers and both a bourbon and rye whiskey.  I tasted the rye whiskey for a buck, looked at their wine selection, over priced and probably not very good, and left.  I then stopped at the Westfield Nursery, to see how much a maple tree might cost, about two hundred bucks for a trunk with an inch and a half diameter.  I moved on to Tops in Mayville, to buy some coffee because Evie had texted me to say we were out.  I finally arrived home, exhausted from doing nothing, just as Evie was finishing cutting the lawn.

Sine the Cummins Engine plant is having a free recycling day Saturday  morning, I gathered up items I wanted to  get rid of, like paint, an old computer monitor, tires, and an old air conditioner.  Once that was done and Evie finished the lawn, we both went out to enjoy what might be our last warm day on the dock.  I soon got bored, took off in my kayak to fish, or rather to cast, what I call zen fishing (goalless because I never catch anything), and after casting for 15 minutes, I turned around and the entire northern half of the lake was enveloped by gray clouds.  The wind picked up as well, so I kayaked back.

Kayaing With The Geese

We had planned on a boat cruise, but Evie checked the weather and despite the gray skies, no rain was predicted, so we had a nice cruise to Bemus and back, as the sky began to clear some as well.  We met our neighbors, the Fox's, out cruising as well. They enjoy the lake as much as we do.

Sky While Boating

For dinner, Evie sauteed some chicken thighs, added a Trader Joe's Stir sauce, along with some broccoli, cooked the rice, and we had a really good dinner.  Both of us devoured it, nicely spiced and topped with yogurt.  Almost any stew like this is always better topped with yogurt, something I learned from the Turks who also used yogurt on everything.  We watched two more episodes of The Fall, a BBC production.  It's quite good except for some of the graphic violent scenes which make both of us turn our heads.  Why?  The Greeks knew better, never having any violence occur on stage, as if it was not appropriate or necessary for the play or audience.

Friday Dusk

It's just after 7:00 and there must be a fishing tournament as the bas boats are blasting  past Long Point, from the marina, in the rain, off to catch that fish.

Chautauqua Calm

7:06

7:08

7:30

I am up at my usual, 6:00,  a band of pink of Bemus Bay, then a light blue sky.  It sounds like this will be the last clear day, as much needed rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow. Right now I am enjoying the moment, waiting for the sun to rise above the sky line in 15 minutes or so.  A few guys are out on the lake fishing, a few sea gulls flutter by, a typical morning here at Chautauqua Lake

We got a good paddle in around 10:00, after I went off to breakfast in Bemus at 8:00, with the guys, breaking my healthy breakfast routine of yogurt and granola by having two poached eggs on hash, in fact, all three of us had the same thing. Yum.  While I was gone, Evie got busy, cleaning the kitchen and downstairs while I was living it up with breakfast.  So, we took off towards Maple Springs in our kayaks, on a smooth, windless morning, heading straight across the lake, not our favorite way because we like to hug the shore.  When we got to the Eastern shore, the water was clear, the shore surprising shallow in some areas.  It makes one wonder how some of the boats are able to get out from their docks.

The afternoon went too quickly, as we read and swam, the lake amazing, clear and calm, no algae either. There were more boats on the lake than usual for this time of the year because it was another perfect day on the lake.  We were going out for dinner at our neighbor's at 6:30 but we couldn't resist a cruise around 5:00 for an hour, down to Whitney Bay and back.  The wind picked up just before we left but it was still nice to be out on the water.

Dinner with Charlie, Ken, Marjorie and Mary Ann

At 6:30, we walked over to Margie and Ken Scholtz's house, three doors down.  We have become good friends over the past couple of years since we have both retired.  And we both have a teaching background, so we have lots in common.  And their good friend, Charlie Tea, also a retired teacher, is usually included.  Marjorie's sister, Mary Ann, also joined us.  We got together last week at our house and intend on going out next week.  We are becoming so social that I can hardly stand it!  We sat out on their great porch for wine and appetizers, then had a great dinner of sauteed vegetables, a spiced and grilled chicken breast and peach short cake for dessert.  We never lack for something to talk about because we all have teaching stories, numerous grandchildren, and are fairly liberal so we had a good time talking about the previous night's debate.  It's always uncomfortable talking about politics if you not sure of your friends politics. Fortunately, we all seem to agree.  Religion, however, is off the table (for now).

We got home about 9:30, in time to watch the Chiefs/Broncos play for a quarter before going upstairs to read and sleep.

I am driving into Erie today for a yearly doctor's appointment, perhaps a stop at Dick's Sporting Goods and Wegman's, and then I have an oil change scheduled for my Honda Pilot.  Not my favorite way to spend a Friday morning and early afternoon.

A Voyage Down The River ( Chadakoin)

6:41

7:33

It's 6:30 and I have been up for an hour.  I can hear the geese honking, the ducks quacking off in the distance, the only sounds of the morning.  A huge cloud or fog bank hovers over the opposite shore, with pink, then blue skies above.  From where I sit, it looks like a vast mountain, dwarfing the trees at the tip of Long Point.  The lake, however, is visible, shades of blue, gray, and pink dapple the surface.  Long Point is visible but not the Bemus shore.  I am not sure a photograph will do it justice.

The Gals On A River Cruise

Yesterday was, as the British might say, tip top, a fantastic day to be out on the lake, or as we did, take a four hour boat ride down to the south end of the lake, then up the Chadakoin River to Jamestown, a trip I might add, if this were the 1920's, would be people by numerous ferries, paddle boats, taking visitors from Jamestown, down the river and up the lake to various hotels.  And only one of those grand dames remains, the Lenhart, in Bemus Point, the rest having all been victims of fire.  We try to make this trip once a year, usually with our friends, Linda and Ron McClure.  This year we left around 11:00, meandered down the western side of the lake, looking at the various homes, the neighborhoods, until we got to the village of Celeron, where the river begins.  We were worried a bit about the depth, so I pulled my motor up some, and we stayed mid river most of the way, a trip back into time, or so it seemed, few if any houses, just woods or swamps on either sides, an occasional fishing boat or kayak, a few herons and us.  It took us little over two hours to get to Jamestown, to Mc Crea Point, where we dock, use the restrooms, then head back.

Ready For Lunch

We have planned for our trip with a great lunch, which we have as we head back up the river to its mouth.  Nothing healthy this trip, sub sandwiches, chips, dip, corn curls, and a few carrots and radishes to make us feel better about ourselves.  We witnessed the strangest sight on our way back, forty to fifty birds, perched in the trees, just sitting there, watching us, like vultures but they weren't.  We still are not quite sure what kind of birds they were and assumed they were migrating South.  Our final guess is they were some kind of duck.  We took our time coming home, cruising the Eastern shoreline, always commenting on how built up this lake is compared to most.  And it's interesting to see how, each year, a new McMansion seems to appear, dwarfing the cottages on either side, empty and out of place.  We got home around 4:00, happy and full and vowed to do it again next year.

Durck? Cormorant?

More

We were tired from being in the sun, so I took a nap, read some and Evie worked on her photo album until 6:30 when we went out to dinner with our neighbors, the Leonards and Pat Jones.  They had heard that a bar/restaurant we frequent had great pot roast tacos, so they wanted to try it.  I was not sure it was their kind of place but they loved it and the tacos were great, with lots of cole slaw and fixings.  Evie and I, however, got wings because it was Wing Night.  They, too, were great as were their freshly cut fries.  The place was packed, so that we could hardly find a place to park.  Everyone said they would go back so it was a successful evening out.

Fat Boy Slim And Friends

We came home and watched the Republican debate until I could not stand it (Trump) any longer.  It was good to get back to my book.

And The Lake Starts To Turn (Green)

6:32 

6:38

7:30

It's 7:30, another bright, sun shiny morning on the lake, a cool 54º though it should get up to the 80's later in the day, in other words, great sleeping at night, sunny and warm during the day.  Perfection. And it's supposed to be this way until Saturday when rain is forecast.

Yesterday was another day of what I like to call 'large leisure,' as we did very little in the house or out, not that we feel guilty.  It was too nice outside to comtemplate doing anything other than making lunch.  We sat around waiting for it to warm up in the morning before going kayaking over to Long Point, stopping to talk with the Scholtz's, who were also kayaking, and they invited us to dinner, the first time we have gotten a dinner invitation while kayaking.  And unlike Monday, the calm of morning continued and we had an easy paddle home.

After paddling, we contemplatied a drive and a hike to Griffiths Sculpture Park, outside of Ellicottville but Evie talked some sense into to me, and we are putting it off until it cools off in October.  And it was too nice on the lake.  I had an easy lunch of leftover spaghetti, watched some Longmire but soon got bored because I wanted to get outside.  I took the cover off our boat, did some work on the dock, taking out some of the screws before the water gets cold.  The dock will be ready, then, to take out in a couple of weeks.

We enjoyed the calm and quiet of the afternoon, hardly a whisper of a wind until 4:30 when we went for a nice, slow cruise over to Bemus Point and back, the lake unfortuntately, turning green from the algae, something that happens at least once a year, supposedly a normal occurence according to the experts.  Still, it makes the water unappetizing for a swim, fine for a cruise.  After our hour ride, we sat on the porch, Evie working on Shutterfly, sipping her wine, enjoying the brie while I did some reading.  Another fine early evening on our porch.  Dinner was easy, a frozen, leftover dinner of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, surprisingly tasty.  We watched Stephen Colbert, another episode of The Fall, and a few other forgetable programs before going up to bed to read.

Today, we are going to boat down to Celeron, then up the Chadokoin River to Me Crea Point and back, something we try to do each year with the Ron and Linda McClure.  We bring along lunch, some beers, and make a fun cruise out of it.

EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU: CELESTE NG

This is the story of the Young family, Chinese American, the father, James, a second generation Chinese, a professor at a small university in Ohio, the mother, Marilyn, a reluctant home maker and their three children, Nath, about to enter Harvard, Lydia, who commits suicide in her sixteenth year, and Hannah, the eight year old sister from who we see much of the familial tragedy. It takes place in the 1970's, in a small Ohio town.  What follows are the opening sentences of the novel, so there are no spoilers:

"Lydia is  dead. But they don't know this yet.  1977 May 3, six thirty in the morning, no one knows anything but this innocuous fact: Lydia is late for breakfast." 

The rest of the book describes the various family members attempts to make sense of this tragedy, the actions of the distraught parents and the furious brother, are  often seen through the eyes of eight year old Hannah.  It's a book that grows on you, as the family members are fleshed out and we begin to understand and sympathize with their anguish, their pain and fight to understand Lydia's suicide (if it is a suicide since there is a chance it was an accident).  The mother begins to realize how her plans for her daughter, much like that of a Tiger mom, have partially led to this end.  And the father's sense of otherness, of inferiority, because he's Asian has also played its role.  The two siblings to a far lesser extent have some blame, the brother for his anger towards Lydia because she is dating Nath's evil twin, Jack.  Nath never really understands what's going on between the two of them; he assumes they are sleeping together when in reality, all Jack wants is to be near Nath (he's gay).  So concisely, that's the book, well worth reading.  There are many flashbacks, obviously, to Lydia, to her growing unhappiness and the futility of her life changing. Growing up as the 'other,' or as an outsider and never quite fitting in, has rarely been so real.  There are no bad guys in this novel which makes it all the more tragic and sad.  Everyone thinks they are doing the right thing but they never ask if Lydia agrees.

Autumn's In The Air

7:05

7:10

I was awake at 6:00, stayed in bed until 6:30 but got up because I did not want to miss the sunrise.  The sky was absolutely cloudless at 6:35, a tinge of rose above the coast.  It got brighter and brighter until the sun popped above the horizon, literally blinding me, making me fear for the camera's sensitive lens. It' 48º at the moment, stream rising on the shiny lake, the highs later in the day in the 70's as the days begin to warm up to summer like afternoons.

Long Point Bay

Yesterday was another stellar morning, afternoon and evening, blue skies, puffy clouds and temperate weather.  We could not resist the lake, so we went off kayaking around 10:15, to Long Point, then dragged our kayaks up on the lawn of the Pavilion.  We then spent a good hour hiking the park, the trails still marked with chalk from the past weekends cross country meet.  Evie took lots of photos with her new camera, an early birthday present.  We met one person on the trail, a woman runner.  It was cool enough so we did not work up a sweat yet did not need a fleece, just a long sleeve jersey.  It was glorious, exciting, energizing, to be both on the lake and woods on a morning like this. Our paddle home, however, was a bear, as the wind picked up, the waves hitting our kayaks,  getting us wet.  It took a good forty five minutes to get home when it should have taken less than a half hour, the fickleness of the lake.  Ironically, the lake in our bay was calm and one would never think it would be difficult to paddle across the lake.

Trails At Long Point

Money Does Grow On Trees

Before we went out on the lake, Evie had decorated cookies and packed them up to send off.  So, after lunch, after a nap, after some dock time, I drove off to Lakewood, mailed the packages, then did some shopping at Wegman's.  I picked up the usual staples along with three bad boys: some affinois brie, a six pack of Not Your Father's Root Beer, and a half gallon of Perry's  Bittersweet Sinphony ice cream.  When I got home, Evie was just coming off the dock because it was too cold, the sun, starting to set, hid behind our trees, putting the dock in shade.  So we sat on our porch with a glass of vino, Evie working on another Shutterfly Photo Album, muttering about how she cannot find this or that picture.  And I read my novel, THE BONE TREE, set in Natchez, Mississippi.

While I shopped, Evie seared some mushrooms, got out frozen meatballs, and made a spaghetti sauce for dinner.  So all was ready for dinner at 7:00.  All she needed to do was boil water, cook the noodles and make a salad.  O, yea, we also had garlic bread.  Dinner was great and we watched another movie with Kristin Wiig called WELCOME TO ME.  It's the story of a delusional woman who wins 82 million in the lottery and uses her wealth to write and star in her own TV show, like Oprah but it's only about her.  I found it boring and silly but Evie seemed to like it.  There's no accounting for taste.  We then watched two episodes of a British murder mystery series called THE FALL, which definitely got both of our attention because it's about a serial killer. A good part of the series follows him, an average joe with a family, two kids, a happy wife; he's just a serial killer.  I am not sure what today will bring.  I have an idea but have not passed it by Evie yet...it's too early.