A Crisp 52º Morning

FisherGALS

Then And Now

6:14

6:16

6:17

6:30

6:30

6:53

6:54

A heavy line of clouds hovered over Long Point when I got up at 6:10.  It occasionally breaks through, to reflect on the lake.  And because of the crisp morning, the lake is smothered in a slow moving fog.  I should be jumping in my kayak and glide through it, but I won't, at least for now because I am listening to the news for the first time since Friday.  And nothing has changed, just more Trump antics, admired by Fox, ridiculed by MSNBC.  Well, it's 9:30 and Mitch and I just got back from an hour paddle to Long Point, Tom's Point and home.  It was 56º out when we started, 70º when we got back.

Kayaking With Mitchell

Yesterday was another strange day, as it was windy and chilly much of the day, ruining what we might have thought would have been a dock and boating day, not that anyone seemed to mind.  We all found things to do and just relaxing in the house, on the porch, or yard seemed just fine with the gang.

Rolling and Cutting Sticky Buns

When Evie got up, however, fireworks ensued as she and the girls got out the sticky buns dough, gave it another kneading, then together, they rolled out the dough, heated the caramel mixture and made 36 sticky buns, putting them in the oven around 10:30.

The Finished Product

While this was going on, a crew was over at Long Point for a run or bike, Mitchell was at The Fitness Bunker, and the girls, Evie and I were out on the dock fishing while the sticky buns baked.  The girls had a great time fishing with their hoodies because of the wind, as the fish were biting for once and we did not go in until we were sure it was time to devour the buns.

Girls Gone Fishing

The Motley Crew

Sunfish

They had to wait for them to cool for ten minutes, but after five, Halle was eating one.  I have to say, these were some of the best Evie's ever made and by the time the entire gang was home from working out and had some sticky buns, there were less than a dozen left by noon.

Everyone then had lunch of some kind, the guys' sandwiches, Nick an egg with and Mitch made a great looking egg and cheese souffle.  These boys like to cook.

Bubbles

Bubbles And Iphones

Our Volleyballers, Halle And Mitchell

The rest of the afternoon we spent lounging in the living room on our devices, playing volleyball, blowing bubbles, or out in the yard, playing some mean games of bean bag. Tommy and I had a great come back, to defeat Tyler and Nick in three, the last game 21-2, as the old men taught the youngsters a lesson.

Rock Painting

Crazy Rocks

The girls spent a good part of the afternoon out on the picnic table, painting rocks, a tradition here at the lake and each year, they get more and more creative.  Beth, of course, is the leader, helping the girls with their rocks, suggesting themes and colors.

Happy Hour

Bean Bag

Granny And Tyler

By 5:30, we were out in the yard drinking beer, or a specialty drink by Jill, a combination of guava, pineapple juices, with rum.  Everyone liked it, even the kids' virgin versions.  We played more bean bag until it was time for dinner.  Evie had made cabbage rolls weeks ago, so she popped two trays out of the freezer, heated them up, boiled a dozen Slovenian sausages, mashed some red potatoes, and cooked some corn.  We ate inside because it was too chilly out.  Who would have thought late July would be too chilly to eat outside.  Beth was going to miss dinner because she was taking Tyler to the Buffalo Airport for a 7:00 flight to Boston.  It was, unfortunately, delayed or fortunately, so that both Tyler and Beth were able to eat dinner with us, and Tyler took an Uber, leaving at 9:00 for an 11:30 flight. Dinner was great and even though most of the grandchildren had never had cabbage rolls, a number went back for seconds and thirds.  Needless to say, there was nothing left of our dinner by the time we finished.

Enjoying A Campfire In Our Fleeces

After dinner, Drew and Tommy got out the firepit, split some wood, and we sat around a nice, warming fire until it was dark and too cold to sit outside.  There's something hypnotic about a fire, so we often found ourselves just staring at it.  Evie got out some marshmallows although we had forgotten to get graham crackers and Hersey bars but no one seemed to care.  Around 9:00, six of us played another rousing and long game of Telefunky, finishing around 11:00.  Needless to say, by then everyone was more than ready for bed.

Me

150 Is Enough (Chicken Wings)

This Is All Of Us

The Grandchildren

7:20

Suddenly, we have a 60º fall like morning, with gray skies, some wind, a fleece type of weather here at the lake.  I am not complaining as it was good sleeping weather.  I am the only one up at the moment although Beth's husband, Rami, left for Buffalo around 4:00 for an early flight to Washington D.C. for business.  He's not here so the Uber driver from Buffalo must have made it.

Yesterday was a strange day, threatening to rain most of the day but we hardly got wet until last night on our boat ride home from the Village Casino.  We spent most our day either in the house or like yesterday morning, off to do something in Lakewood or Jamestown.  First, Beth had to drive Tyler to Urgent Care in Jamestown.  He had not only lots of wax in his ear as well as an infection. Afterward, Beth did a mega shopping at Wegman's, refilling our rapidly dwindling pantry.  Tommy, the boys, and Mary worked out at the Fitness Bunker until around noon.  Drew, Jill, and Hayden went for a run in Bemus Point.  So Evie and I were left with the girls.

With Joyce, At Ryder's Cup

 I decided to take them to their favorite coffee shop, get them frozen hot chocolates, their favorite and I also picked up four dozen organic eggs as we had gone through the four dozen over the weekend.  On the way home, we stopped at the bank, then the Ashville Library, a stop we always make with the girls so they can pet Libby, the library's friendly cat.

With Libby, The Ashville Library Cat

We all descended on the house around lunch time, so Evie got out a couple of frying pans and started frying up the pea meal bacon and eggs for the gang for lunch. The girls got out the matt and did some exercises until breakfast was ready.

Volleyball

Burpees

 The bacon was devoured quickly and I think we could have easily gone through another pound.  And that was it for the morning and early afternoon.

The Afternoon Sky

O, YEA!

The rest of the afternoon was spent either taking short naps, Jill and me, or our devices (all of us), The group also watched and an episode of Shark Week before a few of us went out on the dock to get some dock time.  Others played bean bag.  Nick, however, spent a good amount of time on his accounting homework, his test coming up on Thursday.  No one seemed bored although few took advantage of enjoying the outdoors.  We always take a family picture so everyone new that they had to be looking their best by 5:00.

Swimming In The Rain

So for the hour before 5:00, everyone was either in the shower or taking a dip in the lake, primping for the photo shoot.  I had my camera set up on a tripod and what can usually be an onerous task because of the reluctance of the kids, mostly Tyler, ended up going smoothly, with separate family pictures as well.

Our Daughter Jill's Family

Happy To Be Boating To The Casino

By 6:00, we were ready to go to the Bemus Point Village Casino for wings, so seven of us, despite the threatening sky, took the boat over to the Casino, the rest driving.  When we got there, the Casino was not very busy, so we easily got seats for 15 of us.  The only difficulty we had was deciding on how many wings to get, at the best price, and what kind of sauce.

Waiting For The Wings

Enjoying A Blue Moon

Finished And Full

Once that was done, we could enjoy our beer, as the girls went off to the game room until our wings arrived.  I could not believe we ordered 150 wings for 15 of us but by the end of our feast, nary a wing was left.

A Crazy Jill's Busting Out All Over

And they were stellar, possibly because Evie asked our waitress to make sure they were right out of the fryer and not sitting in the kitchen for 15 minutes.  She complied happily and everyone enjoyed their dinner.

150 Wings Later

A Ride To The Ice Cream Stand

Dad And His #1 Daughter

M & M

A Weird Brother With His Playful Sister

Beer And Ice Cream, Mother And Daughter

Tradition after the wings is the go to the playground for the kids to play but it was drizzling so we walked down to the ice cream shop, most of us kids getting ice cream but Drew, Jill, Tom and Mary stopped in at the Ellicottville Brewery, sat out side in their garden, having a final micro brew of the day.

Home In The Rain

Rain Doesn't Bother Me

Around 8:30, the seven of us regretted boating over to Bemus because we had to boat home in rain, the girls and Evie huddled under a blanket, the guys braving the falling rain.  It was more a drizzle than a hard rain, so it ended up being not so bad.

We all seemed tired when we got home, nobody wanting to play games or cards, so most of the group watched TV, another episode of Shark Week, then for the next hour, most watched part of the great shark movie, JAWS.  I think most of us had seen it before but it is still good.  Around 10:30, the girls remembered that Evie had yet to make sticky buns for the group, a favorite.  So five of them worked in the kitchen, putting together the dough for sticky buns and leaving it in the fridge overnight to rise. Once that was done, all of us except the boys went up to bed, happy knowing we would be having sticky buns in the morning.

Making Sticky Buns Before Bed