Fourteen Of Us, Finally

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Mitchell Is Back From Barcelona (with a mug for his Granny)

Tyler

Nick

5:22

6:15 

Henry

A beautiful morning sky, partly cloudy with lots of pinks and oranges, like something you might get in Arizona magazine.  It's cooling off for a couple of days with a high in the low 70's, so it looks like a great Saturday, the final day at the lake for both Tommy and Jill, alas. I took off for a paddle at 7:00, leaving Mitch and Rami to their devices.  The sky was schizophrenic, dark and overcast in one direction, sunny in another.  I did catch a heron hanging out above the reeds until he dropped down, behind them, hoping to catch a fish.  I paddled in, trying to find him, but he was too well hidden.

Beth

Moi

Yesterday was a busy day for all of us, lots to enjoy and do.  I was up early but instead of going kayaking at 7:00, Ramiro set up my Amazon Dot, so we played around with that instead of hitting the water early.  Around here, grandkids seem to be the last to rise, usually around 9:30 or later, some up to 11:00.  Oh, to be able to sleep in until 10:00or 11:00.  Beth took over the making of breakfast for all of us, eggs, bacon, and bagels if you were up by 10:30.  After then, you were on your own.  Around 11:00, Beth and I went out for a paddle, my usual circle, looking for herons but we were too late I think, as they seem to fish early. And Evie took the girls to the Blueberry Patch, another tradition, and came home with six pounds of blueberries, for pies and crisps and pancakes.

Margaret AndThe Girls

Petting Buddy, The Good Dog

Halle And Hayden

Everyone else just hung out, usually on their devices and Evie started to get things organized for both lunch and dinner, getting out the two trays of frozen ziti she made a week ago, hot dogs, and the leftover sloppy joes.

Working It

Hanging Out With Dad

Sisters

After Jill, Rami and Marisa did their workout, most of the girls went out to enjoy the sun on the dock.  Mary and Tommy, however, volunteered to make another run to Wegman's since they were going to work out at The Fitness Bunker in Lakewood.

Ready For The Dock

Docking It

Around 1:00, groups came in from the dock in dribbles, made themselves some lunch, then either went back out to enjoy the afternoon or stay in the house, play on their devices, or even take a nap.  I chose the latter., then sat with my grandson, Nick, on the porch with an Atlas, talking about his stay in Italy and travels for six weeks in May and June.  That's how most of the afternoon was spent.

Enjoying Microbrews At Ellicottville Brewery

Around 4:30, a group took off to enjoy a libation at the Ellicottville Brewery, about a 15-minute drive from our home.  Evie and I stayed behind with the girls and played some competitive games of bean bag, with Evie and Marlena beating Halle and me twice.

Bean Baggers 

Around 5:00, Beth left for the airport in Buffalo to pick up her # 2 son Mitchell, who was flying in from Barcelona, Spain that is not New York, after a three-month internship and class. The Southern Tier group were back by 6:00, in time to help set up for dinner.  And we relaxed before dinner, entertained by our crazy daughter, Jilly Bean.

Jill's Rockin Out To Barry White's 'Can't Get Enough Of You Babe'

Baked Ziti Dinner

We ate dinner around 7:00 and devoured the baked ziti, with or without eggplant.  We also had a huge salad and garlic bread and lots of red wine, so we feasted for a good hour, enjoying the food and family.

Mitchell's Back In The States

Mitchell and Beth arrived around 7:30, to great fanfare as we had not seen Mitchell since December.  He was tired but hungry so Evie put together the last of the ziti and salad for both he and Beth.  Tyler took the girls out for ice cream at Boxcar Barney's in Mayville while the rest of us just hung out, talking with Mitch.  Around 9:30, all of the grandchildren and a few of the adults squeezed into the TV room to watch Shark Week, this episode featured Shaq.

Moon Over Chautauqua Lake: 9:15

Most stayed up and watched it but Evie and I were exhausted and were the first to go up to bed, around 10:30.  I am not sure what time the girls came into our room to sleep but they were quiet.  I am sure the guys stayed up watching a movie till late.

A Freshly Washed Morning

Ice Cream After Wings At The Bemus Point Casino

Heron In The Morning 

7:12

7:15

It' 7:45 and I have yet to kayak or write my blog.  I have been up since 6:00 however, with my son in law, Ramiro, and we have been setting up my new Echo Dot.  I am not sure I need it or like it yet but it was a deal on Amazon Prime Day so how could I pass it up.  We got close to an inch of rain overnight and the morning sky is overcast, with fog rising off to the eastern shoreline.  It's 64º and should be cooler today, with some sun and clouds.

Yesterday was another partly cloudy day, more sunshine than we thought, so we were able to enjoy the lake.  I got in an early paddle and when I returned, everyone started to get up, the boys last because they did not get in until 1:30 in the morning.  So breakfast was staggered, as Beth made crepes for everyone from 9:30 to 11:30 when the last kids woke up. 

Lounging

Marlena, Halle, And Jill

Halle And Marlena

The gang then put on their bathing suits and most went out to enjoy the lake, the floating islands, jumping off the dock.  Rami and I, however, started talking about how he had cut the cable and saved quite a bit of money.  He now gets his TV through Direct TV Now and an Apple TV.  If you get the service, the two hundred dollar Apple TV is free.  Since we wanted to install it immediately, I went to Walmart and bought the Apple TV and we also stopped at Home Depot and picked up a ceiling fan for our back porch which Evie has always wanted.  Rami put in the one on our front porch, so he will be putting another one on our back porch this weekend.

Halle and Marisa

Nick And Halle Check Out Evie's Photo Book

Beth And Mary

When we returned home from shopping, everyone had come in from the lake and were enjoying sloppy joes, with dill pickles of course.  Evie made enough for an army, so we even have some leftover for today or tomorrow for our lunches.  The gang then went back out on the dock, sat on the porch, or relaxed in their bedrooms or played some competitive games of bean bag, or cornhole as the rednecks call it. 

Bean Bag By The Lake

Hayden And Marlena

Nick And Tyler

Hayden And Marlena

Rami and I, mostly Rami, then set up the Direct TV Now and Apple TV which was surprisingly easy.  The most difficult part will be learning how to use the Apple Remote and find our way around the various apps like Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix, as they are add-ons if you buy the Direct TV NOW.  The only thing left to do is call Spectrum and cut the cable but keep the Internet and, if we don't like it, we get to keep the Apple TV and can cancel anytime.  I received the bill for the first four months of TVNOW and it was equal to one month of Spectrum, quite a saving.

Ramiro And Crazy Jill

Me And The Birthday Boy, Ron

Hayden And Linda

A Faux Busty Jill, Turns Heads

Dinner was easy, just jump in a boat or car and drive over to the Casino as everyone wanted chicken wings, another tradition that has been going on all of our 35 years here at the lake. We were joined by our friends, Linda and Ron, so there were 15 of us.  Everyone ordered wings, of course, and they were as good as ever if not better.  Nothing like wings and Yuengling!  Because we knew a storm was brewing, after the wings, Tom, Mary and I took the boat back, put on the cover and came in the house just as it started to rain.  The gang, however, walked to the ice cream parlor, ordered cones, then came home. 

Nick

We sat on the front porch, listening to the rain, all thirteen of us until the kids went into the TV room to watch Shark Week, again, a TV show that seems to be on TV every summer when they visit.  The adults sat in the living room, reading, talking, or on our devices. munching on chips and having a before bed highball.  The kids stayed up to watch Stephen King's IT and the adults went up to bed, the end of good day.

And Now We Are Thirteen

5:30

6:15

7:00

7:30

Henry

Another calm, quiet morning on the lake, 61º out, a bit of pink over Long Point, where the sun should rise shortly.  The birds have quieted down, as summer progresses, no longer the cheerful sounds of spring and nest making.  Now it's mostly seagulls and crows, with an occasional screech by a great blue heron.  It's 6:30 now as I finish writing and the sun is bright enough to send me inside and consider getting ready to kayak before the gang starts getting up.  It's 7:30, Beth and Rami are the first up and I just got back from a paddle in the fog, kind of fun since there was little boat traffic.

Cousins Gabbing And Coloring

Yesterday was another partly cloudy day, with thunderstorms predicted, that turned out to be a sunny and warm day on the dock.  It started with an early paddle, finishing the blog, then waiting for Jill and her daughters to wake up. They flew into Buffalo Tuesday night late, arriving here at the house about 1:30 in the morning.  So they were sleeping in.  Halle was up first, then Jill, then Hayden around 11:00, followed by Marlena who must have been very tired.  I was a busy boy, driving to Hogan's, picking up ice, filling the cooler with beer and pop.  I then anchored a couple of buoys in the lake.  The one was heavy enough that I had to crouch underwater, grab the anchor and drag it out in seven or eight feet of water.  Once it was in place, Tommy carried our huge floating lounge downstairs and I then used an electric pump to inflate it.  It took a good half an hour.  The girls then helped pick it up, carried it to the water's edge, where I then floated it out to the buoy, about 20 feet beyond our dock.  We are now ready for summer fun.

Floating Dock About To Launch

Tres Chic Chickies

Ready To Jump

Leaping Gals

Thumbs Up

Around 12:30, after breakfast and lots of hugs, Tom and Mary went to work out at the Fitness Bunker in Lakewood, the did some shopping at Wegman's, stocking up on beer and other necessities.  The rest of us then did our own thing, the girls and Evie out on the dock, swimming sunbathing, jumping in the water.  Beth did lots of water coloring, both on the porch and on the dock.  Mary joined the girls on the dock as well. 

Evie And Halle With Our 8th Grader and Marlena Our High School Sophomore

Mary's In

Hayden. Our High School Senior

Sun Bathing

Marisa, Our Sophomore In High School

Jill, still exhausted from her late arrival, took a long nap.  I took a short one.  Whenever anyone was tired of the sun and swimming, they came in, got something to drink or made a sandwich, and sat down at the dining room table to color the tablecloth for a few minutes.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon, free to do whatever we felt like, inside or out.

Around 5:30, much of dinner was prepped with the help the girls, we gathered libations, pretzels and chips and took a cruise over to Bemus and back, a lovely late afternoon to be on the lake.  We were back around 6:45 and I quickly heated up the grill and threw a butterflied and marinated leg of lamb on it.

Father and Son, 75 and 50 This September

 While it was grilling, Beth was in the kitchen getting corn and potatoes ready and Evie and gang were upstairs, getting the bedrooms set for the arrival of the three guys, Ramiro, Nick, and Tyler who were coming in from Buffalo around 1:30 AM, Thursday morning.  Once the lamb was done, I put the corn on the grill for about 15 minutes, letting the lamb rest before carving it.

Dinner Al Fresco

We ate outside because it was such a nice night and sat there finishing up the lamb and drinking red wine until it became dark.

Ice Cream Girls

We were going to watch a film but it was 9:30 before we were done cleaning up, so the girls went into the TV room and watched a couple of episodes of THE OFFICE, a series all four of them love.  The rest of us hung out until we were too tired to stay up and left the girls downstairs to giggle, talk, and use their devices.  I am not sure what time they came up to our bedroom to sleep on the floor but it seemed late.  At least they were quiet, like good girls.