A Breezy And Sunny Morning

6:43

It's 9:00, the sun's reflection glimmering on the lake's surface, as I start my blog.  I kayaked for close to an hour, talked with weekend paddlers Jim and Tina before heading back to our dock.

Kayak Morning

Into The Sun

Friday was another good day for one reason; there was nothing we had to do, no yoga, no shopping, no housework, only what we wanted.  What a luxury.  So after kayaking and the blog, I decided to get out my bike and drive over to Bemus for a ride.  It was a good day for it, a nice breeze, just enough to keep me from getting too warm as I rode to Long Point State Park.  Once there, the trees kept me cool as I biked through the bumpy paths out to the tip of Long Point. I was out for an hour, my usual time and I looked forward to coming home and having a lunch of lentil soup and corn on the cob. 

Biking Long Point

Long Point January

While I was gone, Evie was in her garden, doing some weeding, getting rid of beetles, making sure everything looked healthy.  When I finished lunch, I started a new novel, Norwegian Night by Derek Miller, and napped while Evie went out to enjoy the sun on our dock.  I joined her around 3:00 and by 4:00, we were off on a cruise, to Bemus Point and beyond the bridge, then home on a busy lake as everyone seemed to either be out on their boat or on their dock, enjoying the great afternoon, of blue skies, puffy clouds, and a nice breeze. 

7:00

By 6:00, we were on our porch enjoying happy hour as the lake traffic settled down.  For dinner, I grilled a steak and Evie sauteed some mushrooms, made a salad and we had a good dinner.  We watched Colbert, some home improvement shows, then another episode of Working Wives which we are quickly losing interest in. Bed sounded good so we went up by 10:00.

One Fine Morning

6:15

6:15

8:31

For some reason, I am fat and happy this morning, a nice sunrise, a cool 59º, and a placid, almost empty lake.  I got in a good hour on the lake, spotted a couple of lanky herons, and the best part, it's now 8:50 and Evie's still sleeping after a busy couple of days.

Kayak Morning

Long Point Fishing Dock

Among The Reeds

I missed kayaking yesterday because of the heavy fog, but I had breakfast at the Bemus Point Inn with a couple of friends so that was a plus.  And after breakfast and the blog, I went to another crowded yoga class.  And, again, it was fun to see some of the regulars from past years return after a long Covid hiatus for some.  Afterward, I did a quick run-through of Wegman's looking for a couple of things for our dinner Thursday night with new friends but to no avail.  I did pick up corn from a stand that I think has the best corn around, just off of Hunt Road on Holly Lane.  I picked up a dozen and had an ear for lunch along with leftover mushroom man pizza from the Ashville Country store.  When I got home, Evie had just finished cutting the lawn and our yard and her garden both look amazing after all the rain.

Since we were having company, we were busy as always, with both of us cleaning, Evie mostly prepping our dinner.  I cleaned both porches, read, and napped and Evie made baklava, tomato sauce, and Turkish koftes for grilling.  No matter who we have for dinner or how many, cleaning and prepping for dinner seems to take up a good part of the day.  It also forces us to have a clean and neat house, a good thing I guess.  We did get to relax some mid-afternoon before showering and getting ready.

Jackie's Painting Of Purple Martin Fledglings

Jackie and Rick arrived at 6:00 and this was the first time for our meeting other than communicating on the blog or texting.  We first were aware of them when Jackie dropped off an amazing painting on our porch of our purple martins in December 2020.  We were not sure who dropped it off but finally found out it was Jackie, a regular viewer of our blog.  We got in touch with them before Covid but had not had a chance for them to come over until last night.  They both grew up in the area, either around the lake or in Fredonia, where Rick's father was the basketball, soccer coach, and AD at Fredonia State College in the 1960s.  They lived in Painted Post, NY near Corning, NY, until recently when they sold their house and moved to a house on the lake near Celeron.  So they will be almost our neighbors.  

Jackie And Rick

Evie asked if they had any food requests and they mentioned that after reading the blog, they would love to try Turkish food, so we had lentil soup for an appetizer on the porch along with gin and tonics.  I grilled the koftes around 7:30 and Evie put together Iskender kebabs, with pita bread, topped with spicy koftes, tomato sauce, and a dollop of yogurt.  They brought a couple of bottles of Cabernet from Finger Lakes vineyards and they were superb.  Both have traveled extensively in both Europe and the Far East so it was fun learning about their lives.   They left about 9:30, with a box of baklava to go and we vowed to get together again soon.  It was a fun night.  After they left, we put everything in the dishwasher, turned it on, and relaxed with some TV before bed. 

 

Chillin On A Foggy Morning

7:44

It's 54º at the moment, the fog thick enough to obscure almost anything beyond our dock.  I am not sure I am going to get a paddle in because of the fog.  And so it goes.  It's 9:10 and I am back from breakfast on a beautiful lake morning. 

le baron

Yesterday was a cloudy day early, with a few drops of rain overnight but it cleared up in the afternoon, with a windy, choppy lake.  I had a good paddle, took my time as we had nothing we had to do early on. After breakfast, Evie wanted the privets trimmed, so I worked on them for a bit, even putting a ladder in the water to get at some of the taller privets.  Around 11:00, I headed off to do some shopping while Evie made a pot of lentil soup.  Wegmans was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday and I was not sure whether to wear a mask or not.  If I wore one, would I be seen as someone who was  not vaccinated, or vaccinated but worried about the Delta virus, or just an example to the unvaccinated?  As I shopped, probably 15 to 20% of shoppers wore masks, even a few workers.  After shopping, I decided to skip coffee and drove straight home.  Evie had lunch ready, leftovers from this past week, a Slovenian sausage, and a sandwich made up of teriyaki steak, both tasty. 

Lilac Time

After lunch, I fell asleep reading, the result of the cool weather, perfect for napping.  Around 3:00, I met my boat guy at the Prendergast Boat Launch.  He had rewired my bilge, added a second battery for safety, and we launched it on windy and choppy seas.  I took my time cruising home, met Evie at the dock, and tied it up, hoping we might go for a cruise later but it was too windy alas.  Evie could not resist the temptation, then, to mow the lawn despite the fact parts were still damp from the rain last week.  So while she mowed, I read and waited for happy hour.  Once she was finished, it was after 5:00, so we sat on our front porch enjoying a libation once dinner was prepped and in the oven.  The lake was surprisingly quiet for a July afternoon, perhaps because of the wind.  

Dinner was baked fish with a bread crumb topping, baked potatoes, corn, and a salad.  And while we ate, Evie had put together a dessert, peach halves topped with ground almonds, sugar, and butter and baked it for forty-five minutes.  We watched a Colbert and enjoyed his interview with the engaging star of Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis.  For some reason, we came across the beginning of the film, Silver Linings Playbook and ended up watching it until 10:00 while enjoying our dessert, topped with ice cream.  Both of us had seconds it was so good.  

Wildfire Smoke?

Arabian Night Dahlia

8:09

This morning the haze, probably a result of wildfires in the West, has moved to the East, the sky clearing finally here at the lake. It's a pleasant 65º and will stay in the '60s much of the day. And just as I wrote this, my weather app stated it was going to rain in one minute, just as I was going out or a paddle.  

Kayak Morning

Towards The Sun

A Mature Bald Eagle Feasting On A Tree Top

Yesterday I got back in my routine, coffee, kayaking, breakfast, blog and off to yoga by 9:10 in Lakewood. The class was ten of us, mostly regulars now and it was good to be back after a few weeks off.  I stopped for coffee, then at Sav A Lot to pick up some yogurt for breakfasts and came home to a house with both a washing machine and dryer were sailing along,  I helped Evie with a couple of the upstairs rooms and now, everything is done in the rooms, beds made, carpet vacuumed.  Now all we have left is the gigantic task of tackling our attic, already stuffed with so much stuff we don't know what to do with it and it seems beyond organization.  We will put it off until the time is right.  

Hapet Blue Eyes Dahlia

For lunch, I had the leftover sandwiches from the Viking, good and easy, and watched some junk TV before a brief nap.  At 2:00 we had a Woodlawn meeting on Jim and Barb's front porch, to discuss the antiquated Woodlawn Association By-Laws, bring it up to date, and discuss any problems that have arisen from the new ownership of Pine Hill and the use of Airbnb by some of our neighbors.  The more neighborhood homes become rentals, the more the idea of a neighborhood deteriorates and unfortunately, there's not much we can do about it.  

After the meeting, we both relaxed until 5:00 when Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters and I drove off to the Ashville General store to pick up a mushroom man pizza, loaded with mushrooms and no tomato sauce, just cheese.  After the Zoom call, we enjoyed a happy hour on the front porch for the first time in what seemed like weeks.  We then enjoyed the pizza with a Pepsi and watched our usual, Colbert and another episode or two of Working Wives on Netflix.  

My feelings as well: 

“I disliked weekends. Everybody was out on the streets. Everybody was playing Ping-Pong or mowing their lawn or polishing their car or going to the supermarket or the beach or to the park. Crowds everywhere. Monday was my favorite day."

~ Charles Bukowski

A Hazy, Lazy Morning

6:59

It's 6:50 and I start this and have been up for an hour, listening to Morning Joe for the first time in weeks.  I feel like I have been out of the news loop recently and have not missed it to be honest. Ignorance is bliss.  It's 8:15,  Evie's up already doing more wash and I returned from a 50-minute paddle, spotting a couple of herons and an eagle perched high in a tree over the reeds. 

Kayaking Into The Morning Haze

Heron At Long Point

Bald Eagle

Heron At Campground

Yesterday was a great day on the lake for a family gathering.  Unfortunately, our family left a few days ago in the rain.  I kayaked for over an hour on an increasingly warm morning.  Evie was up early as well and spent a good part of the morning and afternoon busy in the house and garden.  Fun.  I did a few things outside, getting rid of the barrels sitting on our dock because of the high water.  I had a doctor's appointment at noon for an ear that has been bothering me but everything looks fine.  It's just an annoying feeling, like water in my ear. O, well, on with it.  

Hydrangea Bloom

I had a busy afternoon, leaving for the can man at 1:30, making 15 bucks off of returnables, stopped at Lakewood Furniture for their special rug cleaner called Suds.  I then picked up my new glasses, reground for my new prescription, free of charge, and ended up at Schultz Subaru to have my car checked out because numerous lights were on, like check engine, check brakes, etc.  I sat there for an hour and found out a cable on my emergency brake was bad which created, supposedly, all these lights turning on.  It was safe to drive and they would order the part and call me when it came in.  Fortunately, I bought an extended warranty program so the cost will be covered.

When I returned home, Evie was on the dock enjoying the afternoon sun and breeze.  We did not have to worry about dinner because we were going out to the Viking Club for Monday night's specials, Reubens and Cubans.  We got there at 6:30, decided to sit at the bar for old time's sake, waited in a line for beers, and ordered our sandwiches.  It was not particularly crowded despite the nice weather and we had our sandwiches within 15 minutes.  They were excellent, better than ever, and we enjoyed sitting at the bar talking briefly with Carol, a friend who also waitresses at the Rod and Gun Club. We were home by 8:00 and watched two episodes of a show someone recommended called Professor T, on Prime Video.  We watched two episodes while enjoying ice cream with peaches but are not particularly taken with the series.  We will keep searching. 

So Now It's Sunny

6:49

An Eagle Hovering Over A Heron

I slept in for me, to 6:37 and woke to a hazy morning but a sun rising in the eastern sky.  Yippee, no rain! Evie was up soon after me, so we have been sitting here, thinking about our day, what to do other than getting the house back in order after rearranging it for our family's visit. It's 9:50 as I finish this because I did not get out on the water till late, stayed out for close to an hour and a half and shot photos of three different eagles and a heron, a good morning.

Kayak Morning

A Stately Blue Heron

Eagle # 1

Eagle # 2

Yesterday is a blur, probably because we vegged out in the afternoon.  I kayaked early for a good hour, on a still rising lake and took a couple of photos of birds as usual. When I returned, Evie was still putting the kitchen in order, as we were transferring food from coolers to the refrigerator and freezer.  That and cleaning the rest of the downstairs took much of the morning although I did work some in the garage, taking out much of its contents, sweeping out the water from the rain, and letting it dry out.  Around noon, Evie noticed that Pine Hill's floating dock had gotten loose and was floating down the lake so Evie ran next door and found Dennis,  the owner to tell him so he could retrieve it. Excitement. 

Monday's Dahlia

Dahlia Bud

Lunch was a Turkish omelet with feta cheese and at the recommendation of our grandson Tyler, Joseph's pita bread made of flax, oat bran, and whole wheat, and surprisingly good as a substitute for toast.  I settled into the TV room and fast-forwarded through much of Saturday night's NBA game where Milwaukee lucked out and defeated Phoenix at home. I then read some, my new find,  wonderfully written novels by Scottish writer Willian Mcilvanney, which follows Jack Laidlaw, more philosopher than detective.  I also napped briefly then both Evie and I started a bad movie and yet stuck with it till the end because we did not want to get up and do something. It felt good to just waste the afternoon.  

Dinner With Good Friends After twenty-four months 

We showered around 5:00 and drove over to the Chautauqua Institution for dinner with our friends, Judy and Fred. They have a house with a beautiful shaded garden. We sat on their porch enjoying drinks and appetizers until Fred grilled salmon and we had a vegan dinner. Both have decided at their daughter's urging to go vegan and our dinner was excellent.  We even had coconut vegan ice cream for dessert.  It was a fun night, always great to see them. 

A New Day

5:55

6:48

Well, it is 8:40, and a bit of sunshine has just lit up the lake after overcast skies and showers, and another two inches yesterday, raising the lake levels so that some docks are underwater, while others have put barrels on their docks filled with water to keep them from floating away. I did get in a good paddle, the lake seemingly higher and wider, down to Sandy Bottom and back, and talked to Tina and Jim and the owners of Chestnut Hill, Barb and Paul, both concerned about the high levels of the lake. 

Kayak Morning

Heron In The Morning

Saturday morning it poured just as our two grandsons were leaving for the airport, not a very pleasant send-off from the lake.  Once they were gone, at 7:00, we were both up so we got busy as usual after family or company leaves and started on giving the living room a deep cleaning, putting it back in shape.  I meanwhile gathered all the trash, twenty bags by the way, and it took me two trips to the Transfer Station to get rid of it.  It was a good feeling to have an empty garage once again.  When I returned, Evie said she thought the refrigerator was on the fritz.  So we took everything out, put whatever we could in the freezer, the rest in two ice chests, and defrosted the sucker.  It obviously needed it as the vents were blocked with ice, typical of this Samsun refrigerator.  We were not sure if it was just losing temperature because of the ice or if the motor was gone.  We let it sit for an hour or two, turned it on briefly to see if the temperature would drop.  It did so we turned it off again and let it defrost until we went to bed when we turned it on again. I woke this morning to a refrigerator once again working well, with the interior temperature where it should be.  Relief. 

The rest of the afternoon went quickly, with peameal bacon sandwiches for me, a brief nap and Evie kept busy with the living room, and when I got up, I did the dishes, not wanting to use too much water because of our fear the septic might be compromised by the high lake water.  O, yea, I forgot to mention that about 10:00 in the morning,  Chris, our boat mechanic, called to say he had my trailer hooked up to his truck and would meet me at the boat launch, trailer my boat to his marina, and put in a new bilge which I obviously needed. So between showers, I drove my boat to the launch and sent it on its way to the marina.

Around 4:00, I wanted to see what the Chadakoin River looked like so I took a ride around the lake, stopping at Peterson's for peaches, and a hardware store to pick up metal drink holders, the kind you stick in the ground.  The river was overflowing its banks in some areas but most of the homes seemed safe, as the water may have swamped their dock but it did not rise above their break wall.  The Swamp was open despite the water. 

Our Dock, Not Quite Under Water

With our kids gone and seemingly everything going wrong, the boat, the refrigerator, the car, the rising lake, we decided to say what the heck and had a Manhattan night, with a good cheese.  So from 6:0 to 7:30, we sat and watched the lake rise slowly, never, however, endangering our dock.  We had Mary's meatballs and pasta sauce for dinner and caught up on a couple of shows. We were exhausted by 10:00 and went to bed early.