Some Sun, Clouds, And 41º

7:25

9:01

It's a beautiful morning despite the sun hiding behind the cloud banks. The lake is smooth and gray, a muskrat paddled by and its colder than I hoped. I was up at 6:45 and hoped to be out on the lake by 7:45.  It's now 9:00 and I paddled for  forty minutes and as usual, the wind picked up once I was out there and heading back. I had to fight 20-30 mile an hour gusts. 

Into The Sun

Northern Sky

Yesterday was not the best of days because we discovered a leak in the kitchen, under the sink so we will be having the plumber come by on Monday or Tuesday, always something. The day began well, although it was too wet and windy to kayak. I did get in a yoga session at 10:00, with four others which was great for our new teacher. I did stop briefly at Aldis to pick up a couple of things Evie needed then came home to a mess in the kitchen, as Evie had cleared our the cleaning products from under the sink to mop up some of the water. Before lunch, I scrambled in our crawl space to see if there was much-standing water and make sure the sump pump was working. Lunch was scrambled eggs and toast and I watched my show.

The afternoon went quickly because after reading some and napping and showering, it was already 3:15 and Linda and Ron were picking us up at 3:45 for a 4:15 showing of the film Civil War. It's worth watching although none came out of the theater excited about it. The US is in complete chaos with one group of patriots fighting another and nowhere is safe in the country. The President has supposedly assumed dictatorial powers, gotten rid of the FBI and various states have seceded. There's lots of violence, much like a video game so be prepared. Scenes of pastoral beauty and song contrast with the violence and death. It suggests this could happen if we continue down the road of division, polarity, and extremity in politics. 

After the film, we drove to Jamestown for dinner at La Cucina Della Nonna. Fortunately, the bar was free so we grabbed four seats and were happy. Evie ordered eggplant parm and I had chicken parm and both servings were big enough that we will have enough for tonight's dinner. It's a fun place and this is the third time we have been there. Their Italian food is the best around since Rocco's in Fredonia closed.  

Sunset

8:10

We were home by 8:30 and watched some news, then basketball once Evie went up to bed. 

Windy And Drizzling

6:55

7:53

8:37

I woke at 6:40 to a drizzle and a choppy lake. So I won't be kayaking this morning which is fine because I was not looking forward to it. It's 51º and should stay in the 50s and cloudy the rest of the day. 

Thursday was a good day, starting with breakfast in Bemus, always fun. My breakfast doesn't vary much except for the kind of bread I have on my sandwich, either an English muffin, bagel, or croissant. It's tough making that kind of decision so early in the morning. Yesterday was an everything bagel if anyone cares. I was home by 9:15 and Evie was showered and dressed, ready to head off to her morning with kindergarteners. I left for yoga at 10:00 with Danielle and it's always crowded so I had to find a spot in the front of the class, the least desirable place for your mat. Thursday's is Yin Yoga, easy and we never stand, just hold poses for three or four minutes. After class, I drove to a busy Walmart and picked up some goodies for a taco dinner, something we both wanted. I also went crazy and bought a package of three boxers as well as white socks. It was a whim because I certainly don't need either. 

When I got home, it was 12:30 and Evie had thoughtfully made my lunch, egg salad, before leaving for school. So I toasted some bread for the egg salad and heated up a bowl of veggie soup and watched my show, Godless, which I am starting to enjoy after four episodes. I do not enjoy my book as much as I would have liked because I know the main character will get killed, despite his innocence but the novelist is making us wait until the end.

Of course, I napped and when I woke, Evie was back from class.  She regaled me with the delightful kindergarteners and the teacher had to explain to them who was going to hold Grandma Evie's hand so they wouldn't fight over her. It's nice to be wanted. Late afternoon, I wanted to go for a walk in the Victoria woods and see where Pine Hill had begun selective cutting of the trees in the area behind their cabins. 

Spring Daffodils

Victoria Creek

Downed Trees

After my walk, we relaxed with a glass of wine and listened to the news, mostly about Trump. This morning I woke to the news that Israel retaliated against Iran so that will be the story of the day along with Trump of course. Around 6:15, Evie browned some ground beef, added the taco mix and heated up the taco shells. She then made us taco salads, with all the fixings, beef, taco shells, tomatoes, lettuce avocadoes and sour cream. Yum. We started a new series on Hulu based on a novel we loved, Shogun, but were not taken with the series although the setting and action, set in Japan in the 1600s, was striking. We ended up watching Colbert and Real Time With Bill Maher before bed. 

Gray, Gray, Gray

6:46

9:07

Well, I forgot to publish the blog Wednesday until after 12:00 like an idiot. Get used to it. This morning is overcast, the lake and sky are both gray, the lake nice and calm. I won't be out there kayaking because I have breakfast in Bemus, then yoga. It's 9:15 and I just returned from the Lake Life Cafe and had a delicious everything bagle with sausage and cheese, a good start to the morning. 

Yesterday was back to routine, to normal, to what I like to do each morning.  First, get up early and enjoy my coffee but early enough to get in a decent paddle. Then, come home and finish the blog and have breakfast, homemade granola, yogurt and blueberries. I usually make her a second cup of coffee if Evie's up, like this morning. That's my morning before I drive off to yoga in Lakweood at 10:00. Class is always small on Wednesday and there were just two of us but that's not a problem. After class, I stopped at Aldis and picked up some goodies for the rest of the week, especially a couple of packages of lamb chops which I had been craving. Yum.

When I returned home, Evie had been busy tearing the kitchen apart but had time to make me lunch, a turkey sandwich on toast along with her veggie soup. I was happy, enjoying lunch and watching my show. The afternoon was overcast although unseasonably warm but we stayed inside, doing what we usually do on winter and spring afternoons, reading, napping, watching TV, and occasionally getting something done which, for Evie, was washing and drying clothes.

By 6:00, we were walking down to our neighbors because seven of us were going over to the Viking for dinner. It was crowded because of a meeting so we had to wait in line at the bar for our beers, at the kitchen to order our dinners. It was a fun night as we don't usually have seven of us at the Viking so there was lots to talk about. 

Dining At The Viking Club With The Hood

We stayed until 8:30, among the last to leave. Evie was pooped when we got home and went up to bed. I stayed up and watched an NBA game before joining her. Before going to bed, I made the mistake of turning on Fox News and listening to Hannity talk about Biden's policy toward Israel. You would have thought he was the second coming of Adolph Hitler. Disgusting. You can have differences of opinion but not Hannity or Fox News. It has to be extreme, nonsensical, firing up the Maga base who seem to believe anything he says. 

Morning Drizzle

8:07

It's 52º at 8:00 and drizzling. I doubt if I will kayak but will check on the weather in a half hour to see if the drizzle has stopped. I admit to not being very interested in a paddle. A year ago I would already be out there. Well, I did it, not a wimp. I went out for just under 25 minutes, in an occasional drizzle but mostly it was fine. Glad I did it. 

Cold Feet

Kayak Morning

A Pair Of Migrating Greater Scaups

Yesterday was a good day, something I have not said recently. It began with a forty-five minute paddle with lots of sunshine, the best way to start my day. After the blog and breakfast, I was off to a good yoga class, with four gals, the regulars like me. After class, I drove into Jamestown, to my tax gal, and I may be getting a thousand-dollar return from the IRS from some mixups in 2022. I am not counting on it.  I then did a quick stop at both Wegmans and Evans Wine before driving home. While I was gone, Evie volunteered at Southwestern Schools, helping in their kindergarten class from 10:00 to 1:30. The kids loved it of course, all wanting to hold her hand, but sad when she had to leave at 1:30. She will be volunteering on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

So, I had to make my lunch! What a bummer. Fortunately, Evie had a pot of veggie soup in the refrigerator which I heated up and I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I am watching my Western. Godless, and it's decent. I then took advantage of the quiet and napped, then read until Evie came home, having stopped at Wegmans after volunteering. It was fun listening to her describe the class, well mannered and darling for the most part, and enjoyed having her there to give them some extra attention. For some reason, I felt like doing something, so I changed the oil on the lawn mower, powered it up, and mowed the front yard which needed it because of all the rain the past couple of weeks.

We enjoyed happy hour, the beauty of a late, sunny afternoon, and the lake a brilliant lapis lazuli. Dinner was the leftover chicken kebabs, set on pita bread, topped with tomato sauce and yogurt. Yum. We started a film called A Beautiful Game but after 15 minutes we were bored, knew how it would end, and moved on to something else. I can't even remember what it was but it filled the evening along with the news until it was time for bed. 

Good Morning Sunshine

6:36

6:46

8:36

It's been a while since I woke to a sunrise. At the moment, it's filling our living room with its light and I love it. I forget what its like after a few days of Chautauqua gray. It's 40º but should get up into the 60s late in the day. It's 8:45 and I was on a spectacular morning for forty-five minutes, my usual paddle, over to Long Point, back to Sandy Bottom, and along Woodlawn. 

Kayak Morning

Long Point

Bemus Bay

 North

Yesterday was an unexpected day, busy and productive. It started out with a long paddle, over an hour to both Long Point and Tom's Point. The skies were cloudy early but by 10:00, the sun came out for the day. After the blog and breakfast, I was not sure what to do, whether to go for a walk or stick around and get something done in the yard. I finally decided on the yard and along with Evie, we worked in the backyard for a good hour or two, raking and trimming the trees in our backyard. The weather was perfect so that all I needed was a long sleeve shirt and surprisingly, I was met by a flurry of Admiral butterflies near the Japonicas. We paused around 12:30 and I had lunch, Evie's soup and some pizza from the freezer. 

Red Admiral On Pieris Japonica Bush

It felt good, then, to relax with a book and take a nap. After my nap, neither of us felt like wasting the day, so we were back out in the back and side yards, trimming and raking, finally filling three trash cans with leaves and twigs and I took them up the hill. Before coming out and helping me, Evie put together our dinner, chicken koftes with Turkish spices for grilling. We finally stopped around 4:30 and by 5:30, we enjoyed relaxing with a glass of wine, always something to look forward to at the end of the day. Around 6:30, Evie grilled the koftes in the air fryer and toasted pita bread while I tried to make a Tzatziki sauce for the chicken koftes. We had the pita, topped with the koftes, with lettuce, tomatoes, and the Tzatziki sauce. It reminded us of our lamb koftes, just healthier I suppose. We watched the final episode of Last Tango In Halifax and were surprised that it ended with a whimper, not a bang, as if they just said, let's end it. 

We then watched a half hour of the WNBA draft, surprised by how each draftee was dressed like a model on the runway. We ended the night with some humor by the comparisons between CNN and Fox News. CNN had Anderson Cooper interviewing historian Doris Kearns Goodwin discussing her new book and the importance of democracy while FoxNews Jesse Waters had Dog The Bounty Hunter on, discussing catching illegal aliens with force and his conversion to Jesus, bringing him to tears. What a joke. At least we ended the night with a laugh. 

A Calm Lake On A Partly Cloudy Morning

7:53

9:20

It's 7:40 and the clouds have taken over the sky, blocking the early morning sun. I am happy to see the lake is flat, a windless morning so far so I will get out for a paddle. It's 46º and should be a pleasant day, with lots of sun and temperatures in the low 60s. It's late as I finish this, 9:55. I had a great paddle despite having cold, wet feet, over to Long Point, across to Tom's Point, and home, over an hour of paddling. 

Kayak Morning

Long Point

Tom's Point

Lake Bridge

A Male And Female Wood Duck

A Handsome Guy

Sunday turned out to be a pleasant Spring Day although it started out with thunderstorms and lightning early. Once they passed, the sky opened up and we had the kind of weather we wanted for our walk around the Chautauqua Institution. Once Evie was showered and ready, we drove off around 11:00, parked at the south gate and walked for about an hour, and, as usual, we hardly met any other walkers despite it being such a nice day. We did have a nice conversation with an owner at the south end, who gave us the history of the four homes overlooking the ball field, the scions of the Sample/Heinz families. 

Thunder Bridge

We were home at 1:00 and Evie made me a great Turkish omelet, a menemen, with eggs, tomatoes, feta cheese and Aleppo pepper. It was delish. After walk and lunch, we felt righteous and did little the rest of the afternoon except the usual, some reading, napping and watching TV. I also worked some in the yard, picking up the deadfall and raking the detritus from the lake due to the heavy winds and waves. I then took a couple of buckets of leaves and deadfall up the hill to the wood pile, which was enough for my day.

Dinner Time

By 6:00, we were gussied up and on our way to Sunday dinner at Linda and Ron's house. Linda had planned an Asian dinner, so along with our wine, we had pot stickers for appetizers, dipped in a tasty sauce, We had not seen them in six days so we had lots to talk about, mostly the dinner last week with Linda's sister and brother in law, in town from California. For a main course, Linda made shrimp curry over rice and a salad, just right. We finished dinner with a mango dessert topped with whipped cream. All four of us were tired by 9:30, so we said our goodbyes and thank yous and headed home, ready for bed, the end of a good day. 

A Darkening Morning Skies

7:22

Northern Sky At 8:26

Southern Sky At 8:26

9:03

I woke to some sun and a few clouds at 7:00, but now, at 8:25, the northern sky is dark and threatening, with thunder in the distance while the southern sky is partly cloudy. At 8:45, it's drizzling and 47º with a high later in the day in the mid-60s. I won't be paddling this morning, alas. It's after 9:00 and a fine morning has gone bad as it's thundering, lightening,  and raining, the once sunny sky gone dark gray.

Yesterday was strange because of the heavy winds overnight, sending our neighbors' dock pieces all over the lake.  At first I did not notice six were missing next door and a few minutes later, three pontoon docks from Pine Hill. Evie called both neighbors to let them know what happened. It was obviously too windy to kayak but I walked the shoreline and found a couple of dock pieces along Victoria. I finished the blog and had breakfast by 9:30 when both neighbors came up, one sending their dock guys. Together, they were able to find all six dock pieces, one pontoon and later, Dennis was able to tow the last two pontoons back from the Bemus shore. So by I would say by noon, all was well, all the missing parts were back. 

While they were out, I gathered the trash for my weekly trip to the Transfer Station and I checked Wells Bay to see if any of the dock pieces had drifted down. Fortunately, as I found out later, four pieces were just down beyond the reeds, down from Chestnut Hill. And that was it for the excitement on a Saturday. And to celebrate the end, the sun came out and much of the afternoon was filled with blue skies and a dark blue lake. Our afternoon routine mostly stayed the same with fried eggs and potatoes for lunch and I watched my show. Evie was busy making a pot of her vegetable soup, letting it simmer on the stove for a good hour or two. I attempted to nap to no avail so I spent much of the afternoon reading A Certain Justice, by John Lescroat, set in 1990s San Franciso. It's the first time Dismas Hardy does not appear.

6:02

By 5:30, we were enjoying a happy hour with a good cheese, and the sky and lake were spectacular as the day waned. The only negative was the news, that Iran was firing drones and missiles towards Israel, more repetitious bad news. We wondered why the US was actively involved other than supporting Israel with the weapons they needed. Israel seems more than capable of dealing with the attacks. For dinner, we still had enough tas kebab  and mashed potatoes left over and with a salad, we were both happy. We are on the final season of Last Tango In Paris...oops I mean Halifax so we watched a couple of episodes before bed as well as some of the news from Israel.