THE BAT: JOE NESBO

The fourth or fifth novel I have read by this Norwegian crime writer, which follows the career of Harry Hole, often drunk or on the wagon, depending on the book, always has a girl friend, though usually no good comes of it.  This is his first novel and for some strange reason, it's set in Australia; I don't get it because I like the feel of his Norwegian novels, the darkness and gray, lack of sun and this one is so different.

Harry is sent to Australia to investigate the murder of an Norwegian woman,  which allows him to get involved with a Norwegian expatriate and fall for her, as he is investigating the crime.  His police partner in Australia is an Aborigine, allowing Nesbo to narrate much of the sad history of the aborigines lives since the arrival of the convicts and immigrants from Great Britain; its not a pretty story obviously. Harry's role seems at first to be subordinate but he eventually takes over when his partner is found having committed suicide, perhaps the result of a drug overdose it is first thought.  Later, they realize it's also a murder, an attempt to cover up the trail which leads to the murderer, also an aborigine, a good friend of the murdered detective but also a psychopath.  Along the way, Harry's girl friend is also killed, in an attempt to lure the killer out into the open.  The plan goes wrong, she's kidnapped and killed, as the attempt to bring him out of his cover fails.  Harry, obviously distraught, goes on a binge but awakens long enough to continue the trail, finally apprehending and killing the psychopath and so it ends.

We get a good feel for the underworld of Australia, the police procedures, the drug trade as well as the clubs  the dealers inhabit and some of the girls who ply their trade in these clubs.  Not a pretty picture of a certain side of Australia.

Morning in Darien, Afternon on Long Island, Evening at My Nephew Scott's Wedding

Antiquing With Mitch and Marisa

A warm and quiet morning and up at 6:20.  It's difficult to see the sky from where I sit as the window is filled with ten foot rhododendrons.  I guess I ought to be sitting in Beth's sun room but habit is habit so I will stay put.  Rami just biked off to the train station, basically a slight down hill from here to the station,  five to ten minutes, so no sweat literally.

Mitch

We hung out with the grand kids yesterday, doing some shopping, taking walks with Cody, on an oppressive, late summer day.  Marisa had Irish Dancing Camp till noon, so Evie and I went off in the rain (just what we needed, more humidity) to REI, to look at hiking shoes, which I passed on, deciding the ones I had were good enough and cheaper.  And we went to Home Goods, just to browse, picked up a couple of things we don't need and by the time we finished shopping, we discovered we didn't want them so we bought nothing.  Shopping surfeit I suppose, a good thing in the long run.

When we got home, Marisa was back, Mitch and Tyler were both up, so we spent part of the afternoon cajoling them to get off their Ipads or video games.  I rarely if ever see any neighborhood kids and wonder if they too are inside on a device, rather than outside, like us when we were growing up, playing with others.  I sound like an old foggy, I know, but there is some truth in it.  You can spend a lot of time just watching a TV show on an Ipad or playing a video game and don't have to move.

Our New Buddha

Around 3:00 we had an reluctant family afternoon out, all of us but Tyler, and went off to this amazing Antique Store, United House Wrecking, with thousands of items both in side their store and sitting outside, marble fountains, statutes, outdoor furniture, and inside, windows, doors, whole mantels,  jewelery, couches, memorabilia, you name it, they might have it.  As fate would have it, a two foot cement Buddha got my eye, we bargained and now I am proud owner of it.  Now we have to figure out where to place it, in or near Evie's garden.  I cannot wait to see it in the snow.  Marisa and Mitch even seemed to enjoy browsing in this huge barn like show room, in Stamford by the way, not Darien.

Rigatoni with Sausage and Tomato Sauce

When we got home, I took Cody for his second walk of the day, the humidity was disgusting but we made it up the hill and back, about fifteen minutes.  About 5:30, we opened a bottle of wine, got out some brie and french bread, and Beth, Evie, Mitch and Marisa played a few hands of Telefunky, my Mom's famous card game, until it was time for Beth to make dinner.  She has what seems to be a simple, nothing special recipe for Rigatoni with a sausage, tomato, garlic and red peppers but when we sat down to eat it, we knew why it was Rami's favorite meal.  The rigatoni are huge compared to ziti or penne, but with this meaty tomato sauce, it works perfectly.  In fact, Evie put it in the cookbook she made for all the families at least ten years ago, but I don't remember ever making it.  Now we will for sure.

Want To Go For A Walk, Cody?

Around 9:30, before going to bed, Mitch and I took Cody for his final walk of the day, on their pitch black street.  Mitch had his skate board, me a flashlight, and it was great fun, watching Mitch do jumps and turns in the dark.  Though there was a full moon, the street is so tree filled, without street lights that it is hard to find your way.

We all went to bed by 10:30, us to get a good night's sleep so we are ready to rock and roll at the wedding this evening.

Kicking It In Darien With The Grandkids For A Day

48 Years Together... It's Gone Too Fast

Up at 6:10, my usual time, to another warm day in Darien, in the high 80's if not 90 like yesterday though with air conditoning, you don't notice much unless you happen to venture outside.  I was the first one up and actually figured out how to make the coffee, no easy task anymore with this coffee pot, which grinds as well as brews in the morning.  My short term memory worked well enough for me to remember from the last time we were here in June.  Bravo.

Yesterday we celebrated out 48th wedding anniversary by driving across New York State to the Albarrans.  It was an easy but seemingly endless drive for both of us, perhaps because we have taken it so many times in the past seven or eight years or we had just driven it in June.  Anyways, lots of fog for the first couple of hours or more, all the way to Corning before it burned off.  We left at 7:00, got to Beth's around 2;30, to be met by the barking, then wagging tail of Cody, and the kids running out of the house to give us a hug.  It wasvery warm so we relaxed in the house the rest of the afternoon, after taking our bags in, talking with the kids and Beth though Marisa, Mitch and I did take Cody out for a walk, something I try to do a couple of times a day to Cody's obvious delight.

Celebrating Our Anniversary with Our Grandchildren

We helped Beth put together a special dinner for us, a crispy, sticky citrus flavored chicken, from Bully chef Gordon Ramsey, and we celebrated out anniversary with a special banana/peanut butter cream pie for dessert, made by Tyler, who is becoming quite the pie chef.  After dinner, we gave Marisa her belated birthday present, a poster of  photos of her, from years one to ten, put together by Evie and really neat.

Marisa With Her New Poster

At dusk, I took Cody out for a night walk, had to jump out of the way of truck turning into the street, and enjoyed the full moon walk.  When I got back, all the adults  were tired and went to bed early, around 10:00 though the boys stayed up, watching TV or playing games on the computer. I can remember when Evie and I first started going to bed before our kids, just about the time our kids were college age.  It made me think of the innocent, good old days in Turkey where all three of our kids always went to be at 8:00, regardless of their age but then, there was no TV, radio, computer or Internet, just a book to keep you interested.  Ah Nostalgia!

Off to Darien, Then to Long Island for A Wedding

 Full Moon 9:30 PM

6:10 AM

Up at 6:00 and we hope to be off to Darien around 7:00.  It looks like a great day on the lake, the sky at the moment a soft pink as the sun has yet to rise.  We have about a seven hour ride ahead of us, most of it on the Southern Tier which I enjoy.

Yesterday was another beautiful day and I never get tired of saying it; it was much nicer than Monday, sunny all day, few boats on the lake, the water fairly clear, even making you want to swim.  My friend from Hudson, Scott Shorten and I went out for a kayak ride around 8:00, off to Long Point, Wells Bay and back, a great morning to be on the lake, just a few other paddlers out that early.  When we got back, we went over to the Bemus Point Inn for breakfast, always a good spot and we were not disappointed.  I had my usual, poached eggs on hash and Scott had a full breakfast as well.  It was crowded, like most days in the summer.

Kayak Morning With Scott

Scott took off around  11:00 and we then started getting ready for our trip, a fairly easy packing because we are only going to be gone for a few days, till Monday.  It was such a pleasant day that mid afternoon we took a long boat ride to Bemus and back, just cruising slowly, enjoying being on the water. We tried to sit out on the dock but when the sun was out, it was too warm, so we went in and Evie decided to  put together a kuchen for the Albarrans.  Yum.

We had an easy dinner of baked ziti, sweet corn and salad, sounds familiar.  We finally got to watch Breaking Bad and it did not disappoint us.  It's still riveting, making us wonder what is coming next for Skylar and Walt, how the series will end.

Pink Sky in the Morning

7:00

It's 6:20, the sky off to the east a soft pink when I woke and now, at 7:00, the sun is rising above Long Point, just visible behind the clouds.  Another cool morning, 51º, great sleeping weather, a good morning for a paddle in my kayak.

Yesterday was not my favorite morning but it's that kind, when it's over, you are glad to be done with it.  At 9:00 I took my Pilot in for its vehicle inspection, a forty five minute job, then at 10:00, I went to have my teeth cleaned, not a lot of fun, but when done, I knocked two things off of the 'have to do but I don't want to but should' list.  I  then stopped at Home Depot, returned some moulding we did not need, bought some stuff I also don't need and headed up to the lake.  While I was gone Evie put together a baked ziti for dinner since our good friend from Hudson, Scott Shorten, was coming late afternoon and would spend the night.  This has become a yearly event, something we both enjoy.  Scott was part of the weekly boy's night out in Hudson for years.

We relaxed and read in the afternoon and started getting ready for our trip tomorrow to Darien, CT, to see the Albarrans and go to a wedding in NYC on Friday evening.  Evie's sister Claire's son Scott is getting married and it should be fun to see all of that side of the family again under happy circumstances.  

At The Viking Club

Scott arrived about 4:00, to a surprisingly overcast lake though sunny and warm was predicted.  We sat on the porch catching up on all the news from Hudson, especially our families, as I taught all three of his kids and know them well.  Two are in med school, the other is working in LA doing well.  About 5:30, it started to clear up so we took a nice boat ride over to the Viking Club, just beyond Midway Park and showed Scott our 'Club', had a beer, sat outside on the porch, watching the sun slowly set along with all the other 'golden agers.'  It turned out to be a nice evening for a beer on the lake and the ride home was pleasant, no waves, a setting sun.

Scott Shorten

We had the ziti and sweet corn for dinner, with a salad, and enjoyed talking about Scott's trip next trip out to Glacier National Park in September, camping and hiking with his older brother.  He knows that area well, has a place in Big Sky, just outside of Yellowstone, where we hope to hike in late September so he was able to give us good advice about what to see, where to hike, and even offered us a place to stay if we liked...how great.  The moon was in its full glory almost, so we took a brief walk along Woodlawn, watched The Colbert Show from last week, the one where Stephen does his dance along with various stars, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, the Rockettes, in Henry Kissinger's office, etc, great fun. We were in bed by 10:30, to read and then to sleep.

A Quiet, Overcast Morning On The Lake

6:20

A littler warmer this morning, 61º, the high perhaps 80º later in the day.  Right now the lake and sky are gray, with some light off to the north.  Not a ripple on the lake, a myriad of grays and blacks, shadows from the docks, a peaceful morning.  And I am sitting outside on my front porch, as it's warm and pleasant with a fleece.

Praise on the Lake

Floating Pulpit and Choir

Yesterday was another enjoyable day on the lake, lots of sun, warm, and windy during the afternoon. As we were having our coffee, we heard music off towards Bemus and realized it was Praise On the Lake morning on the Floating Dock.  So we decided to kayak over that way, to see what was going on. It took us forty five minutes to paddle over to the service.  The hillside was packed with church goers, a small band was playing religious hymns, mostly modern sounding, and at least 30 boats were docked off the stage, participating in the service.  It was a fine morning, a great way to enjoy a religious experience on a Sunday, on the lake, outside, with friends.  We paddled among the parked boats, listened for awhile before paddling off, skimming the docks along Lakeside Road, to the Marina, then home.  We were gone for about two hours, returned with sore shoulders from the long paddle but it was a great way to welcome the morning.

Worshippers Stand and Sing

Boat Raffle (we hope to win with our two tickets)

Because a couple of my buddies from Hudson are visiting today, we drove to Wegman's, picked up what we needed for Evie to make baked ziti and stopped at Sherwin Williams, to buy a gallon of paint on sale, to paint our new bead board kitchen wall.  They allowed us to buy the gallon without coloring it  and we could bring it back for mixing when we decide on a color.

It was such a blue-sky afternoon that we did not want to stay inside, so we went out on the dock, to enjoy the sun, the puffy clouds and read.  While we were sitting on our dock, our neighbors, the Kinney's sailed by in there new sail boat and asked if we wanted to go for a sail.  We quickly acquiesced, jumped in their boat and off we went for a sail around the Bemus Bay.  It's a perfect boat for our lake, easily seats four to six people, with an electric motor powered by a solar battery, how cool.  It's rigged so one person can easily sail it.  And Debi thoughtfully brought along a chilled bottle of white wine, which she opened and shared.  What a delightful way to spend an afternoon, without the roar of a motor,  just the wind on the sails, the waves hitting the bow.

Anniversary Dinner at the Italian Fishermen

Around 6:00 the Mc Clures came over, offered their advice on which colors to paint the kitchen wall and then we boated over to Bemus, to celebrate both of our anniversaries which take place this week. We had the requisite beer on the front porch of the Lenhart, then walked over to the Italian Fishermen and ate outside on their porch, a lovely evening to eat outside.  Our food was great, a very spicy grilled shrimp  dish for me, fish tacos for Evie.  The Fisherman was fairly crowded for a Sunday night, most likely because it's the only restaurant on the lake, which makes it attractive to most visitors.  We took our time boating home, hugging the shoreline, on a moonlit evening, getting home about 9:30.  We watched one more episode of Nurse Jackie, read, and went to bed.  Another good day on the lake.  How lucky are we!

Overcast For Now, Sunny Later

7:00

Up at 7:00 on the dot, surprised to see how dreary and gray it was out side, the sun hidden by clouds, no fog that I can see, 55º, no traffic on the lake yet.  A quiet morning, listening to NPR and Terri Gross as Evie  has just just gotten up to join me.  We are finally getting accustomed to (not used to) waking without grandchildren in the house.

Yesterday was another perfect day, sunny and warm, not hot, what I like to call a Chautauqua summer day, so unlike the hot, humid days we have had the last couple of years.  I did go to yoga since I have not been in a week, and it was a good class, lots of the Saturday people, those who work during the week unlike me.  A coffee at Ryder's Cup in Lakewood where they were having Children's Appreciation Day, with lots of face painting going on.  Despite the great day, we did not do anything exciting.  Evie, in fact, went off to Walmart to print some pictures from the summer and do some grocery shopping while I hit the Transfer Station, now newly organized, so I had to hunt for proper trash containers for paper, plastics, cans etc, though they probably throw them all together in the end or so I have heard.

Finally, A Perfect Loaf of Bread, with Oats, Flax seeds, and Quinoa

Most of the afternoon, we relaxed, either on the dock or porch; Evie cut the lawn, for aesthetic reasons as well as exercise.  At 5:30, we went off to our neighbors, the Scholtz's, for drinks and to talk about the week's lectures on Turkey, which they also attended.  They visited Turkey in the fall of 2011 so they were familiar with Turkey, its geography and politics.  Both have interest in what's going on both in Turkey and the Middle East, so we spent most of the late afternoon going over the talks, trying to decide whether we were optimistic about what was happening in Turkey or pessimistic.  We told them about our adventures  with Friday's speaker Kemal Kirisci and explained some of his reservations about the Gulen Foundation and Movement, both here in the States and in Turkey.  Most people have never heard of this Muslim cleric who lives in Sailorsburg, PA,  yet he has founded over 300 charter schools here in the United States, ostensibly as a bridge between the US and the Middle East, between Muslim and Christian.

A Welcoming and Growing Cairn

We came home around 7:00, had a dinner of fresh corn and Greek sausages, made with feta cheese, bought from the small grocery in Sugar Grove, PA.  They make all kind of their own sausages and it's worth the trip to drive there, to buy gas, forty cents cheaper than here in New York, and some Pot Of Gold milk.  After dinner, we watched a few more episodes of Nurse Jackie, still not taken with it but we have nothing else we want to watch.  I am almost finished with The Burgess Boys and have one more day before my digital book expires, so I better finish it today.