A Dazzling Monday Sunrise

Osprey with my 20X telephoto

Osprey Picture Cropped

Another Cropped Photo of Osprey

Up just before 7:00, the sky already pink/orange off towards Bemus.  It's 34º, typical for this time of the year.  Tonight they are forecasting a definite freeze.  When I looked out earlier, the windows on both cars are frozen, so it must have been fairly cold last night.  Action on the lake has diminished over the past couple of weeks, an occasional fishing boat, but that's about it other than our kayaks.

Yesterday morning we had an amazing morning kayak ride, starting out with gray skies as we headed towards Long Point then, on the way back, it started to sleet, then rain, and when we returned to Woodlawn, the sun popped out.  And, while we were kayaking close to the Victoria Creek Outlet, we heard this loud 'peep, peep,' which sounded almost like a song bird but it was too loud.  When we got closer, a large bird flew away but we could not tell what it was. We paddled down towards the campground, heard the same sound, 'peep, peep,' looked up in Corky Maitland's tree, and there was a huge, hooked beak bird, white chest and  head, perched on a branch, scouting the area for something to eat.  I thought it might be an osprey and when we got home, Evie checked out the birding app on her IPAD, played the sound of the osprey and it was just as we thought, a 'peep peep,' and the picture on the IPAD fit our photo perfectly.  It's our first clear, confirmed beyond sighting of an osprey.  A great morning kayak that was made more perfect by our Sunday breakfast, eggs, bacon, and toast.  Why does it taste so good?

Cloudy Start to Our Paddle

Sunny End To Kayak Morning

We spent the afternoon doing, what else, relaxing, catching up on phone calls for Evie, and making healthy oatmeal cookies, watching some football, listening to the Browns lose to the Kansas City Chiefs on the radio and reading.  Evie loves the enthusiasm of Jim Donovan, the Brown's announcer. We walked up the hill and back around 5:30, to shake off the lethargy of the leisurely afternoon. Dinner was roasted cauliflower, leftover pasta, salad and toast, simple but satisfying, as we caught up on the latest episodes of Homeland and The Good Wife.  I am still bored with Homeland though Evie liked this episode and The Good Wife was action packed, as Alicia finally was fired because she and Cary are starting their own firm.  I couldn't wait to get back to my book, SILESIAN STATION.

7:32

7:58

A Daguerreotype Photo Morning Sky

7:00

7:35

Up at 6:45, to darkness, of course, but the sky at the moment is something out of Brueghel's winter paintings, the sky an ominous, almost angry, gray and white off towards the southeast.  To the north, a threatening dark gray, not a good start to the day.

Yesterday was not a day to remember and both of us laughed last night as we went to bed that I would have little to say about our day because we went no where, did practically nothing, so I should just make up something exciting and interesting.  Well, the exciting part of the day was putting away our  summer clothes, getting out our winter things, for me long underwear, flannel shirts, ski pants, coats, more  fleeces, and winter boots, for Evie the same sort of things, including various winter hats, depending on her mood.  She likes winter hats! The interesting part of the day was Evie's wasting of the day, doing nothing but vegging out on the couch, unusual for her and of course, the guilt  that followed for having wasted the day.  Where does guilt come from?  Why feel guilty about wasting a day?  I never do.  Different upbringings? Religions? Probably both.

Around 4:30, I had to get outside so I went for a walk through the Woodlawn/Victoria woods.  It felt great, the cold air, the dampness of the woods, the wet leaves and trails, the fallen branches blocking the path.  I met up with the Johnson's, our neighbors, out  also to enjoy the afternoon and we talked, or rather I listened, as John is a talker.  Good people.

For dinner, we had Evie's version of chicken cacciatore, a great sauce, with mushrooms, over pasta and chicken.  We watched a movie neither one of us really liked though it was up for an Academy Award, The Life of Pi.  I read the books ages ago, liked it,  and though the cinematography was amazing, a movie has to be more than that.  For us, it was slow, predictable, and not much of a story.

I am reading the second book of David Downing's series set in Nazi Germany in 1939,  Silesian Station.  Obviously, I am in to the series, now five books I, but the setting upsets me as I read along, the strangulation hold the Nazis have on its people.  Gestapo and Kripo frighten the masses with their power to arrest and incarcerate, even dispose of, with impunity and the press, controlled, too, by the Nazis, only sings the praises of the regime.  The main protagonist, John Russell, an English/American journalist, however, feels he must stand up to this evil,  perhaps because he may only be deported but as a reader, we can sympathize with his plight, and wonder if something like that could even happen here in the US. It could.  And would we have the moral courage to stand up and protest? I doubt it.

ISTANBUL PASSAGE: JOSEPH KANON

I liked this novel for various reasons, most importantly, it instantly brought back memories of our life in Istanbul back in the 1970's though the novel is set earlier, just after WW II, as the various powers were drawing back their agents, for a time, just before the Cold War was to begin.

Leon Bauer, an American tobacco merchant and sometimes spy finds himself involved in a final escapade for Tommy, his CIA mentor, who soon will be leaving for the States.  Simply, he had to pick up a defector just below Rumeli Hisar, on the Bosphorus.  When he arrives in his car, to pick up the defector, he is shot at by a parked car; Leon returns the fire, kills the shooter and only later discovers Tommy is the shooter.  Thus begins the mystery of the novel, why did Tommy set up Leon, supposedly his friend, who is the defector, wanted by both the Russians, Americans and Turks.  Leon takes it upon himself as a point of honor to protect the defector despite the fact that he's a member of the Romanian Iron Guard, involved in the liquidating of the Jewish community.  Leon must juggle the three powers, hiding his defector, trying to find out why he is so important, and to whom should he give Alexie up. The story is also complicated by the fact that his Leon's wife suffers from depression, lies  unconscious in a Bebek clinic, having been overwhelmed by the treatment of the Jews by the three major powers after the war, sending boatloads back to Europe rather than allowing them to go to Palestine.

The novel is rich in Istanbul sights, which Kanon uses to his advantage.  Many of the scenes take place in the places with which I am familiar as might  a tourist, the Cicek Pasaj, both the Pera Palas and Park hotels, the Blue Mosque, the Galata Bridge, and various restaurants, even my favorite, Rejans, run by three white Russian sisters.  It takes a Turkish colonel to help Bauer sort things out, and in the end, Bauer realizes he's been used by the Turks as well but he can live with himself because he never gave up on Alexie, trying to save him to the bitter end.  A good story, with an accurate view of Istanbul after the war.

A Delightfully Sunny Morning

7:20

8:00

Both Evie and I were up around 7:15, to a partly cloudy sky, pinks and blues off towards Lakeside Drive, sunny and some clouds at the moment, 8:00.  It looks like a fine morning, perhaps a chance of rain in the afternoon, but with luck, we could have a good day.  High winds are forecast, however, up to fifty miles an hour, and the lake at the moment looks like it's moving north, rather than south towards Jamestown. No plans for the moment, perhaps a hike somewhere close after yesterday's debacle.

Yesterday morning was partly cloudy, some drizzle off and on but we decided to hike another section of the Eastside Overland Trail.  We knew where we had stopped, on Old Chautauqua Road, east of Sinclairville, so we drove back roads, through Ellery and Red Hawk, to the trail head but could not find the next trail head though we drove and drove.  Maps do not seem to match the roads and many street signs are missing on the back roads.  We gave up, decided we would start at Bates, a town east of Sinclairville the next time we are ambitious, then stopped at the Sinclairville Superette for gas and Evie loved the store, a deli, a sporting goods store, a  grocery store, all in one.  We eventually circled back to Bemus, parked our car in front of the Hare and Hounds and had a nice walk down to the end of Lakeside Drive and back, just over three miles, taking us an hour.  It was cold when we started and windy, but once you get out of Bemus, the wind always seems to die or blocked by Long Point, so it's easier to walk.

We didn't get home till after 1:00, had toasted cheese on onion rye and barley mushroom soup for lunch, just what we wanted to warm up a bit.  We decided to see an early movie which I had read good things about, ENOUGH SAID, with James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss from Seinfeld.  It was at the Chautauqua Mall and the theater was  not crowded, in fact, we were the only two there, not a good sign for the film.  ENOUGH SAID, however, was one of the better films we have seen in the past year, a romantic comedy, well written, with no violence, potty humor, or gratuitous sex.  No wonder the theater was empty.  A lovely story, two divorcees meet and struggle to connect after their past  failed marriages, marvelously acted by the two, a movie worth seeing again.  Understated, well developed characters, a good story, some humor, and often touching.  Go see it now before it leaves the theaters because there's no hype for it.

Friday Afternoon at the Movies

After the 4:40 movie, we went to Weggies to pick up a few things for tonight's dinner, and went to the Rod and Gun for a fish fry, which we like to do, as it reminds us both of our youth in Euclid, when everyone went out for a fish fry on Friday nights.  My parents used to take us to the Elks Club for the 2.50 fish fry, a lobster tail as I remember, was 4.00, the good old days.  The club was packed with people, as all of Jamestown seemed to have the same idea.  We had a couple of beers at the bar, waited only about a half hour, ordered two great 7.95 fish frys, and when we left, about 8:30, both the bar and restaurant were still packed.

Fish Fry at Rod and Gun Club

Early Light Drizzle, Mostly Overcast But Some Blue Sky

7:45

8:30

 Up at 7:00, went outside, and no snow, despite a 100% chance according to the weather forecast. Amazing, they were wrong.  And despite the 34º outside, it felt pleasant when I got the paper, not cold like the day before.  Perhaps the lack of a wind, or it's not as damp as yesterday.

We had an unusual day for us yesterday, a day trip to the Galleria Mall, in Buffalo.   We dislike going to malls generally but actually enjoyed the change of pace, the different scenery and, of course, we spent about 45 minutes at the Apple Store, our destination point.  I wanted my MacAir checked out, making sure it was firing on all cylinders since my Apple Care ends in three days.  All's well and I was able to clear lots of space on my hard drive so my computer is faster.  Evie spoke at length with a specialist about the new Ipad Mini, which comes out in late November and it seems to be changed enough to make it worth buying.  She is excited, no doubt, about the Mini, and we will probably not be able to buy it until Thanksgiving, when we are in Kansas City with our son Tom and his family.  Evie has a birthday gift certificate from him for an Apple product so it will work out well.

Other than the Apple store, the other highlight would have to be the fries and burgers at Five Guys, tucked in a corner of the Mall, hard to find but worth it.  Their fries are great as the burgers, well worth the hour and a half drive from the lake.  We also did some shopping at Urban Outfitters, a hip store for the high school, college, and twenty somethings, but we also like some of their clothes, especially their quirky, off beat  gift items, which make good Xmas or birthday presents.  We did pick up a couple of things for the girls, but all must wait till Xmas to find out what we bought.  We walked some, browsed a little after Five Guys, did a quick look through at Dick's, stopped at Pier One on the way home, picked out a couple of pillows for our TV room that ended up being too big (we have to return them),  and headed home, returning about 4:30.  We were both  super glad to be back in our cozy, warm, house, overcast and cold outside, but welcoming inside.

We relaxed with a glass of wine,  enjoying the end of day, and Evie made a salad, a soup out of the leftover pot roast, and we had a filling dinner though we were not that hungry after the burgers and fries at Five Guys.  We watched S & C, channel surfed, then went to bed to read.  I am immersed in Nazi Germany in my book, Zoo Station, a terrible time for humanity, especially the Jews but also for anyone who disagreed with the politics of that time.

Dusting Of Snow (UP ON THE ROOF)/Long Point State Park

7:30

Leonard's House

 Up at 6:20, turned on the porch light and viola, sections of the lawn are snow covered, most of the neighbors roofs though I doubt if it lasts long.  It sounds like Cleveland has two or more inches from reading Facebook posts.  It's exactly 31º outside, more snow expected this morning, then rain, then snow tonight.  Welcome to Chautauqua weather.

Long Point Trail Edged With Vinca

Tip of Long Point State Park

Yesterday's morning was wet and cold, not very inviting, but we braved the weather, decided to hike through Long Point Park, see what happens weather wise.  Fortunately, it drizzled the first ten minutes, then stopped, so we ended up walking  4.5 miles,  just under two hours, an interesting walk through the eastern wooded area of the park, down and around Sunset Bay, then back to the park, and out to Long Point, then back to the end of Lake Side Drive, through the pillars of Black Walnut trees at the southeastern edge of Long Point Park.  And, this is the second time we have witnessed the Allegheny Park System use prisoners to for park upkeep.  Last time they were cutting up trees, this time there were about 15 of them, bringing in the Long Point docks.  Dressed in green uniforms, all also wore bright orange life jackets, the guards, bright orange raincoats, bright and showy on a gray, overcast day.  Both times Evie has tried to say hello to the trustee, receiving only a scowl.  It was enervating to be out in the woods, wet though it was, feeling the cold on our faces though we both worked up a sweat.  We did see a guy, walking his dog, but that was about it for the morning.  Where  'are all the lonely people?'

Our Tax Dollars at Work

Van Con...Con Van?

Bringing In the Dock

Guards

We both enjoyed the afternoon, Evie doing what she does best, what she enjoys, baking more cookies to send to the granchildren, putting together a pot roast dinner and I read, took a nap, then went out and worked, once again, on getting the  garage ready for winter, bringing in all the window boxes, cleaning the pots, putting most of our summer things up in the garage attic, taking down, yes, the snow shovels, moving the sleds to the front of the attic for easy access.  I still have a ways to go, mostly organizing what's left so we can pull in the car next week but I am way ahead of last year.

Late Afternoon Sky

We had a glass of wine, as Evie put the finishing touches on our pot roast.  We enjoyed it, a meal that signals the beginning of cold weather for both of us, warming as well as filling.  We watched the last two episodes of the final season of Damages.  We both were into this year's story and the ending was apt -- no spoilers here but the last shot of Glenn Close at Patty Hewes was riveting.

Gray Skies and Cold, Brrrr

7:45

Hail Yesterday Morning

Both Evie and I woke up around 6:30, came down for coffee, and noticed the furnace was on for the first time this fall despite the fact our thermostat's set around 50º.  Surprise.  We quickly lit the gas fire place and within 15 minutes we were cozy, ensconced on our couches, waiting for the lake and sky to lighten to gun metal gray, the color option for this morning.  It's 36º out right now, the lake like a plate of glass, not a ripple, perfect for kayaking if you don't mind the cold.  We'll stay inside for now.

Yesterday was another yoga Tuesday, a day earlier than usual as my Wednesday class was cancelled and, flexible guy that I am, I went to Tuesday's class with a group of seven.  I am getting tired of saying but I seem unable to do a pose correctly except for savasana, a sleeping pose for 15 minutes.  I am good at that.  Still, I like the class because I feel like I am learning how to do poses correctly, if only I can remember.  That's the hard part.  Class has made me much more aware of sitting and standing postures, as well as walking, so I really do pay attention to walking and standing correctly, stacking my bones, walking as if I have a bowl on my head, tall and straight.  My ham strings often get in the way for various poses but walking, standing, and sitting correctly are no problem if I pay attention.

Evie's Decorated Halloween Cookies...Yum

It's a three hour morning when I go to yoga, leaving around 9:30, returning home around 12:30 if I don't stop somewhere.  When I got home, Evie had made more cookies, and had lunch ready, tuna sandwiches and mushroom barley soup. Wonder Woman.  We are still using the bread I made last week since Evie freezes it in three of four slice packets, pulls them out in the morning, and we have good bread for the day.  It was quite cool out yesterday, so I spent much of the afternoon inside reading and took a nice 45 minute nap...something I am quite able to do most afternoons.  As I napped, Evie worked, this time decorating the Halloween cookies she had baked in the morning.  Decorating them, as you can see from the picture, is time consuming but worth it in the end because they look so professional.

Pumpkin Display at Wegman's

Painted Pumpkins For Sale

We planned on going to a movie but at the last minute decided it was too nice out (the sun had just come out), so we did our shopping at Wegman's (5% off on Tuesday for seniors) and did the unthinkable, at least for us, stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken and picked up a bucket of classic, along with cole slaw, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  At 5:00 the place was amazingly busy as others must have had the same idea.  We have laughed about  getting a bucket of chicken for years but haven't because it's so unhealthy.  We threw the health thing aside for a day, sinned against the healthy food Gods and 'loved it', just like the good old days in Euclid.  When we were first married, we would go to Kenny Kings for dinner.  They had the same kind of chicken, 'finger lickin good'.   Of course, we ate only two thighs a piece for dinner, so we have enough left for another dinner either tonight or tomorrow, a good deal in the end if you care about cost.

Before dinner, we did sit down and relax with a drink (like my parents, who had either a Manhattan or Martini every night before dinner for probably 50 years) and enjoyed the sunset, marred only my the sound of our neighbor Billy's pump motor, as he spent close to three hours next door in the dark, taking out poles.  Finally, all the docks, poles, and lifts seem to be in along Woodlawn, the lake wide once again.  I am currently reading two books, one long and labor intensive but I am to the section set in Istanbul, after a stint in 1990's Haiti and Yugoslavia just after WW II (you try to figure out the connection...I cannot at the moment).  And I am reading David Downings first Nazi Germany novel, Zoo Station, an easy read compared to the other.

Late Afternoon Sun on Long Point