A Warm, Silent Morning

6:47

6:57

7:01

Up at 6:40, some color off towards Long Point, some action on the lake now, at 8:00, a few fishing boats around the docks.  When I walked outside at 6:40, a blue heron was standing on our dock, and two muskrats were swimming about twenty feet off shore, heading south.

Heron Morning

Yesterday was the third warm, summer like day in a row, and today concludes our summer in early September as tomorrow it cools and some rain arrives.  I started the day with an early morning kayak with Evie.  The lake was too inviting, like glass, so we got ready, jumped in our kayaks, and the wind had picked up, the lake wrinkled, but still, it was good to be almost the only one's on the lake.  By almost I mean our neighbors', the Johnson, were also out early in their twin skull, enjoying the day.  I returned by 9:20, so I could get ready for yoga at 10:00.  It was a good practice, lots of fellow students, even though it was warm.  I felt energized, so I stopped for a coffee, came home, and the lake was amazing, blue sky, clear waters, so I jumped in my kayak again, as Evie sunned on the dock, and paddled over to Long Point, along its coast looking to see if the Jerusalem artichokes were in bloom (saw just a few), then home.  When I returned to the dock, I tipped my kayak, to see how difficult it was to right, very, and then scrubbed it inside and out.  And I did the same thing to Evie's, so we have, for the moment, two kayaks without spiders.

Muskrats A Swimming

For lunch, Evie made salmon cakes, for sandwiches, with tomato and mayo, a great lunch with leftover salmon.  We then both adjourned to the dock for a good part of the afternoon, enjoying the sun for a while, then covering ourselves with towels, to protect from the sun, but staying out on the dock to read because it was so comfortable, and we may not have many of these kind of days left.

At 5:30, we took a cruise up the lake to Point Chautauqua, along the shore of Maple Springs, and Dewittville, before heading back.  We got a call from our neighbor, David Jones, who was stranded at the Rod and Gun, wondering if we were able to come and get him.  We said we were fifteen miles, perhaps forty five minutes away but would come and get him if he couldn't find anyone.  He called as we were heading home to say someone was towing him into Smith Boys, and would not need us.  It turned out he was just out of gas, not an engine problem.  So, we had a dinner I have been wanting, eggs, bacon, home fries, and homemade bread and we both loved it.  It's our Sunday morning breakfast but sometimes, you just have to break your routine.  We watched Stewart and Colbert, then the next episode of The Killing before going up to read and to bed.

Pink Sky In The Morning (Lunch On The Chadakoin River)

6:15

6:52

Awake at 5:30, up and downstairs at 6:10 to a pink sky, a silent lake, with hopes for another great day on the lake.  Both today and tomorrow are forecast to be sunny and warm, with rain arriving on Saturday. Right now it's 61º, the sun has just invaded our living room, a bit late as it's 7:00...the long day wanes, alas.  Fortunately, DST does not occur until November 2nd, really shortening the day.

Boating Down The Chadakoin River - Reflections of Clouds and Trees were "Dizzying"

Looking North From Celeron

No yoga yesterday because we were taking a cruise, with the McClure's down the lake to the source of the Chadakoin River, then down the river to McCrea Point in Jamestown. So, we spent part of the morning getting the boat, drinks, and towels ready and we took off at 10:40, loaded down with amenities and sub sandwiches from the Lighthouse.  We cruised under the bridge, then took our time, admiring and commenting on the homes along the west side of the lake, touching on areas like Niets Crest, Ashville Bay, Lakewood, and finally Celeron where the river begins.  The lake was a bit choppy when we started but calmed down around Lakewood, so it was like glass.  The river was quiet, as we met two kayaks, one fishing boat, going and coming. Going down the river feels like going back into prehistoric time, at least to me, a few buildings and cottages mid way to McCrea Point but that's it other than swamp lands and forests.  We docked at McCrea Point for a potty break, then started back up the river, breaking out the food and drinks half way down it.  We then cruised the east side of the lake, past Fluvanna, Point Stockholm, Driftwood, Cheney's Farms and Shore Acres.  Each year we do this we find knock downs replaced by Dynasty type homes, overdone, huge, making us wonder what the owners were thinking.  All this space for a vacation home, empty most of the year? We don't get it.  And when cruising the lake,  you really get a sense that there is little undeveloped lake ront, as houses, small, mid size and large, crowd the shoreline unlike any other lake I have seen.

The Captain And A Swabbie

A Couple of Gorgeous Waves

We were back around 2:45, the round trip taking four hours, on a spectacular September afternoon. We could not have chosen a better day, the lake calm, the sky clear, and we did not put up the canopy until our return, when it did start to get hot in the sun.  This is the second time we have done this, missing it last year for some reason.

Locals Fishing At McCrea Point In Jamestown

Scoping Out The Bridge's Health 

We spent the rest of the afternoon on the dock reading until 5:30, when we got out some refreshments, sat out on the dock, sipping a beer, munching on Utz pretzels, as the dock was slowly swallowed by shade, making it chilly enough that we decided to go in and have dinner.  We had leftover burgers for dinner, with  corn, salad, and twice baked potatoes...waste not, want not.

And we started watching the 4th season of The Killing.  We started the first episode, were a bit confused, so we watched the last episode of the previous season, clearing up many themes and problems taken up in Season Four.  We then started, again, the first episode of Season Four, with much more understanding. Both Holder and Sarah are covering up Sarah's shooting of her lover and police superintendent from Season Three.  She discovers he was the serial killer they had been chasing.  How they are going to manage to cover this up is the stuff of the next five episodes, as well as another murder case they are following.  We are hooked.

The Metamorphosis Of An Early Morning Sky

6:07

6:35

7:17

7:30

Up at 6:00, before the sunrise, colors just beginning to appear in the eastern sky, painting the lake surface with its reflection.  It's only the herons and me at this hour, perhaps a few ducks, plopping into the lake when I walk out on our dock.  There's a pleasant chill this morning, 57º, the highs later near 80º, sunny and clear, a great day for taking a boat cruise down the lake and the Chadakoin River with the McClures.

I was determined to begin yoga again after a three day respite and it was just the tonic I needed because I felt energized, ready for the day after class (it did not last long).  I also shopped at Sam's, picked up salmon for dinner, filled a couple of cans with gas for my boat, and was home by noon. Evie had just gotten back from a paddle on the empty lake, seemingly the only boat around, the quietness of fall.  Lunch was leftover dogs with coleslaw slathered on the buns, Southern Style, and the last of the cauliflower soup.  I watched Ray Donovan, while Evie read on the dock, until the rain forced her inside.  Around 1:00, I drove off to the DMV in Mayville, as my NY driver's license was about to expire after five years.  It's difficult to realize that we have been New York residents for five years.  Whoa.  Just to show you how ridiculously bureaucratic this state is, I had to fill out another form with all the info they already have, the clerk fills it in on the computer, and then sends it to Albany and they will mail me my license in a week.  Unbelievable.  In Ohio, they take your picture and print it immediately.  Bureaucracies create lots of jobs I suppose.

Afternoon Rain

When I got home, there was a brief respite from the rain, so I went out and emptied twenty gallons of gas into my boat, making sure we have plenty for our cruise down the lake today.  Just as I finished, it began to rain, so Evie and I spent the late afternoon on the porch, listening to the rain, and reading, listening to various music genres on our Sonos radio.  We love it.  After a glass of wine, Evie started dinner, making garlic spinach, broiling the salmon in tin foil, and we had a quick but good dinner.  It's our favorite way to enjoy salmon, with an entire family sized box of spinach.  We watched the last two episodes of Masters of Sex, which still holds our attention, especially Lizzy Caplan, the Johnson of the two.  It has its ups and downs, like most series, but we mostly like it.  Evie is reading Richard Russo tomb, THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS, and I am half way through Anthony Doerr's new novel, ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, set in Nazi occupied France.

It's now 7:14 and a once clear morning, then blanket of fog, has now obliterated Long Point and the end of my dock is barely visible.  The fogs coming reminds me of a stanza from Eliot's THE LOVESONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK:

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,	15
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,	20
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

OUR KIND OF TRAITOR: JOHN LE CARRE

I decided to try a more recent Le Carre, this won winning numerous awards in 2009.  It's quite different from his earlier George Smiley novels, with no spy master like Smiley, instead a power struggle between agencies and a couple of neophytes recruited and pulled into the mix.  The story begins, improbably, on the island of Antigua where Perry Makepiece, a tutor in English at Oxford is on a vacation with his long time girl friend, a lawyer, Gail.  The first day, Perry is chosen, or so it seems, by Dima, a  vacationing Russian oligarch, to be his tennis partner.  Although Perry is not enthusiastic, it's impossible to say no to Dima, who is used to getting his way, always.  And the story begins...Dima is basically on the run from the Russian Zors, or brotherhood, like the mafia.  He's made his billions by laundering money and now he understands they are going to get rid of him.  So he's made up his mind to make a deal with the British, whom, for some reason, he trusts and Perry, so he thinks, can be his ticket to the MI5 even though Perry is tutor.  Dima knows people, senses he can trust Perry, and it proves to be a good choice.  It's not so good a choice to trust the MI5.

So, Perry and Gail contact MI5, or some version of it, and he ends up dealing with Hector, one of the higher ups, unfortunately, on the outs with other higher ups.  Gradually, Perry convinces Hector of the importance of Dima and with Hector's right hand men, Luke and Ollie, they set the plan in action to offer Dima and his family in return for his information about those involved in the money laundering, especially British bigwigs, but all depends on Hector convincing the Heads that this is a legitimate and important get.

Lots of behind scenes stuff, compromising, selling short but eventually they give the go ahead and Perry and Gail fly to Paris, help Dima and his family disappear from the oligarch's and they hide in an out of the way hotel in Switzerland.  Meanwhile, things are not going so well back home, so Perry and Gail and Dima and his family wait it out in Switzerland.  Meanwhile, the other services, as well as some of the top politicos have gotten wind of this 'get' and many are themselves involved in the money laundering, throwing wrenches into the works when ever they can to save their asses.  Finally, Perry gets permission to fly Dima out of Switzerland to London.  They drive to a small airport, where Luke gets on the plane, and they take off.  Within minutes there's an explosion and the plane disappears.  "Instrument failure is the semi official explanation", mostly because no terrorist group has accepted responsibility.  And the novel ends like many of Le Carre's works, with more questions then answers.  What happens to Perry and Gail? To Dima's family?  We are left wondering, not knowing.

An End, A Beginning

7:38

Labor Day Picnic

I slept in despite a restless night, getting up at 7:10, to an overcast sky, a ghost lake, empty, like a piece of slate. It rained hard last night, thunder and lightning, waking up Evie as well as me.  And it was a hot, humid night of sleep, the most uncomfortable night of the summer.  It's a close morning, moist and hot, 70º already, with more rain and temperatures in the high 70's to come.  Bring on the fall, a crispy, chilly day, perfect for hiking.

We had a the best kind of Labor Day, the kind without much labor, at least for me.  Evie is another story.  We mostly hung out at the lake estate, an easy morning, of listening to NPR, a nice kayak paddle over to Long Point, Wells Bay and back.  Around 11:00, I drove to the Lighthouse Grocery, picked up some ground chuck and corn, for our picnic later in the day.

We enjoyed the afternoon, out on the dock, or inside when it got too hot.  Evie put together the burgers, made some cole slaw and I talked her out of making home made french fries, making twice baked potatoes instead, much easier even though they are not usual picnic fare.  And of course, she cut the grass, and I worked on cutting the deadwood out of our privets, damaged from the hard and extremely cold winter.  Almost any amount of labor led to a sweat, so when Evie was done cutting the lawn, she was soaked, red faced, ready to jump in the lake.  So we both swam around 4:30, to cool off, in a lake with almost clear water.  By this time, the lake was settling down, most visitors were heading home, getting ready for work the next day but not us.  We relish these evenings at the end of a vacation or weekend because we remember driving home to Hudson when all we wanted was to stay another night.  Now we can, every weekend, every vacation...how lucky are we.

The McClures and Leonards came over for a Labor Day picnic around 5:30 and we sat out in the yard, a beautiful late afternoon, as it cooled off some, and a light breeze cooled us as well.  The lake was continuing to empty of boaters, as we enjoyed our beers and appetizers, and played some bean bag, NOT CORN HOLE.  We have been playing bean bag for 37 years and have always called it bean bag.  Around 7:00, I put the unhusked corn on the grill for 15 minutes, then grilled burgers and Sahlen hot dogs, as Evie got the sides ready in the kitchen.  And it was nice enough to eat outside, so Joyce and Linda set the table.  We loved our meal, especially the 'twice baked potatoes' I might add. Nothing like a burger, dog, and Joyce's baked beans.  We ate and stayed outside until it was almost dark and the crickets were so loud, perhaps the loudest any of us had ever heard, sending us inside for coffee and dessert.  Everyone left by 9:30 and then Evie and I did up the dishes despite our lack of mojo.  We just did not want to face a messy kitchen in the morning.

Today is a beginning, at least in our minds, the end of  a wonderful summer, the looking forward to a great fall, of hiking, boating, some swimming, perhaps some travel, and lots of get together with friends here at the lake. I cannot wait.  So, to begin my fall, I am off to yoga at 9:30, another beginning.

New Words I Have Come Across In The Last Few Days and Liked and Don't Want To Forget:

mansplaining: delighting in condescending, inaccurate explanations delivered with rock solid confidence of rightness and that slimy certainty that of course he is right, because he is the man in a conversation or  the act of a man speaking to a woman with the assumption that she knows less than he does about the topic being discussed on the basis of her gender.

Berk: a stupid or foolish person, one who is easily taken advantage of, used to describe many of the Islamic terrorists, who are not 'holy warriors, just poor 'berks,' taken advantage of by their leaders.  

IF THE DEAD RISE NOT: PHILIP KERR

This is the sixth Bernie Gunter novel; this time, the first half is set in 1934, in Nazi Berlin. The second half, post WW II Cuba, filled with Nazis, Mafia, with Fidel Castro lurking in the background. When the novel begins, Bernie has fallen out with the Nazis, is now the Adlon Hotel's detective.  An ugly American surfaces at the hotel, Max Reles, representing the business interests of American companies, all willing to work with Hitler despite his tyranny.  And Max also helps Avery Brundage( anti semite and Nazi sympathizer) to keep the Olympics in Berlin as a sop for Hitler, by refusing to believe the stories about persecutions of the Jews.  And of course, there's a girl, Noreen, wealthy wife of a Greek American tycoon, like a Jackie Kennedy.  Bernie does her a favor, then falls in love, and she reciprocates though both know they have little if any future.  The first story's conflict revolves around a missing Chinese artifact, payola to Max Reles for helping keep the Olympics in Berlin.  As Bernie searches for the thief, we get a first hand look at the Nazification of Germany, Berlin especially, with all the Hitler stooges taking front stage.  His search leads him down a doomed path, one where he discovers the truth, that Reyes is not only a thief but a murderer but keeps quiet because if he doesn't, Max will make sure Noreen is dead.

The second half improbably shifts to Cuban, where Noreen is living, as a friend, in Hemingway's home and Max Reyes also happens to be a resident, deep into illegalities and casinos along with other Jewish and Italian mafia figures.  Bernie gets hired by one of the gangsters to oversee his Casino but his real  raison d'etre is to get his revenge on Max, which he does towards the end of the novel, no surprise other than he does not take up with Noreen.  By the way, she has a daughter, who just happens to be Bernie's from their tryst twenty years ago in Berlin.  We read this for the atmosphere, first of Berlin as it falls to the Nazis, and to Cuba, just before its fall to Castro and Communism.

We Got The Rain

6:26

7:11

Up early, just after 6:00, to an overcast, foggy morning, a bit sticky as well.  A silent Labor Day for now, 66º, with some sun and rain forecast for the day.  At the moment, 7:11, the sun is emerging from the cloud bank, a dim disk, a shimmering lake, light above.

Below is another poem from yesterday's Writers Almanac, reminding me of the end of summer.

August by John Updike The sprinkler twirls. The summer wanes. The pavement wears Popsicle stains. The playground grass Is worn to dust. The weary swings Creak, creak with rust. The trees are bored With being green. Some people leave The local scene And go to seaside Bungalows And take off nearly All their clothes.

Yesterday was a rainy Sunday morning, and afternoon, but it cleared around 6:00.  So we had a leisurely Sunday, spent mostly inside, reading, watching some TV in the afternoon, unusual for us, and Evie put together a ricotta pie for tonight's Labor Day picnic.  Around 11:00, the rain seemed to abate, so I put my bike in the car and drove to the CI for a ride.  I did not push myself, rode up and down the various streets, paying attention to the front yard gardens, all still in bloom, especially the hydrangeas.  I circled the grounds twice, taking just around forty five minutes, just the right amount and as I started back to the south end, crossing Thunder Bridge, it started to rain, perfect timing.

For lunch, I had another chicken enchilada, cooked up a couple more ears of corn, before taking a nap, reading some, waiting for the FIBA World Cup basketball game between the US and Turkey. Evie decided to watch a thriller, Enemy of the State, and I joined her.  It's an older film, about the NSA, their spying on individuals so it had some relevance and we enjoyed it till the end when it got silly.  I then watched the Turks takes a six point half time lead over Team USA but eventually lose by twenty points, a moral victory.

Last Night On Lenhart Porch

We then showered, put on our Sunday best, and Linda and Ron picked us up, and we went over to Bemus, to enjoy one last beer, on the Lenhart Hotel's porch.  It closes today.  And, like magic, the sun came out just as we sat down, surely a sign of our importance.  For some reason, perhaps nostalgia, Ron and I always have an Old Vienna, the only time we have it.

Thelma and Louise

We sat with many others, enjoying the respite from the rain, then drove to Guppy's, the parking lot packed, the various porches and venues overflowing with people, an hour wait we were told. Fortunately, we got two seats at the bar, then within 15 minutes two more opened up so we decided to stay and order from the bar, a good choice.  It was a lively night, lots of vacationers and locals, coming and going.  We ran into our neighbors, the Soffels, and Evie, as usual, struck up a conversation with some random guy from Twinsburg, much to Linda McClure's amusement.  Our meals were good though Evie's portabello burger could have been better.  Three out of four isn't bad.

Butch and Sundance

We were home by 9:15, in time to watch another episode of Tyrant, a new show that we will probably stop watching, as it's getting pretty bad.