A Quiet Morning After The Fourth

6:09

6:10

7:22

7:30

7:32

I was up around 6:15, the muted sun sitting above the horizon.  It's a hazy morning, the shoreline murky, perhaps fog or just morning haze.  It's 64º, my get up to 80º with a good chance of rain.  I will take it.

Yesterday was back to my routine, a nice early morning paddle before driving off to Lakewood to yoga.  After class, I returned five egg cartons to my coffee shop, Ryder's, bought another dozen eggs to go with an iced coffee.  I then drove to Home Depot to pick up a couple of things, then on to Wegman's to get what I forgot the day before.  At least the store was fairly empty, so shopping and waiting in line was a breeze.

When I got home, we decided it was time to take down the canvas curtain which creates a mud room for our back porch.  Many homes around the lake put up these curtains in the fall, to enclose a porch, and take them down in the spring.  Well, I guess it's summer, not spring, so it was time.  Before lunch, then, we cleared the porch and I got out the ladder, undid the snaps, and we took it down, creating an entirely new view from our porch. I like it open like this except in the winter.  While Evie vacuumed and washed the floor, I had my lunch, frozen sloppy joes which we warmed in the microwave.

I then did my usual, watched Spiral, read and took a nap.  Around 3:00, we put the porch back together, did some watering and Evie decided the lawn needed cutting one more time.  My sister Ellen and her husband Walt are visiting today and we wanted the yard to look good.  And it does as does the garden, a result of quite a bit of rain the last few weeks, I think.

7:58 PM

7:50 PM

Around 6:00, our work was done, so I got out some cheese and crackers and we happily sat down on our front porch with a glass of wine and enjoyed the view.  Unlike this morning, Long Point and the opposite shore was crystal clear, the sky filled with puffy clouds, ripe for taking photos as it was the golden hour.

8:53 PM

8:54 PM

We enjoyed sitting down so much we had a second, perhaps third glass of wine, breaking our rule...two is enough. Dinner was easy, as we both felt like fried eggs, toast and we had the leftover potato salad from the night before.  We watched a couple more episodes of House Of Cards, a good way to fill an evening before going to bed.

After The Fourth

Fourth Of July Picnic With Our Neighbors

Early Morning Visitors: 6:11

6:15

6:27

6:30

7:07

 I woke just after 6:00 to another spectacular morning sky and a family of geese on our lawn.  After walking towards them they reluctantly fell into the water and paddled away as I took photograph after photograph of the sky.  It's mornings like this that I am glad I get up early.  It's like being in an art museum, like Monet's waterlilies series.  It's after 9:00, I have just returned from a half hour paddle and am eating breakfast as Evie's picks out photos and edits the blog before publishing.  At 9:40, I will head off to yoga, then Wegman's, again, as I forgot a few items from yesterday.

Kayak Morning

Yesterday, the 4th of July, was classic, sunny, windy and warm most of the day, perfect for boating, swimming, picnics and ending with fireworks.  No yoga, of course, but after an hour long kayaking, I picked up my smartphone with my Wegman's list and drove off to Wegman's, to join the mass of shoppers who, like me, waited until the last minute to shop for a fourth of July picnic.  Idiots, all of us.  My list was fairly extensive as we are having my sister and brother in law over for a couple of days, so I slogged from aisle to aisle, trying to find things like Rolos which Evie wanted to put inside of marshmallows later in the day, a kind of self contained smores.  I did find a fairly small check out line, the upside of shopping yesterday.  When I got home, Evie was out on the dock, after cutting the lawn, fishing, hoping to catch a perch, fat chance.  We put away all the groceries and decided to go for a cruise before the lake got too busy and choppy.  So we cruised over to Bemus and back, trying to avoid some of the weed patches in the lake.  The lake seems to be pretty bad in some areas, so I have to be careful not to get them caught in the outboard.

Neighbors And Their Cousins

The Pensive Chief

Bean Baggers, Isabelle And Evie

For lunch, I had a leftover burger, heated it up in the microwave and it was not bad.  I watched SPIRAL until I joined our neighbors, Bill, Joyce, and family, for a picnic.  We sat around much of the afternoon, playing bean bag, grazing on appetizers, and listening to their amusing cousin Laurie, entertain all of us with her stories.  Both Evie and I took timeouts, Evie to swim with Barnie for a good half hour, playing ball, and me, to just cool off and get my mojo back.  After two beers and the heat, I needed a wake up call.   Around 5:30, David and I grilled the burgers and hotdogs, to accompany Evie's potato and tomato salad, Kathy's tabbouleh, Chris's baked beans, and a cucumber and tomato salad.  So we feasted on a typical Fourth of July fare, and I was happy to just have a couple of hot dogs, with Ted's sauce, a  Buffalo hot dog classic.

Not Quite Ready

La Lennys

Mom And Daughter

We were all tired from the afternoon festivities, the food, the beers and did not see how we could make it until 10:00 when everyone puts out flares around the lake.  But we managed, as Kathy built a fire in the fire pit and we roasted marshmallows, talked, played more bean bag until the fireworks began.  We lit the flares, watched the fireworks at Bemus and from neighbors on both sides of our houses before we decided around 10:30 we had enough of the 4th, cleared the tables and went home to sleep.  It was a good day.

Flares And Bonfires at 10:00 PM

A Four Blue Heron Morning

6:04

6:14

6:27

6:27

It's been a lazy morning so far, as the lake at 7:25 is beginning to heat up.  I should be out kayaking rather than sitting here writing this.  I was up just before 6:00, thinking the sunrise might be neat but it's been hidden behind clouds most of the morning so far.  I could see the orb blanketed behind the clouds at times.  Now it has finally risen above the clouds, a large, blinding slash of shimmering light on the lake.  It's 9:30 as I finish the blog, after a long kayak paddle, 20 minutes of Tom's Point, 45 minutes on a leisurely paddle home.  Along the way, I was able to photograph four different blue herons.  Cool beans.

Bemus Bridge From Tom's Point

Prendergast Point On Left, Long Point On The Right

Yesterday was a typical Monday for us despite being a holiday weekend for most.  I was up early, wrote my blog, kayaked and then went to a crowded yoga class in Lakewood.  Lots of visitors and regulars so we had more than 20 of us, stretching and holding.  I was not in the mood to get a coffee and we didn't need anything at Wegman's so I came straight home to a windy but sunny day on the lake.

Blue Heron # 1

Evie had finally gotten to the attic, checking out all our air mattresses, to see which still hold air.  We need them when the Gang of Thirteen arrive in late July.  I was not much help, as I was on the phone with Apple, trying to get my Time Machine and router fixed.  We updated both time machine and the air utility so I am hoping that fixes the problem.  After the half hour phone call, I  just kicked back and had a lunch of tuna, read some and took a brief nap.

Blue Heron # 2

Once the attic was done, neither of us did much the rest of the day.  Evie spent the afternoon reading on the dock, occasionally wrapping herself in a beach towel when the wind got too strong.  I tried the dock but ended up in the yard, safe from the wind, reading and sunbathing until the sun fell behind our willow.  I was tempted to go for a boat ride but the lake was overrun with the weekenders, so I put that idea aside for another day.

Blue Heron #  3

Around 5:30, we had our cocktail hour on the dock, a beer with cashews and pretzels for an appetizer. Neither one of us felt like fussing with dinner, so Evie shredded some cabbage, added vinegar and oil, and we had her favorite cole slaw.  And I grilled some burgers outside.  And that was dinner, just enough for the two of us.  We had forgotten that we started House of Cards back in early June, so we picked up where we left off and watched three episodes, occasionally walking outside to see the fireworks from various venues. We were both in bed by 11:00.

Blue Heron # 4

A Day On The Shores Of Lake Erie

With My Sisters And Their Husbands And Niece

5:58

6:53

A splendid morning here at Chautauqua Lake.  Lots of sunshine, some clouds, a shimmering lake, purple martins singing, and 63º.  I was up in time to see the sunrise at 5:58 although it had to squeeze its light between the cloud bank and shoreline.  At the moment, it's 7:13 and the sun is now high in the sky, above the clouds.  It looks like we will have a rain free couple of days, a great 4th tomorrow. It's 8:45 and I just got back from a paddle, a crowded lake as I met three other kayakers!

Bean Baggers, Vince, Walt, Hampton

Selfie With Grandniece And Friend

Evie and Shea

Grand Niece Emily And Riley

Yesterday we were both up early and busy, getting ready for a day trip to visit my sisters Linda and Ellen in Euclid.  Linda lives on the shores of Lake Erie in Euclid, the town the three of us grew up in. It's a busy place in the summers as her kids and grandchildren live nearby and are almost always enjoying their yard and beach during the summer.  Yesterday was no exception as two of the four families descended on the house to enjoy the fun, the gathering of us, my sister from Virginia and her daughter and husband from Denver.  It's always great fun for us to see all the kids when we visit and seeing my sister and her daughter made it even better.  We arrived about noon, sat around and talked until my sister Linda brought out her famous sloppy joes.  The young boys quickly dug in as did the rest of us, quickly emptying the pot.

Beaching It 

Evie And My Sister, Ellen

Younger Generation Cruising

Around 1:30, the younger generation drove to Wildwood to get the boat and go for a cruise to Cleveland and swim at the sandy White City Beach.  The rest of us were content to sit on the now rock filled beach, with our feet in the water.  It was a warm day but a nice breeze made it bearable in the sun.  We sat around drinking beer or bottled water, catching up on the lives of our nieces and nephews and their kids, some who are now in college.

Grand Nephew, Connor, A Senior At Keuka College

Evie, With Ellen And Her Daughter, Julia

Barbequing With Kevin, Son Connor, And Rich

Around 5:30, my sister Linda and her husband Rich started to make dinner.  Rich barbequed buckets of chicken and Linda made noodles and got out the salad her daughter made.  We must have been hungry because there was little left as the young boys put it away like us grandfather's used to do.
We ended the evening with great desserts, chocolate chip bon bons and cheesecake, the courtesy of the current Mayor of Euclid, my niece.  It was a perfect end to a great day, as we sat out on the porch, overlooking the lake, enjoying our dessert, coffee, as the kids paddled each other out to the boat and went for an early evening cruise.

Cleveland Sky Line

Tubing At dusk

We said our goodbyes at 9:00 and had an easy two hour drive home to the lake, getting there just after 11:00, with a stop for gas in Ohio at Loves, to fill up on gas, 45 cents cheaper a gallon then in New York.  It was fun to be with family again and we all made our vows to see each other more often.

A Sunrise, Finally

6:05

7:02

7:06

7:49

I was up just after 6:00, the sun hidden behind a few clouds.  Soon, however, it rose above, lighting up the lake.  Lots of action on the lake at this hour, 7:30, ski boats, fishing boats, a kayak or two and swooping purple martins, building their homes. It must be a holiday weekend.  We head into Euclid to visit family, my sisters and their husbands today.  It should be a good day for a short road trip.

Yesterday was, I think, a typical Saturday although I can't remember.  We had a leisurely morning, the only real action was a trip to the Transfer Station.  Evie did have a good talk with Jill and we are delighted that we will be picking up Halle, our granddaughter and bringing her back to the lake on Saturday, July 15th, for the week before the whole gang arrives.  Around 12:00, we decided to squeeze in a kayak paddle before the rain but once we got out to Long Point and headed towards Sandy Bottom, it started to drizzle.  By the time we got home, it stopped so we continued along Woodlawn and back, a good paddle.

Paddling Into The Storm

After kayaking, I heated up the leftover crab cake and fish from our dinner at the Springs Restaurant and it was just as tasty as Thursday night.  We then gave up on accomplishing anything.  After all, it was a holiday weekend, a Saturday, so we spent the rest of the afternoon on the dock, enjoying the day, occasionally taking a dip and not feeling guilty about relaxing.  Late afternoon, I disposed of the weeds which we cut on Friday but that was about it.

We relaxed again on our porch with a gin and tonic at 6:30 for an hour, as the lake activity seemed to heat up, perhaps in anticipation of the fireworks later in the evening.  Dinner was a repeat of Friday night, chicken with a simmer sauce, with extra broccoli and cream.  We finally found a movie we liked, Sweden's A MAN CALLED OVE, which we watched on Amazon Prime although our wifi kept cutting out.  I think we may need a new router, a Time Machine from Apple.  The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film.  It's the story of a curmudgeon who has just lost his wife and intends to end his life.  His plans, however, are thwarted by his new immigrant neighbors, who befriend him and change his life.  The story is a bit of a cliche but we liked it.

Another Wet Morning

6:30

7:30

8:25

It was raining when I got up at 6:20 to a grey morning, both lake and sky.  Now, at 7:45, it has stopped raining but the clouds remain and we may have more rain later in the day.  We must have gotten close to an inch in the last 12 hours and it's 65º, getting up to the low 70's later in the day.

Blue Heron Of The Morning

Yesterday was a strange day, mostly because we were having dinner at home for the first time since last Saturday.  The day began with yoga as usual and class included our neighbor's daughters, Cris and Kathy.  With Julie our teacher, there were four of us from Woodlawn, our neighborhood.  Class was really good, lots of variety.  I passed up on a coffee and went to straight to Wegman's, a mistake because it seemed everyone in the area had the same idea, get stocked up for the 4th.  Since I now have Wegman's app on my phone, Evie can make a list on her phone, add to it, and it pops up on my phone as I shop.  Cool beans.  Of course, like always, I did not get everything perfect because I did not realize that the app included quantity; I got only one, no two cans of Campbell's tomato soup!

When I got home, it was time for lunch and Evie volunteered to make me a steak wrap with mushrooms for lunch.  How could I say no.  It was tasty, a nice change from chicken salad and I relaxed in the TV room, watching another SPIRAL.  Yes, I am getting to the end of the series, alas.

It was a surprisingly warm afternoon, so Evie spent a good amount of time out on the dock, either cutting weeds or sun bathing on our dock.  After a nap, some Longmire, I joined her and worked in the deep waters, clearing the weeds.  We ended up with quite a pile on our dock, letting it dry but it rained overnight so it will have to sit out there for another 24 hours or more until it dries.

Around 6:00, we both cleared the dock and came in.  Evie quickly put together our chicken and a curry simmer sauce, including mushrooms and broccoli.  Once she finished up cooking the rice, everything was ready to be heated, so we adjourned to our front porch for a Manhattan and some Affinois cheese.  It seemed as if it was the first time we have sat on the porch this summer.  It was a beautiful night to sit outside, blue skies, puffy clouds, a cobalt blue lake.  Around 7:30, Evie reheated the chicken and sauce, made a salad and we had a really tasty dinner.  It felt good to have dinner at home although we struggled to find something to watch on TV.  We started an Australian series recommended by our daughter Beth but neither of us could understand the accent.  We ended up watching some Colbert and news until we had enough and went up to bed.

Our daughter Beth and her family are spending the 4th at a friend's house in Taos, NM.  This is the view from their porch this morning.  Pretty nice.

Taos Sunrise at 6:05