A Few More Inches Of Snow

7:20

 It's 7:20 and I have been up for an hour.  Darkness has passed and the lake and Long Point are visible, the sky gray, the lake ruffled from a light wind.  It's cold outside, 24º and it looks like the snow may be over for a few days. I also have noticed the buffleheads are back, as trains of them are floating by our house.

Buffleheads

Yesterday was typically gray and cold, with some snow falling in late afternoon and early evening.  I began the day with breakfast at the Bemus Point Inn with the guys.  Soon our numbers will diminish as a couple of the guys will head to Florida for the winter.  It's always a good way to start the day, breakfast with friends.

Breakfast Club

When I came home, Evie and I finished up the blog but forgot to publish until noon.  Around 9:30, I pulled the Honda out of the garage, deciding to drive it and keep the battery charged since it had been sitting for a couple of weeks.  I drove to a crowded and good Yin Yoga class with Danielle.  What a contrast, a class of one on Wednesday. of twenty on Thursday.  After class, Evie needed a few things so I stopped at Sav A Lot and picked them up before driving home.

Because of the weather, the icy roads, Evie was staying in, afraid to risk going out for a walk.  She had been busy, however, as always and was watching the Bush's service at a Houston church when I came home.  I joined her for a while and as the Bush family pulled away in their limousine, we noticed a woman standing outside the church who looked like our neighbor, Pat.  We were sure it was her so Evie texted her and we were correct.  She was at the funeral, lives in Houston and her husband, David, is CEO of the George H. W. Bush Library Foundation in College Station, TX.

For lunch, I heated up some of the leftover chili for lunch and watched another episode of Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime.  A couple more episodes and Jack will have foiled the Al Queda plot to spread the Ebola virus in the US.  What a guy.  The rest of the afternoon I read some and took a brief nap.  Evie, however, put together our dinner.  I had early in the morning seen a recipe for Chicken Marsala with mushrooms and knew we had lots of mushrooms in the refrigerator.  So I suggested nicely that it might make a good dinner.  So mid-afternoon, Evie thawed some chicken breasts, sliced thin filets, pounded them out, then sauteed them and made a sauce with mushrooms, garlic, white and marsala wine and other herbs, and we had our dinner ready by 4:30. 

Thunder Bridge

Meanwhile, I was bored with my book, TRANSCRIPTION by British novelist Kate Atkinson, so I  decided to walk the Chautauqua Institution in the snow.  I parked at the south gate and started my walk, almost turning around because of the wet snow.  But I persevered and ended up walking for forty-five minutes, even enjoying the icy snow.  I was the only crazy one out walking in this weather except for some construction workers, renovating houses.  

Chautauqua Bookstore And Post Office

Around 6:00, we sat around the fireplace, enjoyed a glass of wine,  It was pleasant to be inside, warm and comfortable as the snowflakes danced in the wind.  Around 6:00, Evie put on the rice and by 6:45, we were sitting happily in our TV room, enjoying our chicken marsala on a bed of rice. I am a lucky guy.  We watched another episode of MY BRILLIANT LIFE and we really liked this episode because it was more optimistic, less dark and violent than the first three.  We then watched Stephen Colbert followed byThe Great British Baking Show but Evie kept falling asleep so she went up to bed.  I stayed down and watched the end of the first half of NFL game before joining her.  

A Few Snowflakes, Still Cold

7:33

I was up at 6:00 and was surprised to see how little it had snowed overnight in light of the Winter Storm Advisory.  In fact, most of it seemed to fall as we were driving to our friend's home for dinner last night at 6:00.  We may get a few inches later in the day but that seems to be it for the storm.  Sorry the blog's so late; we forgot to publish at 9:15.

Yesterday was a good day.  I started my morning with a paddle, was home with enough time to get the blog done and have breakfast.  I then drove to yoga and once again, I had a personal yoga class as I was the only one to participate.  Julie took her time, made sure I was doing the various asanas correctly, which was really helpful.  This should happen more often.  After class, I drove to Home Depot, to return a few things and get a couple of fluorescent light bulbs that had finally burned out in our closets after twenty-two years.  I couldn't go to Home Depot without doing a little shopping in Wegman's which is next door.  So I picked up a few things Evie needed, like romaine, which is finally safe to eat.  And I was home by 12:45, just as the Bush Memorial Service was finishing up.  Evie had it DVRed but had listened to most of it on Sonos.

She had been busy, of course, and had a nice pot of carrot and cauliflower soup, flavored with coriander and miso, ready for my lunch.  And because we had bought some Greek kashkaval cheese at Cleveland's West Side Market, she made me toasted cheese sandwiches or tost as they called it in Istanbul.  We both then enjoyed our soup and sandwich and watched Bush's service.  We were really impressed by the four speakers.  All four were articulate, funny, moving and brought both of us to tears at times.  It was quite a spectacle, somber, emotional, and ennobling.   Bush was a great man, maybe not a great President, but few have served their country with such honor, with such a resume, WW II veteran, Congressman, Ambassador, CIA Chief, Vice President, and President. 

Long Point, Late Afternoon

I was able to do some reading and get in a nap before I decided to go for a hike through the woods around 4:30.  It was just starting to snow which makes walking even more enjoyable.  As I was walking, I thought about the fact that it was deer season, that a woman had been shot and killed last December when she was out walking her dog at dusk, so I  yelled a couple of times that I was hiking, just in case a stray hunter was nearby.  And I had my camera out, to take a couple of photos when I turned around and thought I saw the silhouettes of two sitting deer to my right.  I thought that it could not be deer but turned my camera towards them and two jumped up and ran away before I could get their photo. 

Woodlawn At 4:40

Our Neighbor's Fish Sculpture

When I got home, it was time for both of us to shower and get gussied up because we were going to dinner at Linda and Ron's.  As I mentioned, we drove over there as the snow was just beginning to let up.  As usual, we had our beers in the kitchen, with two great kinds of cheese from our local artisan cheese maker, Reverie Creamery And Artisan Market.  Dinner was perfect for a cold, winter night, short ribs, gravy, on a bed of what I thought was mashed potatoes but learned it was really creamy cauliflower.  I could hardly tell the difference.  It was another fun night, as we talked about what an amazing life Bush had led and how he deserved all the pomp and seriousness of the Memorial.  We left for home around 9:45 in a light snow, gusty wind but the roads were empty.  A good day, especially for me, getting in paddle, yoga, hike, and then dining out. 

Dinner With Santa

Winter Returns

7:25

Kayak Morning

Well, I am back at the lake, Chautauqua Lake, and it's a chilly 24º outside with another winter storm advisory for tonight and tomorrow.  We received a dusting of snow yesterday, just enough to whiten the yard. And it's back to routine for the next few weeks, after our excursion to Cleveland Monday and Tuesday.  It's just 9:00 and I am back from a great paddle in light snow, a partially frozen lake, and a group of seagulls, hanging out on the ice. What a great way to start the day. 

Paddling Around The Ice

Seagull Alert

Noble Gulls

Yesterday was a busy day for us, having spent Monday night at my sister's house.  We woke up on the shores of Lake Erie, had a nice, long morning coffee before driving off to visit the Apple Store on Cleveland's eastside at Eton Place.  We had an appointment with the Genius Bar at 10:05 and when we arrived, there was already a line of ten people and the store was busy, having just opened.  We spent twenty minutes with the 'genius' who was some help.  He diagnosed what I already knew, that I needed a new battery for my Air Mac and gave us some insight into some of the problems we were having with our iPhone's cellular service.  We then drove a mile up the road to TMobile at his suggestion but the gal at the desk was absolutely no help, suggesting we call TMobile customer service.  So much for that.  After our disappointing visit with TMobile, we headed to Trader Joe's, our obvious destination for the day, and spent a bucket load of money on cheeses, wine, bacon, ribs, and other goodies.  We had two carts, both of us going through different lines to facilitate our checking out. 

A Rose Among Thorns

We then loaded up the car and drove to the Manhattan Deli in Mentor and met our good friend Vi, a friend since our college days at Ohio University.  It's always fun to visit with her as she's good for lots of stories.  She had just returned from a b-ball reunion in Athens so we were able to catch up on my old teammates.  We arrived around noon and did not leave until 1:30,  the last of the lunch customers in the deli.  So ended our 36 hours in Cleveland, a really good trip.

Our Lake At 4:30 PM

We were home by 4:00, to a dusting of snow and a cold Woodlawn.  We quickly unpacked our goodies, put things away, and because we already had some chili defrosting in the refrigerator, we did not have to worry about dinner.  It's always good to get home and it's getting harder to leave it, unfortunately.  We have to make ourselves do things like our trip to Cleveland.  We quickly were back into the usual, wine time in front of the fireplace, dinner in the TV room, watching a Colbert and whatever series we were currently watching.  This time it was another episode of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND on HBO before going up to bed.

Dusk

36 Hours In Cleveland

With My Sister Linda And Brother In Law Rich

Lake Erie

7:30

It's like deja vu all over again as we spent the night at my sister's house in Euclid, a suburb of Cleveland.  It's 6:45, pitch black out and all I can hear is the sound of Lake Erie pounding against the shore.  It's back to winter, too, with the temperature in the '20s but no snow.

Yesterday we were up early, getting organized for our drive to the Cleveland Clinic for an appointment with Evie's surgeon's PA.  It's just about a three-hour drive and we arrived just before noon for our 1:10 appointment.  We were early because we were not sure of traffic or the weather.  So we had lunch in the CC's food court at Alladin's, getting their fattoush salad and lentil soup.  The seating area was packed so we were lucky to find two seats.  We went up to the Spinal Clinic's offices and were told we did have an appointment.  Evie's blood pressure immediately went sky high.  Fortunately, they sorted it out (their error) and we were able to see the PA but not till 1:45.  Evie had a good chat with the PA and she was happy with Evie's progress, better than many.  That was a relief for both of us and we never felt rushed and were able to ask many questions,  All in all, it was a good appointment even though it started out poorly.

At Cleveland's West Side Market

We then decided to drive to Cleveland's famous West Side Market, our old stomping ground back in the day.  I used to take my English class there on a Cleveland day.  Fortunately, it was open on Monday but very quiet, most likely because we got there at 3:00 and it closed at 4:00.  Still, it was fun to walk around, talk with people, take in the sights.  We ended up at the Greek grocery/deli buying some cheese and talking with the owner who kept wanting us to taste this and that.  We ended up buying another cheese at his suggestion called "ewephoria" and we had it with appetizers later in the afternoon at my sister's house.  We also picked up a loaf of ciabatta bread, thinking it would be great for dinner and it looked freshly made.  When we ask the guy where it was made, he said Pittsburgh.  So much for fresh bread right out of the oven.

We got to Euclid around 4:15 and one of their grandchildren was there to say hi, a recent graduate of Keuka College and a great kid. Linda and Rich's house is always busy with children and grandchildren since three of their four kids live nearby, as do nine of their grandkids.  They are so lucky to have them near.  Their son Richie also stopped over briefly, as did their son in law Kevin and his daughter Emily, all to say hi.  It was a nice way to enjoy a glass of wine and appetizers, catching up with all the kids and grandchildren.  For dinner, the maestro, Rich, had made us one of Evie's favorites, an eggplant parmesan and it was great.  We loved it, breaded and fried slices of eggplants with a tomato sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.  With Linda's salad and a good bread, we had a feast.  We ended dinner with a lemon pound cake, a perfect palate refresher after our Italian dinner.  We stayed up talking until about 10:30 when we all decided we were tired and went up to bed.  What a good day, good news from the doctor, a trip to the West Side Market, visit with family, eggplant parmesan, and a lemon cake to finish off the day. 

Where Went The Snow

A Sunny Sunday Afternoon

7:20

It's 6:50, still dark out and I have been up since 6:00.  Weather-wise, it's cooled down quite a bit from yesterday's high of 51º.  And it will stay in the '30s and 20's over the next week.  Sunday was an aberration, an anomaly, an outliner, not the norm. 

Sunday Morning Kayaking

Yesterday was a day of surprises in that we were not expecting blue skies and warm temperatures in the afternoon.  In fact, Sunday started out as usual, with gray skies, drizzle, a typical Chautauqua gray morning.  I didn't even want to kayak early, preferring to stay inside and enjoy my coffee, the radio, and finish my blog.  However, by 9:30, I was ready to do something and hiking did not appeal, so I put on my boots, grabbed my paddle, and kayaked down to Whitney Bay and back. 

Fin Of A Dying Fish

On my way back, I noticed this bizarre, stripped fin rise and fall beneath the water's surface.  I took photos of it, could not figure out what it was but on closer inspection, I realized it was some type of fish on its last fins, rising and dropping in the water.  I think I will check with Skip, the fishing guru at Hogan's Hut and see if he knows what kind of fish it might be.  Anyways, I did have some company on the lake as a couple of fishing boats were out, enjoying the respite from winter.

A Mallard Walking In Our Yard

When I got home, Evie was 'up and at em' as they say.  She had made herself some coffee in her new mini coffee pot and was happy and ready to go.  I did little until around noon when Evie volunteered to make us avocado toast and eggs for breakfast.  So while she made breakfast, I went up in our attic, moved boxes and cartons and found all our Christmas stuff from years ago and brought it out to see what works and throw away the rest.  I assume we have lots of lights, many however that no longer work. 

By 1:00, full from our lunch, we were ready to waste away the afternoon, Evie watching an old film on TV, me reading my David Silva novel and taking a nap.  I woke after a half hour, looked outside, and to my surprise, the sun was out, the lake a brilliant blue and the temperature was in the 50's.  Spring is on its way!  I dithered around for an hour before deciding it was so pleasant out, that I had to go for a walk. 

Sunset Over Stow At 4:30

So I drove over to Long Point State Park and hiked its perimeter for an hour, on wet and slushy trails, the only one around except for one couple.  I was able to see the sunset at 4:30 over Stow and the ferry which was testing its equipment getting ready for the summer season.

View From Bemus Point's  Lenhart Hotel at 5:09

After my walk, I stopped at Coppola's pizza, ordered a large pepperoni to go and walked around the village for 15 minutes until my pizza was ready.

Western Sky

Shortly after returning home, we were sitting in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine, listening to the news, then Apple music until we got hungry.  Evie made a quick salad and we had another simple dinner, pizza, salad and for me, a Pepsi. There was not much new to watch on TV having watched CBS Sunday morning during breakfast.  Evie went up to bed early, so I watched some football until I too got tired and went up to bed.

Rain And 43º

7:48

7:58

8:50

Well, it's 8:00 and both Evie and I have been up since 7:00, listening to gunshots, then fishing boats motoring by on this surprisingly warm morning in December.  During the night, I woke briefly to rain pelting our roof. The temperature may get up to 50º today then drop into the 20's late tomorrow. 

Fishing Early Morning

Yesterday was an ugly day at the lake, a light rain on and off, melting snow, slush, and mud covering the roads around Woodlawn.  The bright spot was my morning kayak down to Wells Bay and back, as the lake was calm early in the morning.  I was the only one on the lake but hunters must have been nearby as their gunshots sounded quite close.  When I returned home, Evie was up having her coffee and we finished up the blog before getting busy with spring cleaning in the fall.  We were not sure what we wanted to do and were sad that we missed the Christmas Parade Friday night and the Empty Bowls in Dunkirk this morning but we were not up to either.  So we did a few things around the house, then got the trash ready for the Transfer Station.  Around noon, I filled up the car with more cardboard boxes from Amazon and trash and drove off to the Transfer Station.

Cardinal In The Morning

When I got home, Evie was in the process of making up lunch, frying up some bacon and making a homemade blue cheese dressing for a Wedge salad with hard-boiled eggs.  It was big enough for the two of us but I ate most of it and Evie finished it off.  It was amazingly good of course with bacon, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and blue cheese dressing.  I watched football, read, napped, my usual while Evie continued to get a few things done around the house.  It was a gray, wet lazy afternoon for both of us.

Finally, around 4:00, I tired of sitting in the house and went for a walk in the campground where I thought it would be safe to walk on their plowed roads.  Unfortunately, when I got to the far end, it started to rain so I had to hustle home, cutting my walk short.  Around 5:30, we settled in our chairs around the fireplace with a plate of St. Andre cheese, crackers, and a Manhattan, to reward us for having such an easy day.  And because of the Wedge salad lunch and the cheese and crackers, we had a light dinner, an omelet with mushrooms and asparagus.  It hit the spot, just enough to make us happy.  We watched Colbert then the first half of the Ohio State game before we had enough football and turned to some other channels until bedtime.  I went to bed thinking of wedge salads. 

Warming, Melting, And Foggy

Dining At The Rod And Gun Club

7:19

It's 7:30 and the fog has mostly dissipated so I am able to see across the lake and see the ducks floating by our lakefront.  The snow is beginning to melt and our temperatures may be in the high 40's by Sunday.  Slush, mud, drizzle are the words.  It's 9:15 and I kayaked for forty-five minutes, scaring off geese but getting a photo of a swan.  It was a good morning on the lake.

Kayak Morning

A Solitary Swan

In Flight

We did not do much yesterday, no kayaking for me or hiking, just a good yoga class at 9:30 with Julie and then on to Ryder's Cup for some coffee and a dozen organic eggs.  When I returned home, Evie had begun the gargantuan task of going through our bookshelves, dusting, rearranging and throwing out or rather, giving to the library various books we no longer need.  For the most part, they are just decoration these days as I rarely go to them to find out something.  Hey, I have Google, Alexa and Siri to take the place of my reference library. 

I finished up the Turkish soup for lunch and watched another Jack Reacher and though I keep watching, it never really grabs me enough to make me believe it.  Much of episode six was set in Turkey, however, which was fun to watch or it was somewhere in California made to look like Turkey.  It seemed real.  I then read, napped, watched the snow melt, and wasted most of the afternoon as did Evie.  We don't feel guilty. 

We both showered around 4:00 because we going on an excursion, to the Chautauqua Mall to return a few things at Old Navy and give Evie a chance to get in some walking, joining the retirees who walk the malls.  It's still too icy to walk or hike outside for her.  The mall, alas, was practically empty, sad and depressing because it was a Friday night.  We cheered up some, however, when we found a spot at the Rod and Gun Club bar around 6:00.  The club, too, was not as busy as usual for a Friday night.  We struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to us which was fun.  He owns most of the storage areas around Jamestown, as well as the Laundry on 394.  We told him about our idea, to pair a laundry with a bar but he did not seem too interested.  Anyways, it was interesting to talk with him before our number was called to go to our table.  You can say one thing about the Rod and Gun.  Service is quick.  We ordered within five minutes and had our fish fry within ten, almost too quickly.  Our fish fries were so big that they hung over the sides of the plate.  Both of us had been coveting a fish fry and they measured up to our desires.  Because Evie had just read an article about how bad french fries were for you, we ordered baked potatoes but I added butter and sour cream so I assume that's just as unhealthy as fries.

We were home by 7:00 and I realized it was our first time out to a restaurant since Evie's operation in late October.  It felt good to get out again.  We ended up watching the first episode of a mini-series on Showtime called ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA, a true story about two inmates who escape from a prison in upstate New York.  It's set in New York's Clinton Correction Facility, the largest maximum security facility in the state.  It was a bit slow but we will stick with it.  We ended the night as usual with Colbert.