A Stellar Morning (Barcelona)

On Our Way To Lake Erie

5:58

5:59

6:26

6:27

I was up just as the sun rose over Long Point, at 6:00.  I hurriedly turned on the coffee, grabbed my camera and hustled outside to get a photograph before it became too bright.  It's a chilly 56º, just the way we like it but may get up to the 80's later in the day.  As I finish this blog, it's after 9:00 and Evie and Marisa are already out on the dock, fishing for perch and bass on a bright, shiny morning.

Yesterday was a perfect way for summer to begin, lots of sunshine, not too warm, and many fun things to do.  Beth and I went to yoga at 10:00, a class of mostly back bends and both of us are beginning to feel the classes.  We stopped at Ryder's Cup for coffee and a couple of dozen of eggs before shopping at Wegman's for dinner.  I was my usual, an efficient and quick shopper, buying only what was on the list with no browsing.  Now Beth understands why Evie does not like to shop with me.  When we got home, Evie and Marisa had spent the morning 'kicking back,' taking the morning off from fishing.

For lunch, I finished off the moussaka, Marisa finished up the corn chowder and Beth made an omelet while Evie drove to Hogan's to get more worms and a fishing license, only five bucks for seniors, the only deal in New York State. I tried to take a nap but had no luck while Evie put together the first step in the making of a Turkish spinach borek, leaving the rest for after our outing.

Chautauqua Creek/Lake Erie

We decided in the morning to drive to Barcelona after lunch, on the shores of Lake Erie, and do some rock collecting, hiking, and swimming.  We took the scenic way, on Hardscrabble Road to the Noble Winery, then down to Rt 5.  We parked at the lot by Chautauqua Creek, just off of Rt. 5 and walked the quarter of a mile to the beach, along Chautauqua Creek.

Hunting For Driftwood And Rocks

Zorba And His Granddaughter

Except for one family of four, we had the entire beach to ourselves.  I quickly got out a towel and collapsed on it, 'copping some rays' as we used to say in the good old days.  Beth looked for heart shaped or perfectly round rocks and her new thing, small, interesting pieces of driftwood.

Rocks And Driftwood

Evie and Marisa played in the channel made by the mouth of the creek.  Its flow was strong enough to carry Marisa along and out to the lake.

Handstand Of The Day

Around 4:15, we headed back, stopping at Portage Pies in Westfield for a cherry pie for last night's dessert.  Once we got home, Evie put together the borek, a time-consuming task, placing one delicate piece of phyllo dough after another, with spinach and feta cheese in between.  We then let it sit for a good hour before baking it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Turkish Spinach Borek

While it baked, I grilled a chuck roast that had been marinating in the fridge for 24 hours.  This is one of our long time favorites, one my father used to make.  It took 25 minutes, charring the outside, the inside pink and tender.  So we had another retro dinner, spinach borek, chuck roast sliced thin, mushrooms and a salad.  We all enjoyed our meal but I think most of us had our eye on dessert, that cherry pie with ice cream.

After the dishes, it was already almost 9:00, so we adjourned to the TV room but could not find much to watch.  The highlight, the cherry pie with ice cream, filled the void of good TV.

Summer Begins

Dining In Jamestown

5:57

5:58

6:21

6:54

It's 6:55 and I have been up for an hour.  I woke to rain drumming on the roof and a bright bedroom. I couldn't put these two disparate things together, so I got up, went downstairs and realized it was clear over the lake, as the sun was rising but cloudy and raining overhead.  I went outside and was sheltered from the rain by trees so I could take some photos.  And as you can see, the eastern sky did not stay clear long as clouds floated in, changing the skyscape. It's now 8:45 and I just got back from kayaking.  Not much luck fishing, lots of weeds but a great shot of a heron, sitting on our neighbor's dock.

Kayak Morning

Heron

Yesterday Beth and I kept up our resolve to go to yoga every morning till she flies home on Friday.  So we said aloha to Evie at 9:00, as she was finishing the proofreading of the blog.  Class was a good size, six of us, and we had a varied class, with lots of back strengthing positions.  We decided to do something different after class and drove over to Bemus Point for a coffee and some shopping at Wired, the coffee shop/eclectic shop run by Lisa,  a yoga friend.   We got our iced coffee, did some browsing then went into The Ugly Peacock, which was just opening.  We talked for 15 minutes with the owner and I ended up buying Evie a cool vase for cut flowers and Beth bought Rami a pair of colorful socks.  Just as we were leaving, Beth received a photo from Rami, who was in Cleveland on business.  He was golfing with a group and ended up having our nephew, JP, as a caddie.  Small world.

 JP And Rami

When we got home, Evie and Marisa were, where else, on the dock, pulling fish after fish out of the lake.  Marisa loves the fact that she catches fish after fish whereas Evie struggles to catch even a single fish, no matter where they sit.  Beth and I joined them until it was time for lunch.  Beth made Marisa a grilled cheese sandwich, I heated up the leftover moussaka and Beth had some of the leftover barbequed chicken.

A Baby

Pumpkin Seed

After lunch, a nap, some fishing, all four of us worked on a patch of yard which was overgrown with ivy and weeds, filled with some rocks.  It took us a good hour and three barrels filled with debris to clear the areas. It was not easy work pulling out the roots of the ivy.

Dinner At Taco Hut

Afterwards, all of us went out on the dock to fish, bask in the sun and Marisa, Evie and I swam and shampooed, washing off the dirt and sweat from our weed pulling.  We then put away all the garden tools and by 6:00, we were driving into Jamestown, to visit the Dykeman Young Art Gallery on 2nd Street in downtown Jamestown.  We spent a half hour browsing the eclectic shop filled with antiques and memorabilia, vintage clothes, dishes, kitchenware, and all kinds of tchotchke.  It's a fun shop to browse although we ended up buying nothing.  We then went to Taco Hut for dinner, the Mexican restaurant in Jamestown which has been a local favorite for 40 years.  We had margaritas, a melted queso cheese appetizer, and the usual Mexican fare, tacos, burritos, and a burger for Marisa.

Dusk Fishing

We were home around 8:45 and Evie and Marisa went out to catch the last fish of the day.  They stayed out on the dock until 9:45, finishing up in utter darkness.  It was a good way to end the day, catching bluegill in the dark.

Our First Dalhlia

The Woodlawn Gang's Back

Neighbor Selfie

6:29

6:36

7:14

Light Showers at 7:37

8:01

An interesting morning of changing clouds, blue skies, and mottled sun and, most amazingly, a 59º morning, as the weather has changed.  I even have a fleece on because all the windows are open. At one moment, it looks like a sunny day, a few minutes later, it looks like rain.
Beth and I decided to have a healthy week, so we started it off with a Yin Yoga class in Lakewood, as we both want to get back into a routine of some sort of exercise each day.  Class was fine, lots of forward bends which I dislike but have gotten used to.  We stopped at Save A Lot after class and picked up a few groceries for dinner.  When we got home, Evie and Marisa had been out on the dock, and had some luck fishing, as Marisa caught a nice bass.  Thank goodness she likes to fish because the weather has not been cooperating the last couple of days, lots of cloudy skies and rain.  So fishing is a fun thing to do other than sit in the house with our devices.

A Big Bad Ass Bass

I was excited about lunch because there was lots of leftover moussaka, so I cut myself a nice big piece, popped it into the microwave and had a Greek style lunch.  Evie and Marisa went back out to fish while Beth and I stayed in the house reading, taking a nap.  Our neighbors of 36 years finally arrived for the summer from Philadelphia around 2:00, so it was good to see them.  Both seem to be doing well and are more than happy to be back at the lake.

Part of the afternoon for Evie was spent prepping dinner, as we were having Joyce and Bill over for dinner along with our other neighbor, Pat and grandson, Ben.  We were having our typical summer dinner of barbequed chicken, cole slaw, and wide egg noodles cooked in chicken broth along with blueberry muffins and watermelon.  Once everything was prepped, we went out and relaxed on the dock until Marisa joined us to fish.  We spent a good hour out on the dock before both Evie and I jumped in the lake to refresh ourselves and get ready for dinner.

First Night Dinner

I grilled the chicken with Marisa's help before everyone arrived and Evie then kept in warm in the oven.  Everyone descended upon our living room at 6:00 and it just like the old days, talking about the good times we have had over the past 30 plus years at the lake.  We had great appetizers as Pat brought brie with fig jam to go along with cheese and crackers and pistachios.  Dinner was great, love the noodles and the chicken was crisp on the outside nicely done on the inside.  We sat at the table for a good hour talking, boring the kids I am sure as Marisa and Ben went out on the front porch and did some rock painting.  It started to rain around 9:00, so everyone hurried home to avoid getting wet.  Fortunately, Beth washed the dishes as we 'oldies' reminisced at the dinner table, so after everyone left, we could relax and read until it was time for bed.

And Then It Rained

6:07

7:02

7:05

It's an overcast morning, little if any sunshine, just grey clouds hanging over the lake and shoreline.  I was up at 6:00 and there was not much to see.  I did check the rain gauge and we got two inches overnight, two inches yesterday afternoon for a total of four inches in the last 15 hours.  We needed it.

Yesterday was another close day, hot and humid most of the day, with the promise of rain hanging over any ideas we had for an excursion.  We took it easy as we should have on a Sunday morning, no rush to do anything.  Becuase it was Father's Day, Evie made the mistake of asking me what I wanted for dinner.  I already knew what I wanted and sent both her and Beth a recipe for Mushroom Moussaka a Greek Taverna speciality.

Moussaka

The heat of the day reminded me of being in Greece, looking over the counter of a Taverna and ordering the moussaka, soaked in olive oil.  This recipe, however, was a more healthy version. Americanized I suppose and to my delight, Evie said let's do it.  So she and Beth made up a list on the Wegman's app on her phone which, by the way, is also shared with my phone so we no longer need a written list.  Just type it in on the iPhone and we both have the list.

Fishing In Between The Rain

Beth and I left for a busy Sunday morning of shopping at Wegman's at 11:00, stopping at Ryder's Cup for an iced coffee.  It seemed as though half of Lakewood had the same idea, shop for a special Father's Day dinner.  We filled the cart with eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, all the makings for moussaka as well as chicken for tonight's dinner.  For once, I picked the correct line and moved through the checkout line quickly.  We were home by 12:30 and Evie was ready to make us a Sunday breakfast, eggs, bacon, and Baba's toast, toast with jam and cheddar cheese, the grandkids favorite.

Rainbow At 6:00

At 8:47

The rest of the afternoon we spent helping Evie prep dinner, making the meat sauce with lamb, baking the eggplant, sauteing the mushrooms, getting everything ready to put together and bake around 5:30.  We hoped to get in some fishing and swimming but were thwarted a couple of times by thunderstorms and lightning but we eventually were able to catch some fish and swim in between afternoon storms.  At 5:30, Evie put the moussaka in the oven, and we all walked out on the dock to enjoy the respite in the rain and enjoy a glass of wine.  We were out there no more than twenty minutes before we were chased in by the rain.

Taverna Style Moussaka

The moussaka was great, just what I wanted and we have at least half of it leftover for lunches or another dinner.  We also had a salad and sourdough rolls, for soaking up the moussaka sauce.

Greek Dinner With Beth And Marisa

We were not sure whether to play cards or watch a movie, but I won out and we watched one of our favorite films, ONCE, a quirky love story about a musician who hopes to make it in Ireland.  Evie and I have seen it at least four times.  Beth liked it, Marisa was mostly bored.  We looked forward to a good night's sleep because of the rain which cooled things off.

Another Hot And Humid One

5:28

5:52

5:57

5:58

5:59

I was up at 5:15, having read my watch incorrectly, thinking it was 6;15.  That's life.  It's already close both inside and out as the sun has risen, the wind is missing, and I am ready to close the windows as the inside temperature matches the outside.  Because I am up so early, I got some watering in, our two new trees and newly planted flowers.  And it's now 9: 00, I just got back from a paddle and some zen fishing and Evie's up, the others are still sleeping.

Kayak Morning

Clouds at 8:54

Yesterday morning was a sad one as Beth and Marsa's good friends, Nancy and Amanda left for home around noon.  It did not stop them, however, from enjoying the morning.  Marisa and Amanda fished early and Beth and Nancy sat out on the dock talking for a good hour or two, enjoying their last time together.  Meanwhile, Evie and I were somewhat busy, cleaning up the kitchen and I ended up washing Nancy's car which was scarred by dead bugs from their trip on Wednesday.  Nothing like starting a trip in a clean car.

Success

We said our goodbyes around noon and then, just like a balloon suddenly losing its air, we lost our 'get up and go.' Marisa went up to her bedroom, wanting to be by herself, with her device, and not be bothered.  Beth and I wanted to read, perhaps take a nap.  And Evie wanted to cut the lawn.  Quite a difference in the way we dealt with the void.  Around 4:00, we did meet on the dock, to enjoy the sun and swim.  Evie invited our neighbor's grandson, Ben, over to swim and the three of them, Evie, Ben and Marisa played in the water for a good hour.  Evie came up with all sorts of games and competitions to keep the two of them happy.

Falling Slowly

We decided to skip our booze cruise because of the still warm afternoon and we went in and started prepping dinner, burgers and salad, simple but what Marisa wanted.  I cooked the burgers out on my new grill, four minutes, then three and the burgers turned out well.  We were all hungry and the burgers and fixings were just what we wanted, nothing fancy just good old American comfort food.

Relaxing At The Helm With A Tootsie Pop

After dinner, Marisa wanted to go for a cruise in the boat and do some fishing, so we headed out to the sweet spots around 8:30, moving around, hoping to catch a fish but we mostly caught great pictures of the setting sun and reflection of it on the water.  We were back around 9:00 and both Marisa and Evie stayed out on the dock fishing until it was too dark to see what they were doing.

Lake Reflections At Dusk

We were all exhausted from our day, mostly from the fact that we were alone, no guests to keep happy not that we regretted their visit.  It's just that when we have company, we turn on an extra gear, both in the kitchen and arranging things to do, a gear we relax when we are by ourselves.

A simple honest love poem by former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser.  Here's to the memory of all Dads.

Father  by Ted Kooser May 19, 1999 Today you would be ninety-seven if you had lived, and we would all be miserable, you and your children, driving from clinic to clinic, an ancient, fearful hypochondriac and his fretful son and daughter, asking directions, trying to read the complicated, fading map of cures. But with your dignity intact you have been gone for twenty years, and I am glad for all of us, although I miss you every day — the heartbeat under your necktie, the hand cupped on the back of my neck, Old Spice in the air, your voice delighted with stories. On this day each year you loved to relate that at the moment of your birth your mother glanced out the window and saw lilacs in bloom. Well, today lilacs are blooming in side yards all over Iowa, still welcoming you.