Mostly Gray

Monday Afternoon

It's just about 8:00 and I have been sitting here in quiet, no radio, no podcast and it has been nice.  The sky and lake have changed from dark to light gray, the sun still obscured by clouds. It's a chilly 23º and won't get much warmer today.  I keep expecting to see fishermen on the lake but so far, none have appeared.  We need a couple more days in the teens before they venture forth.

This Morning at 7:30

Yesterday we were treated to what I think of like a snow day out West: blue skies, sunshine, and brilliantly white snow.  What a surprise after Sunday's snow.  Sunrise was spectacular and set the tone for the day.  My day did not change much as I went to a good Yin yoga class at 9:30, stopped for coffee and talked with Dave and Steve before driving to Wegman's to pick up a few staples for the week.  It was busy everywhere since it was MLK Day and kids did not have school. 

Woodlawn Road

I was home by 12:00 and Evie had been busy, even did some shoveling of our parking area.  For lunch she heated up a leftover juicy lucy and mac n cheese from Friday and I had a good lunch.  I am on the final season of Peaky Blinders as new bad guys have appeared from the north, Billy Boys, threatening Tommy and family.  I am not loving my book, American Spy, yet but it is getting better, lots of digressions and not much spying, yet.  After my nap, I went up to the attic and pulled down our cross-country skis, poles and snowshoes.  I guess I am starting to believe its winter.  Evie was not ready to get out there yet but I decided to give it a try, strapped on my skis and went off through our neighborhood, to the campground and back.  The roads were icy so I had to bushwhack through a foot of snow, through yards and around campers and boat lifts.  I ran into our neighbors who were also out enjoying skiing, Barb, Jim, Joe and Betsy off for the three day weekend.  It was good to get out but I was a bit rusty so I avoided any hills.

Long Point, Late Afternoon

We then decided to enjoy some wine with appetizers and just enjoyed both and the end of the day until 6:30.  Evie then made a salad, microwaved our dinner, leftover moussaka and we were fat and happy in our TV room, watching the pundit's excitement over the impeachment.  We watched it for awhile, channel surfing between the big three, the watched some basketball and home improvement shows.  One of our favorites is back on, Home Town, set in Laurel,  Mississippi.

An Orgy Of Football

Loving Winter Walks

7:10

7:54

8:00

Here comes the sun!  It's just after 8:00 and the blinding sun is filling the snow-covered lake's surface as well as our living room.  What a difference from yesterday's constant snowfall.  It's a frigid 13º on a beautiful morning of at least a foot of snow, a blanket of whiteness filling the lake and yards.

Yesterday, as predicted, was a day of falling snow, perhaps a foot or more during the day.  I can attest to its height because I went out to shovel four times during the day.  Each time I cleared three or four inches off the car, then shoveled that much off our driveway.  We loved just sitting in our living room watching the snowflakes fall or standing in our kitchen, watching the birds flutter around our feeders.  After the blog was done, Evie wanted to go for a walk in our neighborhood, down to the campground and back.  It was a good idea because we love walking when the snow falls, hitting our face, covering our clothes with white.  We ran into our neighbors, Jim clearing his parking area, Jeff out for a cross country skiing.  It was glorious to be out there, especially since we did not have to go anywhere, just enjoy the day.

The Neighborhood Leftovers

We were home by noon and it was time for breakfast.  Besides our usual, eggs and bacon, Evie put together a recipe for creamy scones with cranberries. They were heavenly, a perfect complement to our eggs and bacon.  We watched CBS Sunday morning, then took it easy till mid-afternoon when the football extravaganza began.  I napped briefly and started a new book, AMERICAN SPY until 3:00 when the Kansas City/Tennesee game began.  We have become Kansas City Chiefs fan since our son Tom and family have lived in Kansas City for 25 years. It was a great game, with the Chiefs winning, to the relief of Kansas City fans.  It's been fifty years since their last appearance in a Super Bowl.

Our Granddaughter, Marlena (right), Celebrating The Chiefs Win With Friends

After the game, Evie prepped the white sauce for our moussaka, then put it in the oven for an hour until dinner time.  We did relax with a glass of wine, watching the day wane, snow still falling.  Dinner was the best, a creamy, delicious moussaka with a bagel and salad. We watched three-quarters of the Green Bay/San Francisco game before having had enough football for a Sunday.  We then watched the SAG awards, not the Oscars but still fun, until 10:30 when we went up to bed.

  

Sunday Snow Day

Female Cardinal

8:08

It's almost 8:00 and I am listening to Fresh Air with Terri Gross's interview with Martin Scorcese, much more interesting than the news.  It's 22º and we have at least a half of foot of snow, with more forecast depending on where you live. It's 9:20 as I finish this.  I spent a half-hour clearing our parking area of six inches of snow and watching the birds attack the bird feeder, hungry for their breakfast of sunflower seeds.

Chickadee

Yesterday was a bizarre day to say the least.  First, it was a coyote ugly day,  By that I mean, it was gray, overcast, with drizzle, sleet, or wet snow on and off most of the day.  It certainly did not make it enticing to get outside and do something.  So after my trip to the Transfer Station, we both did not move from the warmth of our house.  For me, it was hard because I wanted to do something, go somewhere, to yoga, shopping at Wegman's or to yoga.  So it was a bizarre day.

4:00 PM

So what did we do all day?  Well, I watched some basketball, Luka Doncic, taped from the previous night.  After lunch, cauliflower soup and quesadillas, we watched the new episode of Bill Maher's Real Time.  I have to admit it was good to laugh again at the madness of today's political world, especially the despicable, spineless Republicans, led by Teletubby Trump then took a nap and Evie watched some TV until I woke.  We decided to watch a movie but could not find anything we liked so we decide to take the advice of Evie's hairdresser and watch the remake of Anne of Green Gables called Anne With An E on Netflix.  Both of us have watched Anne of Green Gables with our grandchildren at least a couple of times so we began the series with some trepidation.  We watched a couple of episodes to fill the afternoon and were pleasantly surprised by the remake.  Anne is delightful, perfect for the part, Marilla pretty good, but Matthew was a disappointment.  It follows the book to some degree but swerves at times, especially with its emphasis on modern themes like women's rights, sex, and bullying.  We liked it enough to keep watching.

Around 5:00 we got busy in the kitchen putting together a homemade mac n cheese to go along with our Juicy Lucy hamburgers.  While Evie put the dish together, I did the dishes and helped when needed.  She put the mac n cheese in the oven and we then adjourned to the living room for a glass of wine and listened to Tom Waits, The Nationals and Leonard Cohen, all favorites.  We then had our dinner, again, just what I wanted, a burger with sauteed onions and mac n cheese.  We channel surfed the rest of the night, watching some basketball, some Off The Grid and news because we could not find anything to watch.  I finished my book The Accomplice, about the search for a Nazi war criminal, involving not only the victim's relatives but the daughter of the Nazi.  Interesting.

More Wind And Cold And Snow

8:14

It's 7:20, the flag is swinging wildly, and the sky and lake are just becoming visible a Chautauqua gray.  It's 23º, not a very inviting morning.  Perhaps a good day to hibernate on a couch, watch a movie, read a good book, have a stew simmering on the stove.  

Yesterday was a pleasant surprise as the day started out cloudy but by mid-morning, the sun came out and we had sun and blue skies till late afternoon.  I was up early, of course, wrote the blog and had breakfast before Evie got up.  Once the blog was published, I drove to Lakewood for yoga with Julie, then stopped for coffee and talked with both Dave and Paul and showed them the photo I took of them a few days ago.  They loved it and Joyce said she will put it up on the Ryders Cup Facebook account.  We talked about books we have been reading and all three of us read one or two books a week.  

Snow And Blue Skies In Niobe

I did not linger for long and was home by 11:45.  Evie had been busy making chocolate chip and coconut cookies and had my lunch ready, tuna sandwiches and chicken soup because I had a car appointment in Niobe at 1:00 for an oil change.  Finn's is about twenty minutes away but I like him, the place and they are reasonable and experts on Subaru's.  I arrived there at 1:00, went for a half-hour walk in the cold, down to Little Brokenstraw Creek and back.  And to my surprise, the car was ready, tires rotated, oil changed, fluids checked, all for forty-five bucks.

  

Hiking Near Finns Auto

I was home by 2:00, in time to fall asleep while reading my new book.  Despite the sun and blue skies, we did not venture out in the afternoon, maybe because of the cold and I had my walk in Niobe at 1:00.  We were going out for dinner, unsure as to where but finally decided on the Viking Club rather than Rocco's because it was closer.  We left at 6:00, easily found a seat at the Viking's bar because it was a slow night.  We struck up a conversation with a couple, the woman celebrating her 70th birthday.  Her husband was interesting, having worked for a company in Jamestown for 40 years and traveled all over the world for work.  Because it was such a slow night, we decided to leave and try a fairly new restaurant just down the street from the Viking called The Green Door.  It was not very crowded when we arrived, so we found a seat at the bar but when we left it was packed, about 8:30.  We sat next to an older guy, a regular, probably in his 80's, who played the lotto and kept downing drinks while we talked.  He was clearly at home, had been coming to this place for 40 years.  We also talked with a couple from Chagrin Falls, who used to have a condo here but were now looking for a house. We really liked our dinners, chicken wings for me, a chicken sandwich and onion rings for Evie.  We will be back as long as we can find a seat at the bar.  

We were home around 8:45, watched a Colbert, some news, before Evie went up to bed early, leaving me to watch Luka Doncic play for the Dallas Mavericks as they took on Portland.  I watched him make three's in the first 15 minutes, then went up to bed.  I saw in this morning's boxscore he had another monster night.  

Sun On A January Afternoon

Because yesterday was a surprising day of sun and blue skies, I thought I would include this poem. I wake to the sun's rising each morning, anticipating the light. 

The Sun by Mary Oliver

Have you ever seen

anything

in your life

more wonderful

than the way the sun,

every evening,

relaxed and easy,

floats toward the horizon

and into the clouds or the hills,

or the rumpled sea,

and is gone--

and how it slides again

out of the blackness,

every morning,

on the other side of the world,

like a red flower

streaming upward on its heavenly oils,

say, on a morning in early summer,

at its perfect imperial distance--

and have you ever felt for anything

such wild love--

do you think there is anywhere, in any language,

a word billowing enough

for the pleasure

that fills you,

as the sun

reaches out,

as it warms you

as you stand there,

empty-handed--

or have you too

turned from this world--

or have you too

gone crazy

for power,

for things?

Winter Returns: Snow And 16º

7:32

The lake and sky are just starting to appear at 7:10, the shoreline, wavy with chunks of ice, the lawn, a dusting of white, the sky Chautauqua gray.  We have had a windy 24 hours, with a lake that looked almost surfable.  Today will be cold but tomorrow we should get more snow, 3-5 inches.

Ice Begiinggin To Form

Yesterday was another miserable day, with threatening skies, sleet on and off during the day, and snow in the evening, finally, after a couple of winter advisories.  I started the day, worrying about icy roads because of the freezing rain but driving, fortunately, was no problem.  I had breakfast with Jack and Charlies, the three of us, the tough guys who don't flee to Florida for the winter.  After breakfast, I drove to Lakewood, to a Yin yoga class, then stopped at Aldi's to pick up a few items on sale this week.

During my absence, Evie had made another pot of soup, this time chicken vegetable with noodles for our dinner.  I had the cauliflower soup and leftover cabbage roll for lunch and watched my show.  Evie left to get her hair trimmed at 1:30 and I then napped and started a new book by Joseph Kanon, THE ACCOMPLICE, a thriller centered on the search for a former Nazi. 

5:15 PM

Evie was home by 2:30 and we sat around reading, listening to the increasingly windy afternoon, watching the sky darken and it began to snow around 5:30.  Since it was starting to snow, we began our a cocktail hour earlier, at 5:15, with an asiago/artichoke appetizer Evie bought at Wegmans.  We enjoyed a good hour of cocktails and appetizers, watching the snow flurries highlighted by our spotlight.

6:48

7:00

Evie had planned on an easy dinner, homemade chicken soup, and Croque monsieurs sandwiches, both quite tasty.  We watched a couple of Colberts, always fun, then more of the Rachel Maddow interview with Lev Parnas, our news fix for the night.  We were both ready for bed by 10:15, tired from doing little during the day, no hikes, workouts, or kayaking.

Waiting For The Snow On A Windy Morning

7:34

9:03

It's 7:00, still dark, as the wind continues, shaking the trees and house. We should get a few inches of snow today, then more over the weekend as it begins to get cold once again.  It's a no kayak morning for sure.

A Suuny Wednesday

Yesterday was as nice a day as we have had in the past few months. Blue skies and sun most of the day, speed boats out on the lake and I got in a good hour kayak and spotted a muskrat rambling in the lake.  So after the blog, I drove to yoga with Jen, just four of us, then a stop at the coffee shop to chew the fat with Dave and Paul, two locals I have gotten to know at Ryders. It was great sitting there, sun streaming in the windows, catching up on life in Lakewood, as it used to be, as it is now. 

The Guys At Ryder's Cup, Dave and Paul

I was home, then, by 12:30 and Evie was watching the impeachment proceedings.  I warmed up the cauliflower soup, made myself a bagel with cream cheese and tomato, then watched my show Peaky Blinders, finishing up the end of Season Four, starting Five.

I started a new book, The Good Detective, which seemed familiar, so I looked up my history on the Chautauqua Library website and realized I had read it a couple of years ago.  So I put it aside, napped, and woke to sun and blue skies.  I couldn't stay in the house with weather like that so I put on my boots and walked in the neighborhood woods, Woodlawn/Victoria.  It was strange to have the woods littered with brown, leaves and mud, the sky blue, sun shining through the trees. It was good to be outside, sun on my face, a light wind.

When I returned, it was time for both of us to shower and get ready because we were being picked up by Linda and Ron at 5:00.  We were going to the Lakewood Cinema to see the award-winning film set during WW I called 1917.  We knew it would be hard to watch and it was, as the realism of what it was like to fight in the trenches of France was shocking, also amazing as it was so real.  Two young men are sent to warm a battalion that their attack would lead to a massacre thus they should retreat.  On the way, one dies, the other finds the battalion and saves the day after a harrowing walk through what used to be enemy lines.  It's worth seeing what was at that time The War To End All Wars.  If only. 

You Never Have Enough Popcorn

We ended up at the Seezurh House for dinner and I was happy to see they had stuffed cabbage rolls as a special.  It had been crowded earlier, a good sign, but we were there at a good time and had our beers and dinners quickly.  It was a good choice and we ran into our good friends, Barb and Dana, who we have not seen in quite a while.

When we got home we watched our previously recorded Rachel Maddow interview Rudy Guiliani's aide Less Parnas indict Giuliani, Trump, Nunes, Pence, and Barr in the attempt to coverup the bribery of Ukraine's President.  Parnas was surprisingly articulate, not a dummy, and I am sure most Democrats found him believable, Republicans, a liar.  AND SO IT GOES.

Dawn Awakens To A Partly Cloudy Sky

7:34

I was up at 6:00, made the coffee, and started listening to Morning Joe but soon became tired of the discussion of last night's debate and put on a Bill Simmons podcast. Neither has grabbed me but at least Simmons avoids politics.  It's 8:50 and I just returned from an hour on the lake, down to the Power Boat Club and back.  And I was able to photograph a couple of muskrats, floating in the water but looking like logs as well as a raft of ducks.

Kayak Morning

Blue Skies Reflected On Water

Tuesday began with a lovely morning sunrise, a shocking contrast to the previous week of Chautauqua gray.  I kayaked as far south as I could until the ice forced me to turn around and stay along the shoreline.  I left for yoga at 9:00, as usual, had a good class with Julie, thought about stopping for coffee but stopped at my mechanic's instead and made an appointment for an oil change for my Honda at 3:30.

A Floating  Muskrat

Mallards Still Hanging At The Lake

When I returned, Evie had been busy of course and made one of my favorite soups, an Indian flavored cauliflower soup.  And because she had some leftover spinach, she sauteed it then dropped a couple of eggs in the spinach for a great lunch.  With a  bowl of the soup as well, I was more than happy to sit down and watch my show, as I am about to finish Season Four of Peaky Blinders, with one more season to go.  When I finished, Evie left for the Y and shop at Wegman's on 5% Tuesday, with all the other frugal shoppers.  I am almost finished with my Mark Herron novel, a slog recently, and I fell asleep while reading.  At 3:00, Evie returned and I helped unload the groceries before driving to Johnson's for an oil change.  If only!  From an oil change, I ended up spending 300 bucks on two new tires, sorely needed, and other sundry fixes.  It took a good hour and a half and most of the time, I ended up listening to either Ray senior or Junior talk about their lives.  We have become good buddies after all the money I have spent on my Honda over the past ten years.  They are good guys but I never seem to get out of their shop without a bill much larger than expected.

Fortunately, Evie had a nicely chilled bottle of wine ready for us when I came home and we relaxed in the living room, laughing at all our expenses recently, how our money just seems to stream out of our wallets via a credit card. Dinner was warming in the oven, Sunday's leftover pot roast, so all Evie had to do was roast some Brussel sprouts and make a salad. We watched a Colbert and On The Grid show, as they built a cabin in the Colorado mountains, bringing much of the building supplies in by mule.  We then watched a disappointing Jeopardy because Ken Jennings won easily, which meant that the championship would not continue.  It was nice to see the three guys seem to like, even enjoy each other.  We ended the night with the debate but had enough when they started talking about whether Bernie said a woman could not win the election.  Most of what we watched seemed like a rerun of the previous debates.  Boring.