The Longest Day

5:55

5:56

8:36

It's 8:35 and the sun has begun its journey south, after yesterday's summer solstice, the longest day of the year.  We are looking forward to late November when the sun sets by 5:00!  I paddled for an hour the usual route and saw no waterfowl, alas, just lots of fishing boats.  While I kayaked, I listened to an album by The National, a group that has become our favorite over the past year or two.  The album we like is also called The National. 

Kayak Morning

We made through yesterday and both felt the heat and humidity most of the day.  The morning was typical, gathering the trash and driving to the Transfer Station around 11:30.  Evie was busy early, roasting eggplant and getting our Sunday dinner with neighbors ready to bake.  It took her a good part of the morning to put the baked ziti together with meat sauce and noodles but now all it needs is a white sauce before baking.  I was busy getting all the summer furniture out, the tables, too many chairs, and making sure they were clean and ready for the summer days.

A Double Scoop Bubble Gum Coneflower Beginning To Bloom

For lunch, Evie whipped me up tuna sandwiches and put them under the broiler so I was happy watching my show with a fan to keep me cool.  Earlier, Evie had changed the sheets and washed them because I was getting spider bites.  So I could not resist reading and napping on them, with the air conditioner on.  I was one happy boy.  While I was napping, Evie tried the dock but it was either too hot or too windy so she came in and sat in a chaise lounge under our maple in the shade.  I joined her and we sat there until 5:00.  We then came in and Evie put together our dinner with a variety of leftovers: chicken, ziti pasta,  mushrooms, garlic, butter, and Marsala wine sauce. Once it was ready, we went back outside to our chairs and enjoyed a beer as the late afternoon began to cool. 

We ate dinner, which was delish, with a salad and watched Bill Maher's Real-time before turning to the Trump Show, nothing new, just the typical buffoon and liar.  We watched for about 20 minutes enjoying a mango bar for relief.  We ended the night with a sad Lenox Hill, as one of the doctors comes down with a very serious brain tumor.  He's amazingly brave, honest, and coherent about his chance of survival even though he knows he is being filmed.

We Shouldn't Complain, But

6:36

9:30

Another perfect morning here on the lake.  Calm waters, blue skies, temperatures in the '70s for now, and lots of bass boats.  I didn't head out till 7:45 and was rewarded with a couple of photos of an osprey and red-tailed hawk, one by the reeds, the other at Woodlawn's north end.  It was cool to see.

Kayak Morning

Osprey

Red-Tailed Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawk

Mom And Well Trained Ducklings

We thought yesterday was Saturday until we realized it was Friday, not a trash day.  We did some watering early despite the fact that rain was predicted (it never happened) and Evie worked on her Wegman's list.  After my paddle, blog, and breakfast, I was able to practice Yoga With Adriene before leaving for the store at 11:30.  While Evie shopped, I stopped at the wine store to pick up a couple of bottles because we ran out of two buck chuck and have not been back to Trader Joe's for months. 

Anemone

A Profusion Of Anenomes

I then joined and together we were in and out despite the crowded store and long waiting lines for checkout.  At least all but an idiot with a Make Ameria Great Hat and wife were wearing masks.  We were home by 12:45, put everything away, and then Evie made me a couple of toasted cheese sandwiches on fresh sourdough bread. Yum.  I watched my show, read and napped while Evie, having done her chores, was enjoying the dock.  When I woke at 2:20, we had a message from our friends, Jim and Tina, wondering if we wanted to go for a boat ride in their new boat.  It sounded like fun so we drove over to their house, just at the end of Victoria, and went for a great cruise down almost to Mayville and back.  The boat has a center console, great seats both in the front and back.  Jim has a 200 horse motor on it so we really sped there and back, with Evie loving it.  We did meander along the CI and north before racing back.  After the cruise, we stayed for a beer before heading home.  It was a great way to enjoy the afternoon.

A Rainbow But No Rain

We had hoped to have Manhattans on our porch and watch the thunderstorms roll in, but they went around us despite a rainbow spanning the lake.  It ended up being another great early evening on the lake.  Dinner was rotisserie chicken, baked potatoes, and asparagus.  We were both hungry so we loved our dinner, especially the asparagus, tender and tasty.  We watched a Colbert and Lenox Hill before bed. 

More Sunshine, No Rain

 

5:55

6:49

It's another fine morning, sunny with blue skies, the early temperature in the low '60s.  I had an uneventful paddle over to Tom's Point and back, no sightings of any interesting birds.  Where have they gone? 

Kayak Morning

Paddling North

We seem to have a never-ending list of things to do.  I guess that's what it's like when you own a house, with a lawn and garden.  There is always something you can do.  I am not very good at finding them but Evie is.  So yesterday morning was like most mornings, Evie working in the yard, garden and watering.  I finally tackled my garage, always a mess and took everything out, swept it out, rearranged and threw away lots of spray cans of stuff I have not used in years.  It always feels good to do it and I gather the mojo three or four times a year.  I also took some deadfall up the hill before lunch, more cauliflower soup, and a bagel.

Ivy Geranium

Floating Stage Heading to Mayville

I have a yearly visit with my cardiologist; unfortunately, he left the practice in Erie so I decided to try one from the Cleveland Clinic, the nearest hospital was an hour and a half away in Ashtabula, Ohio, the same distance if I were to go to Buffalo.  They had only a couple cardiologists on staff and I picked a Dr. Alssaad.  It was an easy drive and I waited in my car for a phone call so the waiting room was not crowded.  I was curious about the doctor and as we started to talk, he asked me about myself.  When I mentioned, I taught in Turkey at Robert College, his eyes lit up because his father had gone there for a degree in Engineering.  Small world, right.  He then asked what I did and I said taught English in Hudson, Ohio, at Western Reserve Academy for 35 years.  He almost jumped out of his seat because his son is a freshman at Reserve.  Needles to say, we sat and talked for a good forty five minutes, finally getting to my symptoms.  I have the skill of getting doctors to talk about everything but my health.  I really liked him; he knows my history now and I will be going in for a couple of tests in the next couple of months, once things open up. 

Afternoon Clouds

I was home by 5:30, in time to enjoy the beauty of the lawn, just mowed by Evie and we sat out on the dock till almost 7:00 when it became cool as a breeze picked up.  Dinner was a salad and the leftover curry on rice, still yummy.  We watched a Colbert, an episode of Lenox Hill, then two episodes of Cheers, where Frasier is first introduced.  I finished my Joe Pike and started another book called Euphoria, by Lily King.

Who 'Stopped' The Rains

5:41

5:58

I hate to admit that I am getting tired of these sunny, blue sky days but I am.  We both long for some rain, a nice, safe storm, no lightning, no wind.  Perhaps tomorrow will be the day.  As a last resort, I will take the cover off my boat.  That always works.  It's now 8:30 and it was a glorious morning for a paddle, so why complain, right.  I was out for 75 minutes, to Long Point, Power Boat Club, then home.  I saw few waterfowl,  just a few mallards.

Kayak Morning

Mallard On Long Point

A Leisurely Paddle North

Yesterday was another day, like our other days, busy both inside and out.  I paddled early, then we got busy in the yard, watering again because of the lack of rain but mostly, working on the back porch.  Like Tuesday, we took everything off, I dusted, then Evie vacuumed and washed it down with soap and water. 

Our One and Only Peony

I had an early lunch, soup and a broccoli salad, watched my show and drove off to Jamestown to the dermatologist for a body scan.  I stopped on the way at Peterson's Market and picked up another quart of local strawberries.  It took 20 minutes in the waiting room before the PA opened the door, typical I guess.  I had a thorough scan, one biopsy, and I was on my way home.  I stopped and picked up a sprinkler for Evie, last year's model for five bucks, a deal.

Evie was excited to get the sprinkler although when she tried it, it keeps getting cogged with moss from the lake.  We are going to have to figure out how to avoid that or it's not going to work.  We went over to our neighbors, Pat and David, at 4:30 for drinks and heavy appetizers.  We practiced safe distancing, brought out own glasses and Pat had individual appetizers, one for them one for us. We forget how nice it is to sit down with friends, have a glass of wine, appetizers, and just converse, catching up on their lives this past fall and winter in Houston.  Like us, they have been careful about wearing masks, keeping distances. We enjoyed getting together so much that we did not head home until 7:30. 

Pat, David, And Ollie

Neither of us were very hungry and Pat sent us home with the leftover appetizers, so I finished them off with a bowl of soup and Evie made a salad with her lettuce and arugula.  It was perfect and we finished our meal off with vanilla ice cream and strawberries. 

Lettuce From Evie's Window Box Garden

We watched a Colbert, then a new documentary from Netflix which goes into a hospital in New York and films their busy, intense, and life-saving days. It's called Lenox Hill and we were impressed by it.

Another Boring Morning of Blue Skies And Sunshine

Celebrating Linda's Birthday Bash

5:55

5:56

9:16

 It's another perfect morning, clear skies, a great sunrise, a calm lake, just right for a long hour and fifteen-minute paddle over to Warner Bay, back to Victoria and home.  When I returned, Evie was in her garden, watering the plants in the shade.

Kayak Morning

Morning Watering With Evie

Yesterday was a busy day, what else with Evie!  I got in a good long paddle before breakfast and the blog but then she got busy, with my occasional help.  I wanted to go biking so we cleared off the front porch, getting it ready for vacuuming and washing.  I got rid of all the cobwebs, did some dusting, getting it ready for the next stage.  While this was going on, Evie had the hose from the lake watering the privets and other areas of the yard because we have not had rain in a couple of weeks.  I think our yard must have more water than the rest of Woodlawn,  As a result, our garden and yard are green and healthy, even the privets.  Around 11:15, my chores were done and Evie gave me the thumbs up to go biking.  I drove over to Bemus, to just off the bridge and to my dismay, when I drove off my tire was flat, in fact, the back wheel would not move.  I have no idea what happened because I had just taken it on a long ride the day before with no problems.  So I was back by 12:00, ready to get busy again although the porch was wet from washing so we let it dry till mid-afternoon.

Chives

For lunch, I heated up a bowl of cauliflower soup and a bowl of bulgar, with tomatoes and eggplant from Sunday night's dinner.  I watched my series, enjoyed the soup and bulgar, then read some, took a nap, and woke ready to go.  We put the porch back together and I have to admit it looks spiffy, all clean and fresh.  I then checked out the bike shop and realized I should take my bike in because it was closed on Wednesday.  So I drove to Celeron, dropped it off at Hollyloft, and picked up some feta cheese at Brigiotti's since I was in the area.  On the way home, I got my car washed since it was filthy from the detritus from the willow and the darn robins.

I cleaned the inside when I got home, dusty and dirty from all my trips to pick up stones, mulch and topsoil.  We both showered late afternoon because we were meeting Linda and Ron at the Harbor House Hotel patio to celebrate Linda's birthday.  We arrived around 6:30 and they were already there, sitting in Adirondack chairs, waiting for a table to open. 

Good Friends

We enjoyed a beer, then moved to a table under a pergola, with a view of the lake and sunset,  It is one of the nicest places on the lake for food, drinks, and a view. We had a great lobster appetizer, but our meals were just average, actually disappointing.  Still, it was fun to celebrate with Linda and Ron on a spectacular evening sunset.

Sunset At Harbor House Hotel Patio

We literally closed up the patio and were home just after 9:00, in time to watch one episode of Home Town.

Another Sunny And Cool Morning

5:48

5:55

I am enjoying the cool of the past mornings.  Nothing like warm but not hot days and cool, great sleeping nights.  For my paddle this morning, I headed north at 7:15 up to Snug Harbor and back along the shore, looking for waterfowl with some luck.  I was out for 75 minutes, a good long paddle with a light wind on the way back.

A Majestic Great Blue Heron

Snug Harbor Marina

Wood Ducks

Yesterday was car day for me, at least car morning.  After a paddle, blog and breakfast, I drove to the Subaru dealer for a recall on the catalytic converter.  I called to find out how long it would take and the gal told me an hour and a half, including an oil change. I decided it was a good chance to ride my bike on the path to Jamestown.  So when I dropped it off, I was told it would take two hours.

Riverwalk Along Chadakoin River

I went into Jamestown, riding along the Riverwalk, on various streets, stopped for coffee at Crown Coffee on Third, sat at an outdoor table, then headed back figuring I would get to the dealer just before 11:30 when it should be done.  It wasn't until noon, typical I guess.  They are never finished early.  On the way home, I stopped at Peterson's Farm Market for local strawberries.

Jamestown's Main Street Bridge

Coffee On Third Street

I didn't get home until 1:00 Evie had the cauliflower soup heating, my sandwich out.  She had been busy of course, both in and out.  I ate, loved the soup, watched my show, then fell asleep while reading.  When I woke, the stove guy had just driven in the driveway, hoping to fix our stove.  Unfortunately, he did not have the part he needed, so he will have to come back once it arrives at the office.  Shipments are behind schedule because of COVID 19.

Ohio Spider Wort

We both were ready to relax after he left so we set up the chaise lounges in the sun in our side yard and read and read until 5:30 when it was dinner time.  Evie went in and I helped and quickly put together our dinner, lamb curry with apples, bananas, and broccoli, one of our favorites, supposedly a curry recipe from France.  Once it was put together, we let it sit while we went back outside and had a glass of wine until we were hungry.  Around 6:30, Evie heated up the curry, made the rice and a salad and by 7:00 we were ready to eat.  I love this curry and there's enough leftover for Wednesday. We watched at Real Time With  Bill Maher and the final riveting episode of Defending Jacob with a few unexpected twists at the end.  We watched another episode of Home On Apple TV where an amazing home blends into the environment of a reclaimed area polluted by refineries just outside of Austin, Texas.  

Lots Of Sun And Wind

5:49

5:55

It' 8:20, Evie's inspecting the garden and I just returned from a paddle, over to Long Point, then Sandy Bottom and home.  The lake was choppy but not overly so. I did not see anything worth photographing, just a morning sky.

Kayak Morning

Southern Sky

Yesterday was a carbon copy of what the next week looks like, clear skies, sunny with temperatures in the 70's with no rain in sight.  Sunday was perfect if you like fall days and we do.  Sunny, cool, some wind, perfect for being outside.  After kayaking, Evie got busy in the kitchen because we were having a Middle Eastern dinner.  So she was roasting the eggplant, getting it ready for a Palestinian dish called Shulbato, a combination of bulgar, eggplant, tomatoes, and spices.  Meanwhile, I went for a bike ride in Mayville, down and back Webb's Trail, then the Mayville trail to 430 and back.  The weather was outstanding and lots of people were out walking, biking, pushing strollers. 

Webb's Trail

When I finished, it was breakfast time.  So Evie put on the bacon while I trimmed our lilac tree and transplanted another hosta, putting it in a prime spot.  Breakfast was on the front porch, the usual eggs, bacon and a bagel.  The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, reading or napping, at first in the side yard but when it became too cool, the sun behind the house, we adjourned to the porch.  It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Wave Petunias In Evie's Flower Box

Around 5:00, Evie put the lamb roast in which she had marinated, seared and roasted in the oven and put together the Shulbato, then made a typical Turkish corban salata of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, feta cheese, and oil and vinegar.  We set up the front porch for our feast. The lamb was perfectly done, enough for tonight's curry by the way.  We both loved the bulgar, tomatoes and eggplant dish and the salad took us back to our days in Turkey, dining at The Captain just down from our campus on the Bosphorus,

We capped the night off with a tin roof, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and Spanish peanuts while we watched a couple more episodes of Defending Jacob.  The acting is amazingly convincing, both parents and the accused son.