Chilly In The Morning

6:13

7:52

It's just after 8:00, 52º, and I paddled on a choppy lake for a half-hour, happy to be home warm in my living room.  The sky was dark and overcast early, threatening but now, it looks as though the sun may peek out from above the darkened clouds.   

Kayak Morning

Monday was a lazy day for the most part as we had nothing we had to do.  So, I had a long paddle,  in no hurry to get home and get busy. After breakfast and the blog, we cleaned up the dishes from Sunday's dinner and Evie suggested that if I wanted to bike, I should get it done in the morning.  So I drove to Lakewood, parked and biked down to McCrea in Park in Jamestown, the boat launch for the Chadokoin River. It was an hour ride, often in long open stretches of asphalt so I worked up quite a sweat.  I dropped a donation off at the Chautauqua Lake Association, met the new secretary, who showed me how they are able to follow the weed cutters on the computer.  Pretty cool because I could see they were down near our neighborhood, cleaning the shoreline.

Chadokoin River

The Swamp's Open

While I was gone, Evie was getting caught up on wash and other projects. For lunch, she made me a couple of quesadillas stuffed with cheese, tomatoes, and avocadoes.  I watched the Hawks defeat the Sixers in game seven.  I then read and napped during a half-hour rainstorm, as we received another eighth of an inch of rain, great for Evie's garden.

We had a lazy afternoon for the most part, waiting for happy hour.  We sat on the front porch wth selzter water and lemons, no booze, and enjoyed the sunny late afternoon.  Dinner was the leftover pork ribs and Asian noodles, so all we needed to do was heat them in the microwave.  We watched the final two episodes of The Handmaid's Tale, not sure as to how we feel about the ending, wondering if it left it open for another season.  We ended the night with Real Time With Bill Maher who went off on the unfairness of water consumption in California. 

Summer Begins With Dining Al Fresco

5:45

8:21

It's 8:30 and Evie's still sleeping, lucky gal.  I paddled for close to an hour and a half and spotted three different herons on my journey. I stopped and talked to a new neighbor, down in Victoria, who was out raking weeds, wondering how to deal with the debris. He's a neat guy, from the Chicago area but hopes to retire here full time in a couple of years.  

Kayak Morning

Bir (One In Turkish)

Iki

Uch 

Sunday was a get-ready for Linda's birthday dinner day so we were, as always, busy with prep.  Fortunately, Evie had baked the ribs on Saturday so all they needed was to be put on the grill for ten to fifteen minutes. The major chore was to make a chocolate cake, one we love but it takes quite a bit of time to put together, with both a ganache and a buttercream chocolate frosting as well as the chocolate cake.  So that took much of the morning, especially when Evie realized after she baked the cake she forgot a key ingredient and had to do a do-over! 

Once the cake was made, Evie could relax some but wanted to get the lawn cut so that's how she spent part of her afternoon, in the heat and humidity cutting the lawn.  I had soup for lunch, took a nap, watched some TV so I was practically a slug.  Late afternoon, I took the cover off the boat, cleaned it up, and set up a table for our booze cruise.  We both were sweaty from working in the sun, so Evie swam, then we showered and Linda and Ron arrived at 5:30. We had gotten everything ready for a cruise when Ron told us severe thunderstorms were predicted in the next half hour. I didn't believe it but Evie checked, said it was accurate, so I put the dam cover back on the boat.  We then sat out on the dock, enjoying a beer but within 15 minutes, we had to hurry off to the porch because of the rain. It poured for 15 to 20 minutes, then cleared up of course but it was too wet to go for a cruise.  We did enjoy our appetizer, shrimp in mayo with red onion and a couple more beers, and the sun came out.  

The Birthday Girl

It was nice enough to eat outside so I dried off the table and chairs and started up the grill.  Ron and I grilled the ribs, basting them with a hot barbecue sauce, for 15 minutes, then brought them over to the table.  While I was grilling, Evie was making an Asian noodles stir fry with squash and other vegetables.  It was a beautiful night to sit outside and enjoy a meal and everything was great, the ribs tender and tasty, the noodles, a recipe we will make again.  And the crowning delight was Linda's chocolate birthday cake, with seven and two candles. Needless to say, if you like chocolate, which we all do, then this cake was to die for.  We finished eating around 9:15 and after Linda and Ron headed home, we did up most of the dishes before going to bed.  Another good day on the lake. 

Bass Boats Arising

6:12

8:51

It's 8:50 on a busy lake, with a partly cloudy sky.  I was awakened at 6:00 by bass boats roaring out of the marina as the summer bass tournaments begin.  I was out kayaking for close to an hour and a half, down to Tom's Point and back.  I saw a pair of herons on the southeast side of Tom's Point, an eagle on the northwest side, a good morning,

Kayak Morning

Eastern Sky

Heron

Female Wood Duck And Ducklings

Bald Eagle

Saturday was a day of sporadic rain, starting on and off in the morning, raining harder around 6:00.  We were both up early and busy, Evie with watering, me with getting trash ready to take to the Transfer Station. We are also having Linda and Ron over for dinner tonight so Evie started prepping a few things yesterday morning.  After the Transfer Station, I wanted to get one of my chores done so I washed the front windows once again, dirty with spider webs and occasional rain.  It's a neverending task trying to keep them clean.  

As a reward for washing them, Evie made me my new favorite lunch, avocado toasts topped with fried eggs, the best.  I watched more basketball saved from the night before and it looks like the playoffs might go on for another two or three weeks, giving me something to watch every day.  I usually watch the fourth quarter unless it's a really good game. We did not do much the rest of the afternoon as it was too pleasant sitting on our front porch, napping or reading.

Rainbow At 7:35

We had or Woodlawn gathering at 5:00 in the rain so we were able to congregate on one of our neighbor's porches. It was good to see everyone and we had our usual meeting to discuss any problems that have arisen over the past year.  It was over by 6:30.  We decided, then to have a cocktail and chips and salsa on the front porch and were rewarded with a downpour then a spectacular rainbow that filled the sky from Long Point to Tom's Point.  We had the leftover Santa Fe chicken for dinner and watched the usual although we decided to stick with home improvement shows and save The Handmaid's Tale for another night.  

One of my favorite poems, featured in this morning's New York Times: "19 Lines That Turn Anguish Into Art,"

One Art

BY ELIZABETH BISHOP

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident

the art of losing’s not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

A Hazy, Almost Summer Morning

6:09

I just returned from an uneventful paddle, across to Long Point, back to Victoria, and home. The wind picked up as I returned and it was tough going. No luck with any waterfowl, just turkey vultures, hanging out in the trees.  

Kayak Morning

Choppy Seas

Friday it was supposed to rain and it did but hardly enough to wet the ground.  We had our usual morning although Evie was up early.  We cleaned up the kitchen from the previous night's dinner, then drove off to Jamestown, to Acme Appliance.  I broke down and agreed with Evie that we needed a dishwasher as I was getting too old. We knew what we wanted, a Bosch, and they had five in stock, so we ordered one, received a slight discount, and it will be installed this coming Friday.  What am I going to do after dinner each night if I don't have dishes to wash?  After that, we drove to Lakewood.  I dropped Evie off at Wegman's and I hit Evans Liquor for some wine, vermouth, and Black Velvet.  It's amazing how fast these bottles go.  I then picked up Evie at Wegmans and we were home by 12:30, but tired from all that shopping and spending money.

Black Locust Path At Long Point State Park

Lunch was the leftover sub and macaroni salad and I watched the end of the Atlanta/Philly game, a great comeback by Atlanta. And that was it for the early afternoon, as Evie, having been up since 6:00, actually dozed some and read most of the afternoon on the porch.  Around 4;00, however, I wanted to get some exercise so I drove over to Bemus and rode my bike for forty-five minutes, returning home in time to shower and be ready to go out to dinner with our friends, Marjorie and Ken, at 5:20. 

Foot High Onion Rings...Worth The Drive

We had a 35-minute drive to our restaurant, Cockaigne,  a ski and summer resort in Cherry Creek.  We had not been to their new restaurant before so it was an adventure. The lodge is quite impressive, with windows overlooking the ski hill.  We got seats in the bar and after waiting ten minutes for a waitress, we had great service.  We ordered their foot-high stack of onion rings for an appetizer (it was to die for) and all four of us had their humongous fish fry. We liked the restaurant, the food, the waitress, and the drive through the hills of Chautauqua County so it was a good choice.  We returned home around 8:30 in time to watch some TV before bed. 

 

Partly Cloudy, Warming With A Chance Of Rain

 Bill And Joyce, Back For Their 47th Summer

It's 8:20 and I just returned from a half-hour on the lake, starting out in the bright sun, ending with dark, threatening clouds.  Evie actually was up before me this morning, at 6:00, so she is ready for bear, has her recipes out and a bucket and sponge for god knows what.  I fear it's for me. 

Kayak Morning

Southern Sky

Morning Great Blue Heron

Thursday was another fall-like day, breezy with temperatures in the 70's, perfect for a bike ride, working outside and lounging out on the dock and we did all three. We were having six of our neighbors over for dinner so Evie was busy in the kitchen much of the morning, making our dinner, Santa Fe chicken, and dessert. I helped with the dishes and got the table and porches ready but by 10:30, I was off with my bike, parked at the Lighthouse and rode for close to an hour down to the end of Sea Lion Drive and back.  It was sunny but cool under the canopy of trees along Sea Lion and the Rails To Trails path.  I stopped at  Tops on the way home, picked a couple of things, then at the Lighthouse for a sub for lunch,

Rails To Trails

Paved Rails To Trails

Evie was practically done with the dinner prep when  I returned home and was ready to head out to enjoy the dock for the afternoon,  I watched the end of an NBA game with my sub sandwich, then read and napped. Afterward, I thought about joining Evie on the dock but it was too nice on our front porch, protected from the sun and cool. We showered around 5:00 and were ready when everyone arrived at 6:00.

Looking For A Late Lunch

In Our Front Yard

We sat out on our front porch with libations and appetizers for a good hour, catching up on Bill and Joyce's past year since we had not seen them since last October.  Both are doing well and happy to be back at their lake house.  Our neighbors, Pat and David joined also along with sons, David and Medio. Evie served up the Santa Fe chicken, with couscous, sweet potatoes, and hominy and everyone seemed to like it. For dessert with had pound cake topped with raspberry spuma. They stayed till 9:30 and Evie and I had enough mojo left to clean up the kitchen, the end of a good day.

The Gang

Fog And 43º

6:09

7:10

7:40

7:40

It's  6:45 and I can hardly see beyond the end of our dock because of the heavy fog. I am sitting here, wrapped in a blanket to keep warm, listening to a Bill Simmons podcast. I hoped to kayak this morning but now, at 7:15, the fog is heavier than ever. 

Wednesday was another cool June day, too windy to boat but perfect for mowing the yard.  I did get in a short paddle before breakfast.  We spent most of the morning getting things done, either inside or out. I did some trimming of our Bradford pear and lilac while Evie worked some in her garden and watered it with lake water.  It takes a while to water the garden and trees and bushes. Once things were done in our yard, I powered up the mower and cut our neighbor's yard, getting it ready for their arrival late afternoon.  I also did some more cutting of weeds in the lake and we have made progress.  

Evie took time out to make lunch, a couple of ears of fresh corn and tuna and macaroni salad which she made for our neighbor's dinner.  It was a great lunch and I watched Kevin Durant go for 49 points in a win over Milwaukee, an amazing performance. I finished Squeeze and started a new book by a British writer I had never heard of, Beautiful Animals by Lawrence Osborne.  It's set on the Greek Island of Hydra and follows two daughters, one British, the other American, bored with their families, looking for adventure. While I was reading Evie was out in the yard mowing, then relaxing in the side yard, away from the wind.

Our neighbor of 40 years and her son arrived at 6:00, and we had their house ready as Evie had opened it up and we had moved out some of their lawn furniture. It was great to see them, our summer friends since 1981 when we bought our cottage. We helped unpack their car, briefly caught up on their lives before heading home for dinner around 7:15. 

We had enough hamburger stroganoff leftover from Tuesday night, so all Evie had to do was make a salad and we had dinner.  We watched Colbert and two episodes of The Handmaid's Tale and June is finally back in Canada, reunited with her husband and child.  I have a feeling it's not going to be and 'they lived happily ever after.'

What A Morning...Sunny And 48º

6:14

It's 8:15 and I just returned from a short paddle because of the wind, making it tough to get back home after paddling to Sandy Bottom.  Few boats out this morning as well although there are blue skies and bright sun.  Evie's up as well and is already outside, working in her garden and watering. 

Kayaking Into The Sun

Yesterday was another good day, with lots of sun and mild temperatures, perfect for working either in or outside. My day started with kayaking, then I drove off to Yoga at 9:30, a class of ten.  Julie is a good teacher so I always leave her class feeling more alive.  I stopped for coffee, ran into Joe, a breakfast buddy, and we chatted for a bit.  Things are opening up all over New York State, no more restrictions although some still wear masks, sensibly I think in stores and anywhere there's a crowd, especially inside. 

When I got home, I wanted to work on the lake weeds and Evie joined me so we got a lot done, clearing our lake area of the most obnoxious weeds although we know they will be back. Around 12:30, Evie made me a couple of avocado toast with eggs, the best, and I watched some basketball.  She left for the store, with stops at TJ's and Wegman's so she was gone a good part of the afternoon.  I relaxed some, read and napped but woke ready to cut more weeds. Once they were dry, I took them up the hill to the woodpile with other garden weeds and twigs. 

Beers With Jim

When I was done, Evie was returning home and she asked our neighbor, Jim, over for a beer.  We sat on our front porch enjoying a couple of beers, catching up on all the news, and talking some politics, of course, because we have similar views.  He left around 7:00 and Evie got busy in the kitchen, putting together a 1950's dinner, hamburgers stroganoff, with mushrooms, over noodles.  Always tasty, we enjoyed it with a salad and watch Colbert, The Handmaid's Tale, and a Jeopardy to end the evening.