Autumn Begins

6:40

It's 6:38 as I start this and the sky is dark with a slash of light off to the east. It's 57º and the next few days look as if it's going to get cooler, more fall-like. It's 9:20 as I finish this blog. I managed to get in a half hour paddle before heading over to Bemus Point for breakfast. 

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

Yesterday was a day when we got nothing done. I did kayak on a fine morning and wrote the blog but that was about it for the day. We were in no hurry to finish coffee or get started but by 10:00, I was off to Jamestown to get a blood test. When I arrived, a gal was standing outside the building and she told me the lab was closed for some reason.  Great.  So I stopped at two pharmacies just to see if they had the Moderna booster and neither had it nor did they know when they might get it. Great. Since I was out,  I stopped at Aldi's and picked up three or four things, then some corn at the stand. I decided to reward myself with a sandwich from the Ashville General Store, a Hijacker like a Cuban. 

When I returned home, Evie was not feeling well, a result we think from the cortisone shots in her knees on Tuesday. Her face was bright red and felt feverish on and off.  She did make a big pot of veggie soup but relaxed the rest of the day,  reading or watching TV. I had my sandwich and watched another episode of Game of Thrones.  After lunch, I read and napped some then did little the rest of the day, a bit bored to be honest but too lazy to bike or go for a hike or walk. 

Rainbow At 4:40 In The Afternoon

By 6:00, Evie gathered enough mojo to fry up some potatoes and bread and fry a couple of pork chops for our dinner. We were not up for watching the Holocaust documentary so we watched the usual, Colbert, Jeopardy and a partial episode of the Great English Baking Show before going up to bed early, not the best of days.

Looking Forward To A Day Of Leisure

 

7:09

7:13

It's 9:20 as I start this as I actually slept in till 7:00, a miracle, and didn't get out on the lake until 8:00. It was a good paddle, a long one of 75 minutes, over to Tom's Point and back. I must have scared off at least seven or eight herons, four or five near Stow and Tom's Point. And just as I paddled near our dock, a heron dropped onto our neighbor's dock. It was a heron morning.

Kayak Morning

Bemus Point Bridge

Great Blue Heron

# 2

# 3

Yesterday was a busy day and a tiring one for me since I was up at 5:00. I did paddle, then drive to Lakewood for a yoga class, and hurried home because we were driving to an orthopedic doctor in Hamburg, a little over an hour away and along # 90, we observed the Goodyear blimp, heading home from Buffalo to Akron. Evie has been having trouble with her knees so we wanted to see a specialist. They x-rayed both knees and as expected, she suffers from severe arthritis under both knee caps. He explained the options and Evie decided to try cortisone shots one in both knees to see if that allows her to walk easily without pain. Knee replacements may be in her future. After the doctor's office, we drove to the Apple Store in the Galleria Mall and picked up Evie's new iWatch. Like Sunday, it was a busy place and we had some trouble picking up the watch because they thought we had an appointment with the Genius Bar and didn't realize we just wanted to pick up the watch. Once that was clarified, a great guy helped Evie with pairing her watch with her new iPhone and answered any questions she had.

Highway To Buffalo

Goodyear Blimp

We then drove home, not arriving until 3:30, happy to finally be home. I ended up trying to read but fell asleep while Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters. Fortunately, dinner was leftover spaghetti and sausage which she found in the freezer. We watched Colbert and Jeopardy then made the mistake of watching the powerful, hard-to-watch PBS series called The United States And The Holocaust. Coming right after Chornobyl, it was hard to watch but necessary for all Americans, especially students to watch. I assume, however, extreme Republicans will ban it because it does not always show the US in a favorable light. We will watch the next episode tonight and learn more about the truth regarding the Holocaust. 

5:20 Is Way To Early

Evie's Birthday Dinner At The Chop House

6:20

6:51

9:03

Not sure why, but I was up at 5:00, finally walking downstairs at 5:20 for my coffee in a darkened house. It's now 6:30, and finally, the sky has some color, some clouds. It's 57º and I am waiting for it to lighten up enough to kayak. It's 6:45 and I am bored, having skimmed both the NYTimes and Washington Post as well as my emails and Facebook and I have written most of my blog. It's not quite bright enough to get out on the lake but soon. The sun rises in 15 minutes, at 7:05. I finally got out on the lake at 7:15, paddled for an hour, and photographed a lone heron on our neighbor's dock. 

Kayak Morning

Woodlawn/Victoria

Great Blue Heron

Yesterday was a strange day, especially since it was Evie's birthday. We didn't make much of a big deal about it early because, after my morning kayaking, we drove to Jamestown at 10:00 for Evie's appointment with a doctor, a PA this time that we actually liked better than the doctor. She spent lots of time with us and answered all our questions. Things seem fine so we went home happy.  We were surprised by the heavy rains when we drove home and to our surprise, our rain gauge showed we had gotten over two inches of rain while we were gone. I think we needed it and because of it, our lawn is green, with no signs of brown. 

For lunch, I had an egg salad sandwich, always tasty, and got back to my lunchtime series, Game Of Thrones although it's confusing since I haven't watched it in a week. Evie was happy to relax the rest of the afternoon and not worry about dinner or getting things done, After all, it was her birthday. I had my usual afternoon as well, reading and napping and around 4:00, I went for a mile plus walk in Victoria, up to #394 and home. 

Linda and Ron picked us up at 6:00 and we drove to Jamestown for dinner, at the Chop House on Main, mostly because they have jazz night on Mondays. We were happy to find seats at the bar and our bartender recognized us from the last time we were there. The Jazz Trio played up on the balcony led by Razz and friends.

Evie And Razz

Razz is 87, recently married,  and we have seen him a couple of other times at either restaurants or bars. The bar was full when we arrived but emptied by the time we left despite the Bills game was one TV. All four of us ordered the steak special for twenty-two bucks, a sirloin with truffle fries, and a beer, a good deal these days. They knew it was Evie's birthday so Razz and his trio played happy birthday and our bartender brought a cake to surprise Evie. It was a fun night and we vowed to come back at least once a month this winter.

Chop House Chocolate Lava Birthday Cake

We were home by 8:30 and watched the third quarter of the Bills demolishing of the Titans before having enough football. I went up to bed to read but Evie stayed down and watched some TV before joining me.  Evie enjoyed her birthday. 

"What Is The Cost Of Lies"

 

Happy Birthday, Evie!  Keep On Dancing

Our Humble Abode

6:40

I am still haunted by the HBO series, Chernobyl, with its emphasis on how lies by the Russian government to cover up problems with the nuclear reactor, to save face, led to the catastrophe and loss of lives.  And I couldn't help but think of the lies by Trump and his true believers and what they might mean to our democracy. What once seemed only possible in Russia now seems very possible in the US. I used to think Russians were different from Americans, that only they believed the lies their government told. The past few years show me this is not true. We, mostly Trumpers, are just as prone to believing lies,  government coverups, and hypocrisy. Sad but true. Enough tub-thumping. 

Kayak Mornings

It's a gray, even dark gray morning, quite a contrast from the last few days at the lake, of sunshine and pleasantly cool weather. It's 63º and will get some much-needed showers late morning.  I paddled for an hour on a basically empty lake, one or two boats and that was it. I started out in sun and ended up on a gray lake and sky.

Heron Morning

Fishing At Woodlawn Creek

Yesterday was another sad day as our friends from Maine, Ron and Vickie, flew home. As usual, I was up early and kayaked before coming home to a great breakfast of pancakes and peameal bacon. They wanted to be at the airport by 11:30 so we left at 10:00 sharp. It was an easy drive, a sad farewell, and we vowed to see each other more often, either in Maine or here at the lake. We then drove to the Galleria Mall. I was hoping to surprise Evie with a new Apple watch for her birthday. When we arrived at the store, there were customers in line at the door and at least six or seven salespersons milling around the entrance. We finally got to talk to someone and discovered if we wanted a watch, we would have to sign up for a time and would have to wait until 2:00, for an hour and a half. Needless to say, we said the heck with that and decided to just order it online which we did and we will pick it up on Tuesday at the store since it would take up to ten days by mail. Who would have thought it would be so difficult to buy a four-hundred-dollar watch! On the way home, we stopped at the Seneca Reservation gas station and filled up with gas, saving forty cents a gallon. 

We arrived home around 2:00, exhausted and hungry. I had a bowl of corn chowder, watched some football, read, and fell asleep while Evie sat on the front porch, enjoying the quiet afternoon as the fishermen from Cleveland headed home. One, Herb, a Jazz flutist, stopped over to drop off a CD he made. We have gotten to know him over the past couple of years. By 5:30, we were back in the routine, enjoying a libation on the front porch along with Evie's favorite, chips, and dip. The sky, as always, was changing and picturesque, as the sun moved in and out. It seemed, too, like Ron and Vickie were never here just like we never lived in Hawaii or Turkey. Strange. We had the leftover baked ziti for dinner and watched some football, CBS Sunday Morning, and Real Time With Bill Maher. 

Airport Sunday

Sunset Cruise

6:39

7:10

7:12 - From Our Living Room

8:20

It's early o course, 6:30 when I started this but it's now 8:40 as I finish after a fifty-minute paddle. Evie's in the kitchen making pancakes and peameal bacon while Ron's showering and Vic's packing up as we have to be on our way to the Buffalo Airport by 10:00, alas.

Kayak Morning

Bald Eagle

Great Blue Heron

We had an easy day Saturday, lots of fun, lots of taking it easy, no hassles to speak of.  I was out on the lake as the fog disappeared and by the time I returned, everyone was up, enjoying their coffee, looking at photos and deciding what the day would bring. We decided to drive over to Long Point where there was a 20-team cross-country meet. We have been in previous years and knew that Ron would enjoy it because he was a cross country coach. We arrived just as the high school girls started and stayed for their race and part of another. We then drove to the Viking Club which they had never seen and we just didn't have time to get there because our evenings were so busy.

The Young Super Star

The Race At Long Point State Park Begins

We were home by 1:00 in time for leftover baked ziti and cheese sandwiches. Then, like Friday, we went our separate ways, a few of us napping or reading but Evie, of course, had to mow the lawn. I ended up napping and reading, and finally, I volunteered to help cut the last section of the lawn. At 3:30, we walked next door to watch the fishing guys bring their bass into weigh, on the first day of a bass tournament. Unfortunately, they did not have much luck, most catching only two or three fish.

View From Lenhart Hotel Porch

By 5:00, we were cruising over to Bemus Point for wings at the Village Casino. First, we walked in the village which was having Bemus Point Day, their streets filled with booths selling all kinds of things we don't want. We then sat on the rockers of Lenhart Hotel's porch; unfortunately, the hotel and bar are both closed although lots of people were enjoying the rocking chairs. We then went to the Casino for wings and beers, a tradition since 1981 for our friends and family. The wings were not the best but still good and except for the band, we enjoyed our meal. 

Boat Guy - Up Close and Personal

By 7:00, we were on the boat, watching the sunset, the best part of the day actually. The lake was calm and few boats were on the lake. We cruised for a good half hour before docking and then sitting around the living room, playing with photos on Evie and my new iPhones. We ended the night with the final episode of Chernobyl.  

Yucking It Up After Dinner

Awake At 6:00 To Morning Fog

Great Friends For Forty-Five Years

7:11

7:14

8:31

7:20

One of the problems of getting up so early is that I can't get out on the lake if it's foggy, and at the moment, I cannot see Long Point, just our docks. It's a chilly morning, 54º,  and should get up into the mid-70s later today. 

Kayak Morning

Paddling To Long Point

A Great Blue Heron

Bass Boat Tournament Begins

Yesterday, Friday, was not quite as exciting as the day before with our visit to the infamous Swamp bar. It started out like most of my days, with me up and out on the lake by 7:15 while everyone else slept in until I returned around 8:15. It was a good morning because I shot a number of photos of herons. Once I returned home, we sat around, enjoying our coffee, and deciding what to do. We wanted to get in a walk so we decided on the Chautauqua Institution. So after breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, we drove to the CI for a walk. It was a beautiful late morning, and most of the yards were still in bloom. We spent a good amount of time googling various front yard gardens before getting to the Bestor Plaza where Ron and I relaxed on a bench in the shade while the girls did some shopping. We then walked past a former student's parent's house and his sister was there and invited us in to tour the five cottage houses just off the amphitheater  We have always admired the house so it was fun to see each of the cottage's studios. We declined drinks on their porch and headed back to the car and home. 

Thunder Bridge

We didn't get home until after 1:00 so we were all tired and hungry from our walk. Evie had the corn chowder ready but made up some wraps with hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocadoes and hot sauce. It was a perfect lunch, tasty and healthy. Once we finished lunch, we went our own ways, some into the yard to read, others upstairs to read and nap. I joined the latter group. 

A Fish Fry At The Rod And Gun

We just hung out the rest of the afternoon until 6:00 when we drove to the Rod and Gun in Lakewood for dinner. We found a table in the bar and enjoyed a beer, pretzel bits, and beer cheese while we waited to be called to our table. As usual, it was crowded, with no seats open at the bar and we waited at least a half hour for a dinner table. Once we sat down and ordered, however, our fish fry's arrived within ten minutes. The deep-fried haddock was fine, with either cole slaw, french fries, or baked potatoes, just what everyone wanted. We drove home in the dark and sat in the living room listening to music until 9:00 when we went to the TV room and watched another episode of Chernobyl and it's becoming more and more difficult to watch as the effects of radiation spread to both animals and humans.