Welcome Autumn, Adieu Summer

7:16

A Dork? 

It's an overcast morning, 50º, and may stay in the 60s most of the day. The sky is gray, just like the lake and lots of fishing boats are out this morning because of a tournament. It's now 8:00 and I am getting ready to go kayaking and the sun is cresting above a vast, gray cloud. I may need my shades, the dorky kind we used to laugh at my Mom for wearing because they fit over my glasses. We become our parents. I just returned from an hour on a calm lake and was lucky to photograph two herons sitting in a tree by the campground and one wading among the reeds, It was a good morning. 

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

A Pair Of Herons

Hanging Out

Wading In The Reeds

Friday was a busy day for me. I did get in a half hour paddling before driving to Jamestown for a doctor's appointment at 9:00. On the way home, I did some shopping at Wegmans since it's on the way and was home mid morning. I then did a few things for Evie and planned on biking but my Outback battery was dead for some reason. Triple A arrived around noon, charged my battery and I then drove off to Mayville, parked my car, and rode my bike for forty-five minutes on Webb's Trail and Sea Lion Drive. It was a great day for a bike ride, with temperatures in the 60s and a light wind. I loved it. While I was gone, Evie worked in her garden, and did some weeding and watering as it's been dry lately. The garden looks great as the dahlias keep on coming. 

Webb's Trail

For lunch, I finished up the last of the cauliflower soup and had a sandwich while watching my show. The rest of the afternoon we both spent on couches or chaise lounges in the yard. Evie is reading Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and I am reading Ann Patchett's Tom Lake. What a fine way to spend the afternoon after a busy morning. Late afternoon, our neighbor Ken stopped by and we enjoyed a glass of wine on the porch until it was time to get dinner. Evie decided on an old chestnut from our early years of marriage, hamburger stroganoff over noodles. So she put it together, boiled up noodles, and with corn and salad we had a throwback dinner. We watched a war film on Prime called The Covenant, a bit too long and not an Evie kind of film. We were both happy to get back to the 12th season of ER.  I can't believe we are still watching it.  

Fog Rising On A Beautiful Morning

6:37

7:19

It's 7:00 and I have been up since 6:35, on a quiet lake morning so far. Off to the south, the fog is rising just above the water and the sun has yet to rise to the east. I have a doctor's appointment in Jamestown at 9:00 so I will be in a hurry this morning and hope to get in a short paddle. I just looked up and a heron skimmed by, just above the water, reminding me of 747, as he landed on our neighbor's dock. I am going to head out on the lake now, at 7:15 and the sun's up but hidden behind the clouds. It's after 8:00 and I was able to paddle for 35 minutes, down to Sandy Bottom and back. 

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

Poised

Heron Strut

Yesterday was a day without kayaking because I did not have enough time to get out there before heading to breakfast with friends at 8:00. I was home by 9:15 and finished up the blog and then drove to Yin Yoga. The class was crowded as usual but good and I did not linger but came straight home. For lunch, I had another bowl of cauliflower soup and a salami sandwich, same as Wednesday's lunch. I watched my show, then was happy to get back to my book and take a brief nap although it was so nice outside, that I hated to waste the day inside napping.

Around 2:30, we decided the lake was too nice to ignore, with no wind and warm sun, one of those perfect fall lake days so we went for another boat ride over to Bemus, cruising the shore and home. Lake days like yesterday only happen a couple of times a year. I was having beers with the breakfast boys at 4:30, so after our boat ride, I took a quick dip in the lake to refresh, sunbathed on the dock until I was dry, then got dressed and headed to Dick's for our gathering. We usually sit in his barn but it was so nice out that he built a fire in a pit under a pear tree and there we sat and talked and drank beer until 6:00 when we all headed home, a good way to spend the afternoon

Evie was talking to our daughter Jill when I came home and had a dinner of leftovers already in the oven heating up, So we had a mixture of fried potatoes, Italian sausage, spinach, and mozzarella cheese for dinner and a salad. Waste not want not. We watched a couple episodes of the third season of The Morning Show with mixed feelings as it seemed to struggle with its story in the first two episodes. We also watched another ER as well before going up to bed. 

Cloudy And 50º

6:32

7:13

7:21

7:39

It's 7:00 and still dark although a strip of pink hangs over the Bemus shoreline. A bass boat just cruised by with its lights on so the morning begins.  Just as I was debating whether to go for a short paddle before breakfast, the sky darkened and the wind picked up making up my mind for me. It's 9:20 and I just returned from breakfast in Bemus, a crowded place every morning. 

Wednesday began with a good paddle, the lake-like glass and I was able to shoot a couple of herons and an osprey, making my morning. I had a yoga class at 10:00, making it more of a relaxing morning because I don't have to leave for class until 9:40. My yoga teacher, Tara, is back early from hiking a section of the Colorado Trail because of snow. Her class is always rigorous and I end up taking quite a few time-outs alas. After class, I stopped at Aldis and picked up a few things for the week although they were out of the kind of lettuce Evie likes. 

I was home around 12:30 and Evie had a pot of Indian cauliflower soup, a favorite, and she made me a salami sandwich for lunch. I watched my series about the LA Lakers, then was happy to return to my book, Tom Lake, set outside of Traverse City, Michigan, in the cherry-picking country. The rest of the afternoon was made up of what we should have done, like going for a hike, but we didn't. Instead, we wasted another beautiful afternoon, on our couch, porch, or side yard. And by 5:30, we were still there, on the porch, having a glass of wine. 

Dinner was also no fuss, browning a couple of Italian sausages for sandwiches, a salad, and a bowl of cauliflower soup. We started a series from 2012 called Nashville, It reminds me of Dallas, a series from the 70's with lots of drama. It's watchable. We ended the night with Bargain Block on HGTV. It was a lazy day. 

A Good Day

Birthday Dinner At The Landmark

6:44

7:15

7:16

Well, it's 7:15 and the sun just burst through the clouds but will soon be hidden once again by a vast dark gray cloud bank. It's a chilly 47º and I can see the fog rising just above the lake's surface. I just looked up from writing this and two kayaks paddled by, an unusual occurence this time of the year. It's after 9:00 and I paddled on an amazingly calm lake for 50 minutes and shot photos of herons, an osprey, and wood ducks. 

Kayak Morning

Woodlawn Dock

Osprey

Sandy Bottom

Yesterday began as always with a good paddle for forty minutes on a quiet lake. This time of the year the fishing boats are few, especially early in the morning. Because on Tuesdays, yoga starts at 9:30 I have to hustle to get in my perusing the newspapers, kayaking, blog, and breakfast. I leave at 9:10 and get there just in time for class with Julie. After class, I was tempted to stop for a coffee but came straight home fortunately because Evie wanted to take a birthday hike around Long Point State Park. We left around 11:20 and walked for an hour and twenty minutes, two and a half miles. We meandered through the woods, enjoying the lush greenness and the variety of trees, then out to Long Point, and finally, back to the car along Black Locust Trail. By the way, Evie finished the day with over 7900 steps, her goal. 

Birthday Hike And Hug

Walking Towards Long Point

Long Point Trail

Loving The Quiet Of The Woods

We got home around 1:30 and despite it being her birthday, Evie hustled me up a fried baloney sandwich. I watched my show. The rest of the afternoon went as usual as we were pooped from the hike and were ready to relax, either reading, napping, or watching some TV.  We were going out to dinner so Evie showered around 4:00, then had a Zoom call with her sisters at 5:00. By 6:00, we were both gussied up for Evie's birthday dinner at our favorite Jamestown restaurant, The Landmark. Linda and Ron picked us up right at 6:00 and we had reservations for 6:30 although we probably didn't need them as the restaurant was barely half full. 

A Good Night

We had a great waitress, only her second day serving and she was fun. Evie had her favorite, Salmon picata and I splurged and had a rack of lamb. All four of our meals were great and Evie left with a complimentary slice of carrot cake, too full to enjoy it at the restaurant. We lingered over our wine, in no hurry to leave, and did not get home until after 9:00. It was a good way to end a special day. 

Dark Clouds And Blue Skies

Happy Birthday, Evie And Tommy...Then

And Now

7:21

It's 7:13 and I have been up since 6:20, enjoying the morning sky. I love it when there are vast mountains of cloud as well as open sky as the sun struggles to shine. The morning is quiet except for an occasional squawk of a heron flying by the dock. Well, it's 7:20 and the sun just popped out from behind the clouds blinding me so I have to move. It is 8:45 and I was out for forty minutes and, as usual, just as I pulled out my camera to shoot an eagle, he flew away.

Kayak Morning

Northern Sky

Heron On A Martin House

Sun Bathing

Monday is always a difficult day for me because there is no yoga so I have the entire day to fill or not fill. I enjoyed a long paddle to start the day, then finished the blog and had breakfast. Evie was happy to let me take off to Lakewood for coffee and then stop at Jamestown Awning to talk about getting a portable car port for the winter. I had a good talk with them and they will stop by sometime in the next week or two to look at our parking area and give me a quote. It sounds like it may be expensive as well as difficult to set up so I am not too excited about it. I stopped at our local grocery store, Brigiottas, always fun to visit and left with a half of pound of German baloney.

Guess what I had for lunch...fried baloney sandwiches with pickles on it as I watched my show. And that was it for early afternoon as I tried to nap but mostly read my new book, Tom Lake, a bit confusing at first but now I think I got it. Around 3:00, Evie started mowing the yard, stopping occasionally to rest. I decided to get in some exercise and took my bike to the Chautauqua Institution because it's close and an easy ride. I was out for forty-five minutes, touring the grounds on a fine afternoon,

Brick Walk To Thunder Bridge

Reminds Me Of A Monet Set In France

When I returned home, Evie was finished mowing so neither of us could wait to relax on our front porch with a glass of wine. Again, what a great way to spend happy hour, the sun occasionally lighting up the opposite shoreline. Dinner was shrimp and the leftover vodka pasta and a salad, an easy and tasty dinner. We watched a mediocre film from Chile called The Substitute, then the first half of the Browns game before bed. It was a bore especially since they lost their best player, Nick Chubb, to a season-ending injury.

Late Afternoon Sun Lighting Up Long Point

View From Our Porch

Late Afternoon, Early Morning

Sunday Afternoon Sky At 5:45

We are sitting on our porch at 7:00, early evening, the Bills and Chiefs having won, Tom and Jill are in Jacksonville, no doubt celebrating the Chiefs victory with a few libations, so all is well with the NFL world. The lake has been empty for the last half hour, the eastern shore touched by the setting sun as we sit here enjoying a Manhattan, with a dinner of Vodka pasta warming on the stove. The neighborhood, the lake, are eerily quiet for September and it already seems like Fall.

6:19

6:39

7:18

7:18

Well, it's exactly 12 hours later than the above post and I have been up since 6:00, watching the changing, mostly gray sky. It's warmer this morning, 55º, not in the 40s like the past two mornings. It will stay in the 60s during the day, perfect for hiking or biking.  I was out this morning for another 80-minute kayaking, heading north this time to Whitney Bay and the Mc Mansions, then home.

Kayak Morning

Paddling North

Whitney Bay Mc Mansions

Eastern Sky

An Osprey Still Hanging Around

An Osprey Blur

I did get in a long paddle Sunday morning, not getting back until 9:30. We then finished the blog and had another cup of coffee before discussing our day. We decided on the usual Sunday walk through the Chautauqua Institution. We vary it a bit but this time we lingered at the Arboretum, at the south end, checking out the different trees. Things are winding down as more and more residents are heading home. We were out for just an hour and the trees have yet to change color except for a few leaves now and then mixed in the green. 

When we retuned, Evie made me a couple of fried eggs on toast and I watched the first quarter of the Buffalo Bills game but soon got bored and decided to start my new book Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett. Of course, I briefly napped, then joined Evie outside until it became to cool because of the wind. B 3:30, the sun had come out, the winde seemed to die, so we both jumped in our kayaks, paddled south to Sandy Bottom and by the time we headed home, the wind picked up so we had a bit of a struggle. Still, it felt great to be out on the lake on a Sunday afternoon. 

Thunder Bridge

Brick Walk

We decided to treat ourselves to a Manhattan, having deserved it by walking and kayaking. Before we sat out on the porch, Evie threw together a quick and easy recipe for Vodka pasta from the Smitten Kitchen, using tomato paste rather than tomatoes. It was a perfect evening to sit out on the porch, with cheese and crackers and a drink and enjoy the waning day. We loved the pasta along with a salad and butter pecan ice cream for dessert. We watched the usual, ER and HGTV, then some Sunday night football before going up to bed around 10:00. 

Our Fun Neighbor, Missy, Ready To Celebrate The Bills Win