A fish story and a parade

A fish story.....Dave came off the lake this afternoon and told me a good fish story.    As in all good fish stories, there is no photographic evidence. 

He went out kayaking this afternoon and came back very excited.    He told me that he was very close to home when he looked to the side and saw a large fish coming right at him.   No, not a whale or a shark, but a large fish.   As he watched, it jumped in the air, hit him in the head (knocking his hat off) and continued over the kayak and back into the water!   Neighbors sitting on their balcony saw and cheered....

If you know Dave, you know he likes to joke around and is quite good at pulling your leg with a very straight face.    But....I smelled his hat when he wasn't looking and I think he was telling the truth.   It stinks of fish and is now relegated to the basement.

This morning I was up and dressed before the sun!    This never happens, ever. 

 We live in a special area.  The village of Geneseo is a designated  National Historic Landmark with many large and beautiful old homes.   It is the County Seat for the government of Livingston County and home to the nationally renowned State University of New York at Geneseo.    The surrounding area is split by the Genesee River and the fertile flats along it's banks are home to many farms.   Pretty Conesus Lake is just a couple miles from the center of the Village.     The "valley" as most people here call say is home to acres and acres of open land dotted with huge old oak trees and criss- crossed with scenic dirt roads.     The land is open, for the most part, because it has been owned by one old family (the Wadsworths)for a few hundred years.    Their passion was and is the old world sport of fox hunting.

Nations Road

a calm valley scene
this is a "coop", built over a fence line to enable the hunt horses to jump in and out safely

Before you say anything....I admit to to being a hypocrite on the subject of fox hunting.   I am not a hunter, I'll say no more on that subject.    I do like to watch the hounds work, the horses jump and run (sometimes in control, sometimes with a gleeful sparkle in their eye as they dump their rider in the mud.....) the tradition and pageantry of it all.       The sight of 60 or more horses and riders thundering through the beautiful scenery following a pack of foxhounds that are"singing" at the top of their considerable lungs is thrilling.    Fox are rarely caught, they are much smarter than those big noisy hounds and often seem to enjoy leading them over hill and dale only to disappear into a barn or into their den under a fallen oak.

So, the reason for my getting up and out so early was the 143rd annual Genesee Valley Hunt Parade.   This hunt is the second oldest in the United States and has over 100 members between the ages of 8 and 80.     The mounted group met at one end of Main Street at the historic Homestead House and paraded down it's length to the family's other historic home, Hartford House.   Once all were assembled at Hartford House the opening of the 2019 season began.

The 200 year old Homestead sits on 300 acres

closer view

Here they come!

early morning light as the group passes the Bear Fountain

heading toward the courthouse at the end of Main

taking care of business

We've been doing a bit more socializing as our time winds down (dinner with Barb, lunch with JoAnn).     So busy talking that I forgot to take a picture!   

I'm getting the hang of the new laptop and, with a few exceptions, I'm happy!

nightie night......

   

 

new laptop

So.....a new laptop has arrived.   I'm not happy.   I don't like to learn new things - well I DO like to learn new things, but not computer new things.

This well worn old friend has stopped acting up, isn't shutting down unexpectedly anymore, obediently doing everything I ask.   Like your symptoms disappear when you get to the doctors.     It knows it is being replaced. 

 I could just keep it and assume it will behave while we're on the road (my first instinct).     But.....what if it resumes it's wonky ways while we're in the middle of Texas (Dave's sensible side speaks to me).     So, I'm biting the bullet and picking up the new baby this week.   

I thought I'd show you a few more pictures of our easy and sweet summer while I can still know how to make the blog happen.   I know, positive thinking is best in these situations, but.....

And, to get this out of the way first, here's the token picture of Lewis that you-know-who always asks for.....

the boys watching TV after a hard evening of fishing

Last week we met my cousin, Amy, and her husband, Bob, at Alex's restaurant in Batavia.   She is the daughter of my mother's most beloved sister (both gone now).  We lived next door to each other our entire childhood but  haven't kept in very close touch since we became adults.

We had a good dinner and got caught up.   Bob is retired and Amy will finish work in December.    They're going to be snowbirds!    Their youngest daughter lives in Florida so they're looking forward to spending more time with her.


The next night we drove 45 minutes back into Batavia to attend a last minute get together celebrating our friend Cindy's 70th birthday.     Most of her family and old friends were there and it was great seeing them all again.     Her daughter, Melanie, is back in town with her family and Dave and I hadn't met the children yet.    Fun!   They're beautiful and bright and kept the party hopping!

Quinn photobombs birthday Grandma

Little Quinn is very photogenic and she knows it.   Every time a camera came out, or she saw someone's phone pointed somewhere near her direction, she posed - you know....just in case.

three generations of Joe
(grandpa Joe, dad Joe and little Joey)

Little Joey was preoccupied with birthday party accoutrements most of the time.  He had to be convinced, many times, that the gifts were not actually for HIM but for his grandma.


Today we went to the Charcoal Corral (a small, nearby hotdog/ice cream joint) in nearby Perry to stroll around their Farewell to Summer Super Cruise (and to feast on a couple foot long Sahlen's hotdogs and some ice cream).   Lots of old cars in various stages of restoration shared the fields with the finest money can buy new cars and a variety of motorcycles.

Mmmmmm
(no comments, John...)

Dave looks to see what $135,000 can buy 

They made them real big in 1965

34 Phaeton

We decided this guy has too much time on his hands.....

We even saw the fabulous Fred (our friend and house sitter) sitting in the shade next to his big yellow truck!

Hi Fred!

We're actively getting ready to hit the road.   That means going through Beluga's drawers and cupboards to see what needs washing, what cans have expired, what pasta boxes are half empty, etc.    Dave has been doing a bit of fixing and fiddling with her also but I'll save that for another post.

I'm always sad, at this time of year, to think about dumping out all our pots of smiling and cheerful flowers.   They won't make it through the winter, I know that, but it's always hard to throw things away when they're still so pretty.   Sigh.

That's all for now.

the Diamonds are Dancing

 

End of summer

The end of the summer season is here, already....   There will still be plenty of nice weather until we leave, just less people around to share it with.    We haven't been doing anything much different since I last posted - it's summer at the lake!

If you're still interested, I'll show you some pictures.

The weather has been up and down.  Rainy and sunny.  Hot and humid, dry and cool.   Interesting skies and rainbows.

something's coming!

morning fog

One week was so rainy and damp that we had to take plastic bags out on the dock if we wanted to enjoy happy hour without getting a wet seat!    We won't be deterred....

 
We continued to enjoy the company of old friends....some older friends than others.   I reconnected with my very first girlfriend this summer.   Our mother's were best girlfriends and Patty and I spent a lot of time together when we were little girls.    We lost track of each other in our late teens, each going our own way.    We haven't seen each other for at least 35 years, she'd met Dave when we were all 17 but I'd never met her husband of 39 years!    It was such fun.   The two guys got along famously and Patty and I talked and talked and compared our "adult" lives.   Still so much in common.

Patty and Jim

One Friday we drove out to Dave's brother's campsite on Lake Alice.   We had a great visit and then went out for hot dogs and ice cream - it may have turned out to be a two ice cream cone day but don't ask about that......

Arline and brother Mike (also, Dave's knee)

A few days ago friends Judi and Barb came down for another overnight.    We took a peaceful boat ride around the lake and then enjoyed Bushy Tails and corn outside by the warmth and light of the chiminea.    After dinner we stuffed ourselves on Judi's homemade cheesecake and watched movies.

Barb (her nose is healing nicely)

Barb, Lewis and Judi

Visiting friends aren't just of the human persuasion.    We have a couple Mergansers that work the cove waters almost every day.    We consider them friends.

looking for dinner

The Rabbit Room continues to be our Thursday night dinner preference (with Tom and Robin most often) but our favorite waiter, Michael, has quit to take another job in Geneseo.   Word going around is that the owner's of this wonderful and unusual restaurant will close it down soon to concentrate on their other place here on Conesus Lake.

Tom commiserates with Michael on his last night

We've tried eating there (The Hook and Spoon) a few times, most recently last week.   A Rabbit Room caliber restaurant nearby would be wonderful for us.  But... it's not the Rabbit Room -  not the food or the service or the ambiance.  In our opinion it isn't the sort of place we'd return to.   Sigh.

interesting hanging fish sculpture at the Hook and Spoon

We don't just eat out, even though it sometimes sounds like that.   We're in the middle of farmland here and summer's bounty is irresistible.  Last week I used that morning's freshly picked sweet corn, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and basil to make New Orleans' inspired maque choux.    A few grilled shrimp on top made a yummy dinner for the two of us.

Maque Choux with Shrimp

Our  marigolds and zinnias and coleus are waning.   Their programmed summer strength is giving out, their time is short.    Weeds, however, never seem to fade.

pretty, prickly thistle

Lewis is still enjoying his summer life.  "Getting busy" wherever he wants with no one at the end of his leash, getting a drink in the big water bowl when the spirit moves him, barking at passing boats, sleeping in and fishing after dinner.

the tiny radio controlled boat drives Lewis insane when it's operator zooms it around near our dock

he's not happy about this girl "surfing behind the sleek ballast boat - he thinks it looks boring.

Lately we have added a new dimension to his second cup and happy hour routines.    Usually he lies quietly beside us and gently accepts tidbits of whatever we are dunking in our coffee/tea.   For the past week, however, we've given him a raw, meaty bone to gnaw on when we're outside.   He LOVES it....thinks he's died and gone to heaven.

nom nom nom, slurp slurp slurp

He takes it from my hand and hustles down to the grass or into the ivy without a backward glance.    He turns away from us and chews and chews and chews.   I'm hoping it will clean up his teeth a bit since the tartar has become to build up. 

Today a small boat parade passed by our dock.   A sweet, small town end of summer ritual.     One boat was pulling 4 water skiers behind but I wasn't fast enough to get a picture. 

nearby Lakeville's fire boat

My lap top hasn't been feeling well, shutting down unexpectedly for a month now.   It's been to the doctor a number of times so I hope this blog will post without incident.   Finger's crossed.