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.

Sunny and rainy

Catching up with friends and family are still a big part of our time while we're back in the area, especially as the summer winds down.   Yearly appointments, motorhome and Jeep upgrades, fishing, boating and relaxing take up the rest of our days.   They're flying by.    I just finished planning most of our fall/winter travels.

We've had some gloriously sunny and warm days with some very unpleasantly wet and stormy ones in between.

gesundheit!

On the sunny days it's a pleasure to entertain.   Cindy and Norm came down last week and we enjoyed a nice boat ride and a steak dinner outside.

Dave bought a winch and when it finally arrived he spent a few sunny days in the driveway installing it.

off comes the bumper

the mounting plate, mounted

He had a minor engineering problem but was able to reach Mr. David's A-1 Engineered Solutions and they talked him through the problem using 3/8" PEX
tubing as an alignment aid.

Voila!

The new winch makes the Jeep look out of place here in the land of the paved road, but it will be a cheap insurance policy for us in our other, off road life.

On nice days Lewis enjoys spending time outside.   A nasty squirrel has discovered that he can get Lewis' s goat if he sits in the bushes and chitters loudly at him.  He has a perverse sense of humor.   Lewis falls for it every time.

On rainy, stormy days we just throw up our hands and wait it out.  Much reading is done by me and much puttering is done by Dave.....having a basement and tools is a good thing on a rainy day.

patterns of grey

the Mergansers don't mind the rain 

When we have company coming and it's raining.....we visit inside and enjoy ourselves just the same.

Cousin Bill and Patty getting ready to dig into the yummy
Victoria Sponge she made for us

And when the rain stops, we dry things off, empty things out and start all over again.

Barb

Part of the fun of being here for the summer is having time to visit with old and dear friends.

Yesterday we were invited to Barb's house for dinner.   She lives in Webster, about 45 minutes north of here.    Lewis was invited also, but we thought it best that he stayed home this time.

happy hour on the porch

We've known Barb since we moved to Geneseo in 1976.  We've been friends through thick and thin.   She traveled through Europe with Dave and I and my mother.    The four of us laughed our way through many countries on that trip.

Barb is a strong woman, a real trouper.   She insisted we come to dinner, even though she had just taken a serious tumble off a ladder the day before.   She likes her shrubs "just so" and the HOA folks don't do a very good job she says....so she does them herself.   Hmmmm, perhaps not on a ladder next time.

 Yep, broken nose and all, she still made the best Mexican dinner we've had in a long time.   

coaxing flat, unlovely flour tortillas into puffy beauties

Dave had seconds and possibly thirds.   He never does that.


We got home around 9 and found this guy filling the entire front window.....waiting for us....ewwwww

A special day

Yesterday we celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary by doing what we've always loved most.....being together.

We took a long ride down to a favorite little town in the heart of the Finger Lake's wine country.

We're not big New York State wine fans, but the area is very pretty and the ride there allowed us to meander along, slowly enjoying the glorious day.

Our destination was a new to us restaurant, Roots Cafe, in an old Naples home.

While we didn't both enjoy our individual wine choices, we did agree that the lunch was yummy and the funky decor and vibe of the big purpley/bluey house was very fun.

After lunch we just set off to see how many of the finger lakes we could put our feet in before it was time to meet dear friends for dinner.   Yes, lunch AND dinner out is not our usual MO but it was a special day after all.

Living in an area for over 40 years is no guarantee that one has seen it all.   For instance we had never explored or even heard of a sweet little spot called Grimes Glen right around the corner from our lunch place.    We saw a sign for it as we drove up Naples Main street.   We've driven that street many times in our lives and never saw that little white sign.    Yesterday we did and made an about turn to check it out.

We parked the Jeep and crossed over a bridge decorated with spawning fish. 

We discovered a lovely, quiet, sunlit trail and followed it along the course of shallow Grimes Creek between tall shale walls.

 We weren't really dressed for a hike but we walked along for almost a mile before the "trail" became the creek bed and we turned around.    What fun it would have been if we were wearing water shoes!   I understand that there are two waterfalls further along, one with a nice swimming hole at it's base.

Our next stop turned out to be Canandaigua Lake.   It's one of the most beautiful of the lakes.   It's quite deep and clear, the hills surrounding it are high.   Fantastic homes line it's shores.

Canandaigua Lake, south end

see the lunching ladies?

We stayed a few minutes to watch a group of ladies having lunch among the shoreline reeds.

Our ride continued past one of the three ski "resorts" in our area, Bristol Mountain.    Jesse spent a fair amount of time there in his younger years. 

Honeoye Lake was next.   It is a fairly small and shallow lake and has always had a problem with aquatic weeds along it's shoreline. 
 

Honeoye Lake, south end

The last two lakes we explored were Canadice and Hemlock.   They both are used as water sources for Rochester so living, camping and/or swimming are prohibited.

It was especially nice to stand on the shores of these two small beauties and hear no man made sounds.    No jet skis, no people, no boat engines.....just wind in the trees, water lapping at the shore and sweet birdsong.

Canadice Lake, north end

Hemlock Lake, north end

What a pleasant day we had together.   Nothing exciting, or thrilling, just a really nice day.

We made it back home with enough time to let poor Lewis out to "get busy" before motoring off to our standing Thursday evening Rabbit Room dinner with Robin and Tom.   Perfect way to end a perfect anniversary day.


Married 49 years but in love for 54.....Thanks for a wonderful ride Dave.