Good afternoon GH.  Well, it is now nearly 6:00 PM, and Mary and I had a wonderful day.  Currently, the temperature here our fair city is a balmy 43 degrees, and so Mary and I went for a walk downtown earlier.  The sun was, and still is, shining brightly. So, since we are becoming more Michiganders every day, we decided to take the walk while the walking was good.  Of course, Sugar the Weather Dog and I took our morning walk too, and true to her breed characteristics, Sugar had to sniff at every set of animal tracks she came across.  I wouldn't have minded, but my knees were a bit on the achy side.  I took some ibuprofen before Mary and I took our walk, and then my knees were at least livable.  I am due for my twice yearly set of knee injections in about three weeks, so I am pretty certain that part of the aches and pains is due to this being the end of the cycle.

I also spent some time in the man-cave and the mud room, modifying the knuckle that moves the discharge chute on the snow blower.  I added a small bolt as a clamp to pinch the knuckle and used the grease that Adam recommended on the gears, before I placed my home made snow deflector on the spout/chute.  Using very basic hand tools, I was able to complete the modifications in a relatively expeditious fashion. I won't know how well these modifications will work until I use the machine again, but it was/is worth a try. I am still waiting for my snow blower parts to arrive, but like the proverbial slow boat, I'll just have to wait and use what I have for now.

Yesterday, I finished my latest book, A Higher Call, by Adam Makos and I found it thoroughly enjoyable.  It was told in non-fiction form, and the author used a writing format of mostly first person accounts as he delved into the relationship between a German fighter pilot and that of an American B-17 bomber pilot who crossed each other's path during WWII and then not again for over 40 years.  A fascinating story, and one that evoked memories of my dad and his service during that war.  Having been to the RAF/American Army Air Force base in Duxford, England,where my dad served during the war, I was able to get a better, albeit still incomplete, understanding of what his service was like. I heartily recommend this book.

So, I feel as though I accomplished a great deal today and still found time for this blog.  It really can't get much better than that.  I have a book I want and need to finish by the 27th, as it is one of their short term loans.  I think I can make it.

So, until next time, I will finish my ramblings and say Ciao.