Good early morning GH. Well, here we are again at about 3:00 in the AM and the digital instruments here in the Weather Center show the temperature at 76 degrees. Outdoors the temperature, according to the Weather Channel app, is 66. I am certainly glad that our expected high is to be in the low 70s today, while in the Las Vegas area, they are expecting a high of 113. Of course, that is "dry heat," so I don't really think the two are synonymous. : - ).

In other news, we are expecting a forecast of outside work on the estate's vast gardens and lawns and inside work on the dusting and vacuuming. Collectively Mary and I got the laundry done on Thursday. I would have done more, but I just ran out of steam. Mary has to get back to work on her regular job today, so I am on my own for breakfast and lunch. She does plan to make dinner and it will be great to have a home cooked meal for a change. She cooks great when she has the time, but of late, there hasn't been much of that available. I also hope to wash Silver today, but that also depends on my personal stamina. Fortunately for me, Adam has left some supplies in the garage for my use. : - ).

Here's a first. The train that just passed by was a single locomotive towing a string of box cars, covered hopper cars, and tank cars on the short line that runs near to our house. I have not seen that before. Proof that there is always something new under the sun, or in this case, the moon.

I thought that rather than a sports report, I'd include some pictures from our recent trip through the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan and Wisconsin. Nothing of great import, but a nice little travelogue. I'll add additional pictures in future blogs in addition to those that I am sure that Mary will include in hers.

Our first hotel in Traverse City, MI.

The dunes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake-shore nearby.

One set of dishes from the collections at the National Railroad Museum in Greenbay, WI, pictured below.

More images from here in future blogs

We got Sugar the Weather Dog back from camp on Thursday and I was just as glad to see her as she was to see me. She was also glad to see Mary too. We also had the electrician visit today to install the new ceiling fans now that the painting is done. However, the painters have to come back and fix the ceiling where the fan in Mary's office hangs, as the hole is not adequately covered by the trim ring from the fan. Nothing that the painters did wrong, just an unanticipated problem that needs to be resolved with some drywall mud and paint. Nothing ever goes quite as planned. We also donated some things to the local thrift stores on Thursday, including some paint that I was supposed to keep. Oh well. I'll have to buy it back and I can have the joy of a "twofer" on the donations. 

We spent way too much time at the big box grocery store on Thursday, as we had let the larder deplete in anticipation of being out of town for a few days. Got all the things that we wanted, but it still is a pain. What is even a bigger pain is the return of the cans that had accumulated over the past few weeks. 120 cans later and I was done. 

Still in all, it is great to be back in our humble abode. I appreciate that Adam left behind some food stuffs and that Steph and Adam left behind a Father's Day gift during their recent visit that I know that I will enjoy once I find the time. Thanks guys. 

So, without further ado, I'll anticipate...Tea time and then a return to bed. I hope that Barb is feeling well, as I haven't seen any recent activity on her behalf. Ciao.