Good morning GH. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is +5° as we head down to our low this morning of -5°. Our high later today will struggle to get to the forecast of 19°, due in large measure to the snow cover here in GH. Plus, the windchill will make it feel like it is below 0° most of the day. Most of the counties around us saw Thursday evening events canceled due to the icy temperatures. Fortunately here in the Weather Office, the temperature is 71°. I need to check to see if the thermostat got inadvertently turned to a higher setting. It feels good, but when I am in bed, I get warm when it is set too high.

I have a P/T appointment later today. I am hoping for good news from the therapist. I have to be sure to ask him about the numbness in my skin near the surgical incision. I think it is a result of that incision, but it never hurts to ask. Once I am done with my appointment, I can go to the store and get some salt to keep the deck clear of ice and snow. Salt doesn't work great with the low temperatures, but every little bit helps. Other than that, not much on tap for today.

I played the girls on Thursday afternoon. I liked my picking and strumming, and if I have to say so myself, my vocals were good too. I find that some days I am better than others.

As part of my usual daily routine, I enjoyed my meals on Thursday. Breakfast/lunch was Swiss cheese and fried onion sandwiches before Mary went to work. Later, when her sandwich had worn off, she came down and I offered up an idea for chili for dinner. She was willing to go with that, and crafted a very tasty down and dirty version. Then she went back to work for a while. Mostly, I didn't do much. I did get to the barber and to our local health food grocery. It felt good to walk even though the temperatures were cold.

I was unable to get the local newspaper while I was out. It is now being printed in Muskegon, and therefore it is often late in arriving here in GH, especially when the traffic is knotted up due to the weather. While we have a local office in town, where they used to print the paper, I suspect that like many newspapers in the U.S., that office may go the way of the dodo to save money. Oh well, nothing lasts forever.

Mary has more work to do today. I hate having that P/T appointment smack dab in the middle of the day. I feel like I get nothing done on either side. It is just too easy to get lazy.

I was wrong about the trains yesterday. At about 4:00 a.m., two locomotives and two cars headed north. That means that I missed the southbound train earlier. However, at about 8:50 p.m. Thursday, I did witness the southbound run of Thursdays train. The usual twin locomotives, followed by several box cars, a lengthy string of covered hopper cars, and a long line of those black tank cars. In the early morning hours today, the train returned north to await a new load. Shorter this time, but the same locomotives.

Sunrise today will be at 7:22 a.m., somewhere before...Tea time and breakfast. I have a small amount of Cheerios left in-the box in the cabinet. Then, I have the final box waiting in the pantry. After that, if I don't see Cheerios for a long time, I am okay with that. I have lost count. I either started with four or five boxes.

We are enjoying oranges instead of orange juice, which is fine with me. Sugar the Weather Dog likes orange pieces too. I always augment my tomato juice with hot sauce and horseradish. I wish I could supply my yearly horseradish needs from our garden, but we just don't have the space. I also enjoy the grape juice we have each morning. Topped off with my Irish breakfast tea and I am ready to face the day.

Mary came upstairs to watch TV. As usual, I had to help her turn it on and adjust the volume. She chose another of her apocalyptic movies, Red Dawn. Now I will have to get up again and turn it down so that I can sleep after she falls asleep in her chair in the Media Room.

A quick sports report. Boys in blue, loss. Tigers win. Beloved Red Sox, 0 - 0 in the Cactus league

Sunset will be at 6:30 p.m. this evening. I think that's enough for now. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. I wouldn't be up now if my shoulder wasn't aching so much. I took an OTC pain killer, and I should be fine in about one hour. This is an example of that old phrase, "I must have slept funny," except that there is nothing funny about the ache. But I digress.

It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City." Our current indoor temperatures is 70° and the outdoor temperature is 16°. The expected high for today is 9°, so we have a bit of a drop in store. There is snow in the forecast for each of the next several days. We could see one to three inches, but I'm hoping that the forecast amount of snow is wrong.

We had a light dusting on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough to cause a problem. As I looked out the Weather Window a few moments ago, there hasn't been any new snow, yet. The percentage prediction for precipitation peaks at 70% about 9:00 a.m., and then stays above 60% for the next several hours. Maybe for the first time the snow will skip us this year.

Today I anticipate doing very little. I don't know why I feel that way, but right now that would be fine with me. Mary has to work but I don't, so I feel sorry for her. I think that the ache in my shoulder may be a contributing factor. Pain can bring your mind set to a less than optimal level. Or, it could be S.A.D., due to the forecast for an extended winter.

Mary and I were discussing the problems that farmers in the cold weather afflicted Midwest may experience if the snow melts and the ground thaws later this year. It will be the opposite of the early spring we experienced three years ago that devastated the fruit trees here in Michigan, when the newly formed buds were zapped. The frost hit shortly after they formed, and 70% to 80% of the cherry, blueberry, and apple crop was lost.

Sure many plants will continue to grow as fall comes, but having seen the results in my own garden last year, when the temperature gets too cold at night, it won't be pretty. We also talked about whether our perennial garden will survive the heavier snow pack this year. It was just planted last year and now we have to wait to see what is left when the snow is finally gone.

Since we planted our garden in the shade, with shade tolerant plants, the snow will melt more slowly in that location with less sun. Will that prove to be a problem? We just don't know. Will all of the landscapers, farmers, or other businesses that rely on people wanting to get their gardens in this spring have a shorter sales season? Who knows? And what about our own vegetable garden? I'm sure that my horseradish crop will be fine, but the other vegetables, who knows? I should be able to grow kale and spinach, but tomatoes and cucumbers will be problematical. Lettuce should be okay too.

Last year, the annual Fall Fest at the Post had sparse attendance as did the spring Rib Fest. Come to think of it, Mary and I were looking at pictures of the previous spring's Rib Fest, and I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and Mary was in a short sleeved blouse. She never wears shorts. Last spring, a parka was required to be outdoors. Rib Fest is a major fund raiser for the Post. Had Fall Fest been one week earlier, everything would have gone fine.

Today the sun will rise at 7:22 a.m., a few hours before...Tea time. Sunset will occur at 6:30 p.m.

I didn't hear any trains earlier, so if they passed, I didn't notice. Since I don't sleep all that soundly, there probably weren't any. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current indoor temperature, according to the sophisticated digital instruments in the Weather Office, is 68°. However, it doesn't feel as cold as it usually does. According to the analog readout available in the Weather Window, it is 10° as we try for a high of 20°. There is also a 70% chance of an additional one to three inches of snow in the forecast. But, that chance drops to 60% with a possibility of two to four additional inches on Thursday. I had hoped we were done, but alas, it doesn't look like it. My personal observation out the Weather Window shows it to be cold, dark, and snowy.

Fortunately, I probably don't have to go out today. Mary has to work, but she doesn't have to go out either, as she went to the grocery store yesterday, so we are set to go for a few days. I had considered getting my few hairs cut today, along with a beard trim, but if it is snowing, I won't be going. In case you were wondering, I am up now because of the ache in my surgically repaired shoulder. Not as bad as usual, but annoying just the same. Once the OTC pain pill kicks in, I should be fine and ready for bed, again.

Last night at 8:45 p.m., the train , with the usual locomotive configuration, went by heading south. A string of box cars and then a string of those dreaded black tank cars. At about 12:45 a.m., the same train went by heading north. While I didn't get up to observe it, the vibrations though the earth, and the sound of the wheels on the rails, told me that it was about the same in length and composition. Yesterday I found some time to play Blue. She sounded good and I like to think that the skill of the player had something to do with it. I also found myself in front of the puzzle again. Not as much progress, but I did get some additional sorting done, so I will likely make more progress today.

Speaking of the puzzle and the guitars, more work on the former today, and less interaction with the "Girls" in the music room. I have to give my shoulder a rest. The puzzle doesn't strain me as much as the playing. I don't have anything else on the schedule. I can listen to the radio as I work downstairs, so that makes the process enjoyable. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, just like at the hospital will break up my day, but that's about it. Mary usually gets the breakfast ready in the morning, often makes lunch, which today was a kidney bean and rice salad, and then last evening she made her always welcome and always famous, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese sandwiches for dinner.

That looks like a good recap of yesterday and a firm prediction for today. Tea time will follow sunrise at 7:24 a.m. today, and then we await the snow, the meals, and sunset at 6:30 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just after 7:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 18° as we head towards a balmy high of 19°. This week promises to be a cold one. I think it may be time to rename the days of the week to something more reflective of the way things are lately. All of the days this week will be cold followed by colder and colder with a chance of sun and snow showers. In fact, the word sunny doesn't appear in the forecast until March 3, with a high temperature of 24°.

The sun, such as it is, will have risen at 7:28 a.m., just before I returned to bed. Sugar the Weather Dog will have been out by then too if all goes well.  I want to get back to doing her regular twice a day walks, but the ice and snow have precluded that activity. In this case, it takes her much  younger walker to traverse the ice, and Sugar appreciates it.  Obviously not today, probably not tomorrow, but soon, and for the balance of the next three seasons.

I found an interesting article on the internet about Hank, the stray dog that wandered into the Atlanta Braces training camp that. If you are interested, here is the link from the archives of AP sports. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/stray-dog-hank-becomes-big-201333592--mlb.html.
It warms your heart on a cold day before baseball season starts. I am always a sucker for a dog story, or a pair of big brown eyes, just ask Sugar.

Speaking of sports and using that line from old time sportscaster, Howard Cosell, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Daytona 500 yesterday/last night. The race, drivers, and the fans endured a nearly six and one-half hour rain and tornado delay and myriad crashes, but Junior was victorious in the end, just in front of one of those crashes. He crossed the finish line and took the checkered flag that was being waved right beside a yellow caution flag. Many name drivers and some rookies were collected by the crashes. Better luck in Phoenix on March 2, at the next race.

I didn't do much yesterday except watch the race in between reading my book. The author, Alex Berenson, did a great job of leaving his readers wanting more of his hero, John Wells. That's what a good story should do. He laid out the clues to the conclusion early on, and waited until the reader got there. More satisfying than some other authors I have read lately. Now I am on to more non-fiction, before I return to fiction.

I still have to finish our puzzle. I truly am busier than I expected to be in retirement. However with the weather as it is, I should have plenty of indoor time. If the snow ever does melt, I'll be stuck indoors as the floods happen.

So not much on tap for the day. Sunset will be at 6:25 p.m. tonight. Ciao

Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 23° with a high of 27° in the forecast. Over the next few days, there is a 30% chance of scattered snow showers in the offing. Not much to worry about. We'll ave to wait until March 4, to get a high that is out of the twenties. That's far in the distance, and way short of the record high of 65°. That Punxsutawney Phil earned his stripes this year. As is often the case, I am up awaiting the effects of the OTC pain pill on my aching shoulder.

Saturday found Mary and I feeling a bit of cabin fever, so in the early afternoon we journeyed north to a new to us, kitchen store. Lots of nice things there and just down the street from the northern version of our local health and grocery food store. That store has some things that our local place doesn't, like the veggie hot dogs and chorizo sausages that we like. In addition, they also have a "meatloaf" by the same company. We haven't tried it yet, but if the other items are any indicator, it should be good. The kitchen store is much closer than the place in Holland, so it could become our new go to place.

Now if we can just find a conservatory like the ones in Lincoln Park or Garfield Park in Chicago, we will be all set to go. We'll have to check into Meijer Gardens in GR, although much of their activities and exhibits are outdoors like the Chicago Botanical Gardens or the Morton Arboretum  in the Chicago area.

Once we made out visit to the north country, we returned to GH and the Post. Sally was there and so were a lot of other people playing Euchre and enjoying the inexpensive libations to be found on a Saturday. I found some fellow Red Sox fans and that is always a treat.

Once home, it was time for Mary to reheat the bean burrito that came from our favorite watering hole as part of their twofer offering during "Restaurant Week." Bean burritos, especially those from our favorite watering hole, reheat well in a microwave oven. However for me, anything that I can put jalapeno peppers on is great. Mary eschews the jalapenos and goes strictly for the salsa. I should mention that she experimented with homemade vegetarian mayonnaise in the morning, but as she thought about it, it may not save any money when you make enough to match the commercially available stuff that she normally buys.

Speaking of her mayonnaise, last night she converted it into a dip for my afternoon activities, watching the only must see NASCAR race of the season, the Daytona 500. With any luck, the rain may hold off. Like Adam, I prefer open wheel racing to stock cars. I knew a man, many years ago, who called stock car racing Taxi Cab racing. Most Grand Prix races just go to "Rain Tires" in the wet weather and keep racing. Very few racers make the transition from open to closed wheel successfully, unless they are racing on a road course like those at Elkhart Lake in WI or Watkins Glen in New York. Maybe it is the weight of the cars or maybe the lack of "Rain Tires" for the big cars.

I sent ticket and venue information in re: the Tigers and Red Sox to Mary, so that we can get that process rolling. We plan to make a mini vacation out of the trip. Sugar the Weather Dog won't mind, because she will get to go to Doggy Camp while we are gone. The snow may even be gone by then too.

Sunrise is at 7:33 a.m today, just before...Tea time. Sunset will be at 6:21.

Not much else to report nor say. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is 27°, under dark skies, which is the highest that it will get today. Partly cloudy skies are part of the forecast for today, but precipitation is not. In fact, there is no precipitation in the long range forecast for the next 10 days  We have more than enough snow to keep us wet for the foreseeable future.

Friday Mary and I didn't get up until late. Mary made burgers from a new recipe for brunch, which breakfast became due to the late hour. The flavor was excellent, but we have to find a way to make the burgers stick together better. Alterations often have to be made as you learn a new recipe. Sugar the Sous Dog and I were a big help to her. Sugar was there to catch the fallout from Mary's efforts and I helped by reading our book. Later I cleaned up. Mary said that it looked like she had made macaroni and cheese. That's an inside joke around here. I don't mind the cleanup, because you can always see the results of your efforts.

Later I cleared the snow from the deck and spread some salt. I also did my floor cleaning and that only took a few minutes. One thing I couldn't do was clear the ice from the shared driveway. Too thick and too cold. Spring will be here soon. Right?

Otherwise about all I accomplished was to change the nose pieces on my glasses. I got the replacement pieces a while back, but like often happens, the ones I used as a substitute were working, so why fix them? They stopped working, that's why. I remembered why I didn't do it sooner. When you have to wear glasses as I do now, it is hard to see to repair your existing glasses. Fortunately I had an old pair that served in their stead. Since I was at it, I changed the nose pieces on those too. All of my activity allowed me to donate two older pair of glasses to a local charity that collects glasses for people who don't have glasses. I feel better about that.

I repaired the analog weather instruments outside the Weather Office on Thursday. I had to reach out the Weather Window to do it, so I had to wait for a somewhat warmer day. The digital weather instruments, located indoors, continued to work throughout the emergency outage. I am back in the forecasting business.

Looks like that's about it for now. Sunrise will be at 7:33 a.m., just before...Tea time. Sunset will be at 6:21 p.m. The days are getting longer. The boys in blue are still offering reasons for hope too. The standard baseball lingo is being offered. I have to do what I do. I have to have a breakout year, etc. At least there's next year. Ciao

Good early morning GH. It is nearly 1:00 a.m. in "The City." In this case I am not up early, but late. I fell asleep in my chair downstairs, so now I am awake. After watching part of the Tonight Show, with Jimmy Fallon, it seemed like a good time to blog. Jimmy's guests included the first lady of the United States. Our current temperature is 40° under dark skies. The rain has stopped, but the flooding is continuing. In addition the winds are blowing very strongly and they are supposed to continue in the 20 to 30 mph range today. There may even be some gusts of 50 mph. I took some pictures earlier on Thursday, but whether they will show much, I don't know. I'll look at them when I am done here, and then make a decision whether or not to include them.

I thought it would be appropriate to place the nightly train report here. At 9:45 p.m last night, the railroad train went through heading south. Twin EMD GP 38 locomotives in their usual livery, followed by that same lone box car in Union Pacific livery and then what looked like an endless string of CSX covered hopper cars. I still miss cabooses. Those flashing red lights at the end of every freight train satisfy the need for safety, but like the sticker I saw about drum machines the other day, trains without cabooses have no soul. At about 11:45 p.m. the train reversed course and headed north. Same pair of locomotives pulling a smaller number of covered hopper cars. Somewhere between 9:00 p.m and 11:45 p.m, they lost their box car.

Thursday found me at my desk hard at work on highlighting for Mary. I am about half way through the current batch and Mary says I can take today off if I want. However, I prefer to get them done as I don't work well under pressure. So, I may work on them some later this morning and then read more in my latest book by Alex Berenson,  The Counterfeit Agent. So far it is a good read with a familiar character. Best of all, when this book was announced on my email, I jumped on the library website and reserved the first copy. I am the first in the city to read this particular copy. I am sure they have more, but a first time, is a first time.

I got the laundry done on Thursday and I may do floors today. I don't like to overdo. Sugar the Weather Dog had to go into hiding for the first thunder of the spring. She didn't have to hide for long, but I like to think of this as her own version of spring training.

Speaking of spring training, I noticed that during the regular season, the Tigers are playing my beloved Red Sox at Comerica Park on June 6, 7, and 8. I decided that I am going to the game on the 8th as it is an afternoon game. I just have to get the tickets soon. I guess I'd better alert Mary too. Having never been to Comerica Park, I can't wait. Baseball in the sunshine on a late spring day. It truly doesn't get any more American than that. What's not to like?

Sunrise will be at 7:35 a.m. and sunset at 6:21 p.m. That looks like enough before....Tea time. Ciao

Silver pulling into the garage with Mary at the wheel.

Ragus on the front porch.

What she can see.

The flood that is keeping he trash bin hostage.

Mary thinks "The Pile" is leaning. I think it is eroding.

A better view of  Ragus and what she can see..

Mary's spring flowers, just because.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City," where the current temperature is 34°. Depending on which part of the internet forecast you consult, our high today could be anywhere from 37° to 42°. About the only thing that seems consistent is that we will have a mix of rain/snow early on, starting about 8:00 a.m. until the temperature gets high enough to have only rain falling. That will happen until 8:00 p.m. However, much to the chagrin of Sugar the Weather Dog, the later afternoon rain will then be accompanied by thunder.

We may get as much as .8 inches of rainfall before it is over. Then the temperatures will fall, and we will have a thick coating of ice on top of the already plentiful snow. With Mary's help, I took some pictures of what we had for conditions yesterday afternoon. If I like how they turned out, mine not hers, I'll include them later in this blog.

I got to my P/T appointment yesterday afternoon. My therapist reports that I am doing well with my range of motion, and I am only short 10 degrees of maximum range of motion in two directions, and 20 degrees in another. So I am now down to one visit per week and when those are complete, I may be done. The rest will be up to me. I still need some strength, but that will come with time and effort.

I heard a doctor from a famous hospital on the radio on Wednesday discussing rotator cuff tears. He noted that 40% to 50% of people over the age of 60 have a tear in their rotator cuff. Whether to have surgery or not depends on several factors. First, one's willingness to tolerate some pain. Second, their willingness to tolerate a limited range of motion. Third, their willingness to tolerate a limit to some activities. All of this is after a non-surgical regimen of P/T doesn't resolve the problem. As someone who plays guitar, I wasn't willing to tolerate those things, so I elected to have surgery. Overall I know it will be the right solution for me.

Speaking of playing guitar, I did, yesterday afternoon. I only lasted about 30 minutes, but I had some good finger picking and strumming during my session with "Blue." Once in a while, you have to go back to your roots and play a six string versus a 12 string guitar, just for the fun that that brings. I did and it does.

Wednesday I thought I finished highlighting for Mary, only to discover that there is more where that came from. However, I did get partial payment for my efforts, in the usual form of payment, beans. Good thing I like them. I also made the remaining apples into apple sauce. The apples lasted a long time, and there were only six left, but it is better to make them into sauce before they get totally brown under the skin. I still have slightly more than one box of Cheerios to go from the ones that Mary got for me several months ago. Crisped rice, here I come.

I haven't heard a train tonight, but it is likely that I was sound asleep and didn't hear one go by in either direction. If I hear or see one before I return to bed, I'll report it.

Today, more highlighting and more reading when I am tired of highlighting. I may or may not play one of my "Girls." I also have to do more home exercises to strengthen my shoulder. I always ache more the day after P/T, so I may have to limit those.

Sunrise today will be at 7:35 a.m., just before the rain begins, and shortly before...Tea time. Sunset will be at 6:21 p.m., shortly before the rain is forecast to end at 8:00 p.m.

Train update, I heard a train approaching from the south at about 4:10 a.m. Twin EMD GP 38 locomotives in the usual livery, followed by a long string of covered hopper cars and one lone box car. That's all folks.

This snow will soon be on the deck.

Mary's efforts at drainage.

We can't decide if it is eroding or falling.

Mary's shadow taking a picture of her efforts at drainage.

Far from gone.

Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City." I hadn't intended to get up, but I awoke to my shoulder aching. I got up, took an OTC pain killer, and now I am waiting for it to have an effect. So I guess you could say that this is a regularly scheduled blog.

Our current temperature is an above freezing 34°. We are supposed to peak out at 36°. Mary and I were tired of working yesterday evening, so we went out for a while. When we returned, the huge icicles I pictured in my "Special Edition" blog in the afternoon had fallen from the roof. Good thing I got that picture for my chronicle of the "Winter of 2014." Further proof that the decision to create the chronicle was a good one. With a little luck, the icicles will have melted, or soon will, so they will no longer pose a hazard to travel in the shared driveway. A side note, Mary thought I should knock them down before they fell on us as we were leaving. I demurred because I had this vision of myself with an icicle sticking out of my head or my chest. She assured me that she would have called 911. : - ; Those easy to reach icicles can be seen at the upper left of the photo below. Now what is left of them is lying in the driveway.

Here's hoping that the melting and fallen icicles are but a harbinger of things to come. However with the temperatures expected to fall after nearly one inch of rain on Thursday, that is unlikely. As I noted in my afternoon "Special Edition" blog, temperatures are expected to fall starting on Friday, and stay that way all next week. We just can't seem to catch a break.

The train went by heading south about 2:00 a.m. At least I think it was heading south, because I didn't get up to look. Today I have that P/T appointment after which I will return to my highlighting. Hundreds of pages and a lot of detail. That pretty much defines my day. I know that Mary often says she is not making much progress on a per page basis. I now know what she means. As I have often said, most books I learn something as I read, this isn't one of those. That is unless you count that I learned an alternative way to tune Ivy, my 12 string guitar. Not a good trade-off.

Sunrise will be at 7:35 a.m. today and sunset at 6:19 p.m. Mary announced that she had her alarm set for 6:00 a.m this morning. I protested, but she asked. "Why are you concerned?" To which I could only reply, "Because my bedroom is part of your office."

Enough about me and my day. Ciao.

Get well Barb.

Good early afternoon GH. It is just past 3:00 p.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is a temperate 35°. I thought I'd write a quickie blog to get started on that snow pile chronicle I mentioned in my earlier blog. I guess you could call this a "Special Edition" blog. It took the snow removal service extra time today to get the shared driveway, the front porch, and the rear deck cleared. In addition, he had been tasked with removing the snow from my neighbors area, which he had never done before. Normally I would do it, but this year I can't, so she finally needed help to overcome the recent five to six inch snowfall that her four wheel drive couldn't surmount.

I have started my picture file to show what is and the effects of the rain that happens on Thursday when the temperature rises to 40°. While we only expect light snow this weekend, next week the temperatures will be dropping to the teens. If all goes according to the forecast, the chance of additional snow next week is very slim. We may even limp into March with little additional snowfall.

I did get out, got Mary her needed medical supplies, and then came straight home; once again without incident. I am still working on that highlighting for Mary. Going out is always an interruption, so I'm glad I could do it on my own.

Without further ado, here are the opening pictures for "Snow Chronicle 2014."

"The pile" is now officially taller than me.

Much better.

What Ragus can see.

If she could see to her left.

Street-side, the piles continue to grow.

Fortunately, we only have to look left when departing.

Somewhere in here is Sugar the Weather Dog's outdoor area. A bit of melting has occurred.

That pile on the left is indeed the entrance to the man-cave.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City," and our current temperature is 19°. We have a forecast high of 38° today. Unlike Monday afternoon when the snow fell to a depth of about five inches, the skies today and tomorrow will be mostly sunny and the temperature will be 36° and 41° respectively. On Thursday, heavy rain is in the forecast, therefore, flooding is a distinct possibility. Not to worry though, the temperatures then begin to fall Friday, and all of next week the forecast will be well below freezing as we head into March.

Monday I got out for those errands and that went very well. I got everything done. The bank turned out to be open, and so once I made my stop at the local grocers, I got safely home before the snow began to fall at 1:00 p.m. I may have to go out today for Mary since she is feeling a bit under the weather and needs some medical supplies. She was kind enough to get some things for me the other day, so I'll return the favor today if she needs it. I just have to wait for the snow removal service to finish his efforts.

I finished my latest book before dinner, and it turned out to have a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. That's why I don't like to read ahead. It would have spoiled the rest of the book for me. I'll return the book tomorrow when I go to my P/T appointment. I have to make additional appointments while I am there, so I am going to try for earlier in the day if that corresponds with Mary's schedule. It shouldn't be a problem since I can now drive myself. Speaking of my shoulder in a tangential way, it is feeling better most days. It just get's achy when I over use it. Patience Jack, patience.

Speaking of Mary, on Monday afternoon/evening, she crafted a killer pasta. While not strictly on the low-carb diet we have been following, it did use her now famous with me low-cal cauliflower Alfredo sauce, combined with spinach and whole wheat noodles. So it was healthy, if not necessarily low-carb. Suffice it to say that it is definitely on the keeper list.

About 1:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, the train came through heading south, probably to be ahead of the snow. A C. F. & E. liveried locomotive was in the lead of the Mid-Michigan Railroad liveried EMD GP 38. Many covered hopper cars were in tow. Some of those cars looked like new, while some looked as though they were ready to retire, last year. No train made the return trip north.

Today I have some highlighting to do for Mary. I started this job weeks ago, but I was bored, so she told me to stop. However she needs my help now, so I'll press on. It is not difficult work, just boring, as I said. I guess if I am bored, she must be ready to pull her hair out as she works on the entire index.

Otherwise, I already got the day started last night. Tea time is set to go, breakfast is Cheerios and an apple, like yesterday. Then I do some highlighting as I await the snow removal service and a possible trip for Mary. Sunrise today is at 7:37 a.m. and sunset at 6:17 p.m.

No snow pictures today, but the view out the "Weather Window" shows that the city's efforts on our street were successful with no parked cars. The problem is, their efforts made our shared driveway nearly impassable by the street, thus requiring that snow removal service.

I haven't decided for sure, but I may keep a photographic chronicle of one of our piles this year so that the melting progress can be studied and perhaps envied by those of you who live in the west.

Get well Barb. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City," and our current temperature is 13° as we head for a high of 24°. Our forecast for later today and tonight calls for an additional two to four inches of snow. I have included some pictures at the end of this blog to assist in explanation of what has been happening here. Suffice it to say that we have had enough, we give up, we are throwing in the towel in the proverbial sense. The only bright side to all of this is that as of tomorrow, temperatures will rise and by Thursday, we'll see 40° and the precipitation will fall as rain. Naturally, the local weather reporters are now talking about the risk of floods, similar to last year. 

In this case, I can't say what do you expect, this is Michigan, because many areas of the country and in fact, the world, are experiencing extreme weather conditions. While large snow accumulations are not uncommon in the Midwest, the floods in England, the ice storms in the South and the droughts in the West are uncommon, or at least rare. 

Today is President's Day for many workers, bank employees, and school children. Unfortunately in all too many school districts, there have been enough "Weather Days" already to make continuity a problem. 

Today, I have some errands to run. I have to go to the bank, but since this is President's Day, I'll have to use the drive-up banking. That means that I'll have to find another way to get the smaller bills I need to pay Sugar the Weather Dog's walker, since the offices will be closed. Is it ironic that the bank is closed to honor dead presidents when they are the people who dispense bills with pictures of dead presidents on them? I don't know, just asking.

Today, Mary has more work to do on her project. I will help her in any way that I can once I get back from my errands. I need to get those done early to avoid the snow storm. I think it is appropriate to ask about any grocery need she has before I go, just in case. You never want to be without. 

I may finish my book today and then go to the library to pick up the two I have on hold. One is brand new and I get first dibs, because I knew it was coming and jumped on line to make my request before everyone else in town woke up, literally. 

So other than helping Mary, I have nothing on tap. The sun will rise at 7:39 a.m and set at 6:17 p.m. Tea time will follow sunrise and then those errands. Ciao.

Get well Barb.

Although this snow pile is now shrinking under its own weight, keep in mind that I am 6' 5" tall. Taken on February 15.

This is from January of this year. The pile wasn't nearly as tall. Mary is 5' 6".

Here is that same pile without me or Mary as a point of reference, taken in early February.

Picture Sugar the Weather Dog on her own"Weather Deck?"

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City," and our current temperature is 20° with a forecast high of 23°. It looks like we will see 25° on Monday with 90% chance of 2 - 4 inches of snow. I'm hoping that that prediction applies to GR, and not GH. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday look better, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the thirties and forties. The precipitation predicted for Thursday is in the form of rain at 60%.

Saturday found me reading after...Tea time and Mary working in her office. Later in the day, we sallied forth to our favorite local watering hole and enjoyed the sunshine that seemed to be motivating everyone to do the same. Judging by the number of cars parked all over town on our snow clogged streets and in our snow clogged parking lots, all Michiganders need is some sunshine to get them out of doors.

I spent my reading time getting to page 125 in my latest novel. Like I've said previously, fiction reading that is enjoyable goes much faster. I have slogged my way through some fiction novels that bored me and took forever to read. I know that some people take a look at the end of a book to see how it will end. I can't do that, but in some cases I have given up reading without getting to the end. I don't know which is better, but I feel as though the need to know the ending without doing the reading, is like fast forwarding through a movie. Just one man's opinion.

Today I plan to do more reading, and household chores, not necessarily in any particular order. There is a Jesse Stone marathon on today, starring Tom Selleck. Selleck is now starring in the CBS television series, Blue Bloods, and formerly starred in Magnum P.I. The Jesse Stone stories originated with Robert B. Parker, one of my favorite mystery authors who passed away about three years ago. He was famous for his books that featured Spenser, a tough as nails private detective, as well as for his stories about Jesse Stone, a sometimes recovering alcoholic police chief, who is on his last chance job in Paradise, MA. Parker also wrote some stories featuring a female protagonist, Sunny Randall, as a cop also turned detective. Robert B. Parker also wrote some westerns that I liked.

Like Robert Ludlum, author of the Jason Bourne novels who also died several years ago and Raymond Chandler of Perry Mason fame, I seem to enjoy authors whose lives are over. I think I should avoid some writers in order to ensure them a long life. There are a few others whom I enjoy, but I won't mention them and thereby jinx them.

Otherwise, sunrise today is at 7:39 a.m., and sunset at 6:15 p.m. No trains tonight and that's a good thing. I should be in bed right now, and I'll be there soon. Ciao

Good early afternoon GH. It is just past 12:30 PM on Saturday, and our current temperature in "The City" is 18° as we approach today's high of 19°. Partly cloudy skies are the expectation for today and the temperatures will remain in the teens for the next few days. Tuesday looks like the next chance for significant precipitation, and since the temperatures will remain below the freezing point, that means snow. However, Thursday's precipitation will fall as rain with a predicted high of 42°.

I am feeling better, though not 100% yet. What did Mary say? "Three days coming, three days with you, and three days going." That corresponds with the seven to ten days that doctors tell you a cold lasts. My shoulder is mostly feeling better too. I did skip my P/T appointment yesterday, as the more I thought about it, I didn't want to go out into the cold nor did I want to contaminate the P/T facility. I'll have to do my stretches on my own until next Wednesday. I didn't really feel like doing them recently anyway. I just have to be patient and time will help to heal me.

Today, I am doing some laundry after cleaning the upstairs bathroom, which I've already done. That alone tells you that I am feeling better. I also want to read more in my latest book, John Grisham's Sycamore Row. Compared to the non-fiction tomes that I also read, this is a breeze.

Sugar the Weather Dog continues to shed. In the last few days, I feel as though I have brushed off a complete other dog. She tolerates the brushing as long as you give her some "Good Girls" and a biscuit at the end of the process. I might like having my hair brushed, that is if I had any. Sigh. Currently, Sugar is awaiting the arrival of her walker. Once the sidewalks clear here in GH, I can take that duty on again. Like cleaning, I just have to be patient. However, it would be nice if the sidewalks clear before May.

Last night, I watched the southbound train go by around 10:00 PM. Then around 4:00 AM, another train went by. This one seemed to be also southbound, but I could be wrong, as I only  heard it. Watching the earlier train go by with the rocking of the covered hopper cars, it is a good thing that the trains don't go very fast. I read that the most recent derailment in Pennsylvania didn't spill any crude oil on the ground, but that there was a leak from some of the tank cars.

By the by, a tank car holds 30,000 gallons of oil. It is anticipated that in 2014, 400,000 tank cars of oil will be shipped on American railroads. If you do the math, that's 12000,000,000 million gallons of oil! What's the answer? Safer railroad tracks, reduced speeds, better tank car design? All of the above? Or, we could just use less oil and also make the people who are shipping the oil pay for the "real" costs of those shipments, which include the necessary improvements. Several of the options fall into the category of "Infrastructure improvements," and would create American jobs. Once again, I am on my soapbox.

Today I got up after the sun rose at 7:41 AM. That was followed by...Tea time, one-half of a large navel orange, and the pick me up afforded by my laced tomato juice. A little hot sauce and a little horseradish added to the tomato juice, and I'm set to go. This particular jar of horseradish is/was particularly hot, so I added some additional vinegar to the mix to cool it down. I learned that trick watching Modern Marvels on the History Channel.

Sunset will be at 6:15 this evening. Ciao.

Good late morning GH. It is just past 10:30 AM in "The City," and our current temperature is 23° as we head for a high of 25°. Good news, we are expecting the temperatures to rise into the lower thirties early next week, and we may see a high of 42° on Thursday, albeit with heavy rain. I don't have to shovel rain, nor do I need to have someone shovel it or me. Instead, I"ll have to get out that wet/dry vacuum to stay ahead of the melting snow that has no place to soak into the frozen ground.

Yesterday we had a train go by heading south at about 10:30 AM. Then late last night, I heard one go by heading north. I think that they have lost track of their own trains. As usual, several black tank cars, a few white tank cars, and a couple of covered hopper cars. All being towed by a pair of EMD GP 38 locomotives, with the older liveried  C. F. & E. locomotive in the lead, and the  newer liveried Mid-Michigan Railroad locomotive behind. I suspect that the one I didn't see had a reverse locomotive layout.

Today, I canceled my P/T appointment. I don't feel much like going out into the cold, and I didn't think it wise to spread my cold germs in the hospital and P/T areas. There is an Irish Jam session tomorrow, but I don't have the energy nor the strength for that either, not to mention the germ factor. Oh well, there's always March. If I had the strength I'd be playing here.

Otherwise, I finished my non-fiction book yesterday. Ill have to share the salient parts with Mary and then it can go back to depress other people. I came away with the following ideas and thoughts. Nearly everyone is just one uninsured medical crisis away from a bankruptcy. We need to educate all children to be the best that they can be if we are to have a future. Money will not shield the wealthy from the realities of what poverty brings to an advanced society. Our leaders need to stop worrying about where their campaign contributions come from and do what is right for all the citizens of this country. Good medical care is a right, not a privilege. There, enough proselytizing.

Time for more television watching, more napping, and that's about it. Ciao.

Keep on keeping on Barb.  I can't share your pain, but I can share your triumphs. I've had some of both.

A half-hearted good morning GH. I am under the weather with a cold, so I am not up to writing much. It is just after 11:00 AM  and our current temperature in "The City," is 24° as we head for our high of 28°. However, with the wind blowing, it feels like 14°.

Today, pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, both for the Tigers and the boys in blue. I am already waiting for next year. My beloved Red Sox report in two days.

The sun rose at 7:45 AM and it will set at 6:13 PM. I got up to enjoy...Tea time, and that was after a night of tossing and turning due to my cold. I have decided I did my serious medical problems better than I do a common cold. Go figure. My plan for the day is to stay in my PJs and read and watch television. No more and no less, that is unless you count meals, just like in the hospital. Perhaps also like the hospital, food has no particular taste right now. I need the nutrition, but otherwise, it holds no allure. If it wasn't for the cold symptoms, it would probably be a great diet.

Television and reading was about all there was to do in the hospital too. Actually, when I had my shoulder done recently, the food that I got post-surgery was quite good. I don't know how that happened, but I'll take that kind of hospital food. Of course the lack of any taste right now, means that I wouldn't appreciate that food either.

I didn't hear any trains last night. They probably went by, but since I was in the downstairs guest room, having been banished from the upstairs to avoid contaminating Mary, that may have been the reason. Or, I just wasn't very aware.

That feels like about enough for now. Reading, napping, television, repeat. Ciao.

Good early afternoon GH. It is just past 2:00 PM in "The City," and our current temperature is 11°. We will not get out of the lower twenties until early next week. However, by Monday of next week we may get to the lower thirties, and by Friday of next week, are you ready, the lower forties! After that, it is likely that we will fall back to the upper thirties. Mary and I are so over winter.

I took some additional pictures to chronicle where we are snow wise, and I'll include those at the end. Today I am driving myself to P/T. Since I don't have to go far, it should not be a problem. Mary has work to do, so she needs the time that she would lose to playing chauffeur.

Other than that, I am still reading the book I started a few days ago. It is a chronicle of the plight of the poor in America. While most people will never have to experience what it is like to be truly poor, all of us are affected by those who are a may soon be. Children, the most vulnerable of all our citizens, can't concentrate in school when they are homeless, hungry, and unmotivated by struggling parents. Those parents sometimes make bad choices, or sometimes in spite of themselves get pushed into no option choices. But children are often buffeted by the waves of those choices. In Michigan, nearly half of all children qualify for free or reduced lunches in the schools. I am not going to preach, but I wonder why we can't do better.

Last night and early this morning, the trains came by. One just before midnight, and the second, probably heading north, just before 5:00 AM. I didn't see either, as I was just lying there feeling the effects of this cold I picked up. I knew it was coming, because I had a backache, which always accompanies a cold for me. Why? I don't know. Given all of the health issues I have experienced over the last few years, a cold is not even on the radar.

Sunrise today was at 7:45 AM and sunset will be at 6:10 PM. I didn't get down for...Tea time until after 11:00 AM this morning. I am glad that the snow that is falling in the East and the rain that fell on California in the last few days, isn't coming here. I should note that the precipitation that will fall here, comes in the form of a wintry mix or rain next week.

One thing truly worthy of note, is that pitchers and catchers report for both the boys in blue and the Tigers tomorrow. My beloved Red Sox will have to wait for an additional two days. In any event, spring will be here, albeit not officially until March 20, 2014. Hence the old saws that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, and April showers bring May flowers.

Speaking of flowers, Mary and I planted a rose last year near our deck that was barely hanging on to life as fall came. She thinks that that the rose she named John is doomed by the severe winter and the piles of snow. So too for the perennial garden that we planted last year. Personally, I like to believe that the roses and flowers will bloom again this year. If not, those that do survive are certain to be true Michigan perennials, like us.

Get well soon Barb, we miss you on the social media.

So without further ado, here are those aforementioned pictures.

Out the front door.

The ever narrowing trash bin position.

Alas poor Ragus, as she gazes at the end of the shared driveway.

This mound is over six feet tall!

A little perspective.  Under the pile in the foreground, lies John, Mary's rose.

That little area off the rear steps of the deck is Sugar's remaining "Out" area.

I took this shot from the upstairs window to show?

Enough already!

Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is between 8°and 10°, depending upon which source you consult. It may or may not be snowing lightly too. The opinion of the pseudo-meteorological staff here in the Weather Office, utilizing the advanced technology afforded by the Weather Window, has decided that it isn't. The temperature has been cold enough to knock out the analog thermometer in the Weather Window, so I am unable to give an additional outdoor update from that source. However, the digital indoor readout shows a current temperature of 68° here in the Weather Office.

That additional information allows me to forecast that the cold will continue through this evening. Snow is possible too, as it is always snowing here lately. Using the latest information available, we can also predict that hazardous driving conditions are possible, so take care north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Here in GH, the snow piles are similar to those found in the arctic, but probably not as deep nor as long lived, we hope.

Later today, I won't be playing my guitars. I did too much of that on Monday afternoon, and so now I am up feeling the effects of that activity. My shoulder awaits the improvement that comes from the OTC pain relievers. At least they get the job done. That same ache likely precludes doing some of the housework that I had planned. One thing about dust, it always waits for another day. That means, I have eliminated guitar practice and house cleaning as activities. That leaves me time to read and work the puzzle more. Mary has to work, but since I'll be downstairs and she up, we won't conflict.

Sugar the Weather Dog is fast asleep downstairs now, so I know that the house is safe for another evening. Being constantly on guard must be a taxing activity, because she is always yawning and assuming the various yoga positions when she gets up. A dog's life can be energy consuming, I guess.

Counting today, it is just three more days until the first day of spring. The boys in blue along with the Tiger's pitchers and catchers report on Thursday. My beloved Red Sox pitchers and catchers, just two days later. I was going to use the archaic word hence here, but one of my professors always said that the most precise and accurate language was always preferable. Mary knows who I mean. Or is it whom Ellen? Now if I could just see the lawns on the palatial estate, I'd know for sure that spring is truly here. Next year I hope to travel to spring training to observe first hand. What's not to like?

I hope to be able to return to bed shortly when the ache subsides. Tea time will occur sometime later this morning after sunrise, which is at 7:50 AM. Sunset happens at 6:08 PM. The days are getting longer.

No train yet, but it is likely that one will be along around 3:00 AM. I think I'll hold publication until I know for sure. Or, I'll hold off that publication until I go back to bed.

I was rewarded for my patience. The northbound train just passed. Twin EMD GP 38 locomotives with the C. F.& E. liveried locomotive leading the yellow liveried Mid-Michigan locomotive, followed by four of those dreaded black tank cars and two red colored covered hopper cars. I know that the color of tank cars is important, but so far all I know is that covered hopper cars are used to haul dry loads like fertilizer, grain, or sugar. Since I see them mostly liveried in white, there may be some significance to the color. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 12:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 18°as we head down to our nightly low of 13°. At least the snow has stopped for awhile. I almost took some pictures, but even I don't want to remember this winter. Maybe tomorrow, but that depends on my mood. Our forecast for the week ahead tells me that the snow showers are expected later this morning with an accumulation of less than one inch. I can live with that. Additionally, the high temperature today is not supposed to exceed 14°.

I have no need to go out until Wednesday for P/T, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Yes my friends, the weather outside is frightful, but inside it's so delightful, etc. According to the averages, precipitation in February is supposed to be on the light side. Too bad the weather goddess didn't get the message.

Mary has work to do and I have that book to read and some laundry to do with some floor washing. I am finding my book interesting and so is Mary, as I read it to her while she works in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it is like preaching to the choir. There is nothing in the book that I don't agree with. There are somethings I didn't know, but that's to be expected. I just wish that the powers that be would think beyond the end of their collective noses and do what is right. Oh well, I can only hope that somethings change for the better.

I listened to the 50th anniversary of the Beatles tribute done by the Grammys last night. I found it delightful. I didn't mind the various artists who performed either dead on versions of some of the Beatles songs, or versions that I thought brought a freshness to the Beatles classic tunes. When you are working with great material, you have a great chance for a solid performance. I didn't hear any sour notes last night. Since I was up, I decided to write my blog before I went off to bed.

The sunrise today is scheduled for 7:50 AM and the sunset for 6:06 PM. In addition, it is only four more days until spring, spring training that is, when pitchers and catchers report. Do I sound excited? Like I said the other day, I'll be born again, there will be new grass on the field. Now if I could just get a new team on the north side of Chicago, I'd be all set. However, the Tigers look to have a good shot again this year, and my beloved Red Sox should be formidable too. Over in Comstock Park, the Caps should be entertaining as they prepare players on the "A" level of baseball for the Tigers.

So that should be enough for now. Ciao.

Good early evening GH. It is just past 6:00 PM in "The City," and our current temperature is 19°. We have had snow on and off all day, and the piles continue to grow. If I am reading the extended forecast correctly, the month should end in the thirties. All of that assumes that the already voluminous snow piles don't drag the temperatures down. One can only hope.

We are well below the averages for temperature, but well above the average for snowfall. Personally, I have had enough. I bet that the people who use Mulligan's Hollow for snow boarding wouldn't agree. But like pizza, that's a personal preference. If what I saw the other say was accurate, one meteorologist thinks we may see the Great Lakes with a 90% ice cover. That is good news for the lake levels, but not such good news for the Grand River. We will probably see some serious flooding as spring begins and continues. I am ready, the man-cave is water proofed for the coming floods. Like it or not, the snow will melt and then water will invade the man-cave. I have everything up off the floor and the wet/dry vacuum is ready to take on all comers. The dehumidifier will get a workout too.

Yesterday, Mary and I went to the Post for that "Celebration of Life," and the crowds were testament to the love that the people feel for Sally. Her daughters, grandsons, and myriad friends were on hand to offer her condolences. The ladies of the auxiliary made food and everyone had a great time. Maybe that wasn't exactly the plan, but Mary and I agree, that a "Celebration of Life" is better than a traditional wake and funeral. I hope that Sally took comfort from the outpouring of support.

After we left the Post, we walked up and down Washington Avenue to view the "Frozen in Time" actors. I didn't take any pictures, but Mary did and you can see them on her recent blog. As for us, by the time we had walked the length of Washington, we too were frozen, just not in time.

We came home, had a few drinks and watched some TV on the Hallmark Channel. Predictable sure, but enjoyable none the less. Finally at about 11:00 PM, I was ready for bed. I slept the whole night through and that's why no blog until now.

Sunset was at 6:06 PM today. I just finished playing my guitar, Ivy, for about 30 - 45 minutes. My shoulder ached some, but I loved it. If I can, I'll make it to the Irish Jam on Saturday. According to the recent announcement it may be an abbreviated session, but that may make it something that I can do. I have to be sure to check the time with the coordinator. He won't be there because he has a plan to go to Kazoo to see a flute/whistle virtuoso. As a flute/whistle player, he wouldn't miss it for anything. Too far for me to travel yet. But next year, maybe.

That seems about enough for now. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 16° as we head down to our low of 13° before we head back up to a high of 17°. Like most days lately, we have partly cloudy skies and a wind chill of 10°. There appears to be a chance that our temperatures will make it into the lower 30s late next week. That's before we plunge back into the teens or lower. Winter is a challenge this year.

I got up to watch a train go by at 2:30 AM. The usual twin locomotives and an assortment of box cars, covered hopper cars, white tank cars, and those dreaded black tank cars. I'd say that they glided silently by, but the train tracks make that impossible given the number of joints. It is unusual to see a train on Fridays, but it does happen. A good sign for the economy. I must have missed the southbound run, as this train was headed back north.

Friday we made it to the P/T appointment, and while I was there, Mary was ever the busy bee. She made it to the local grocery, downtown to the bakery, back home to put things away, and then back to the hospital to pick me up. I would have made it to the grocery and that would have taken me a long time. I tend to wander without focus.

We stopped at the Post for a few quick ones, and then went to the best pizza place in West Michigan. Adam and Steph have been there, and they know how good the pizza is. Your choices for toppings are limited to cheese, pepperoni, green  peppers, sausage, mushrooms, and anchovies or any combination thereof. They started here in town 50 years ago, and now have other locations throughout the area. They only serve pizza, and that means that they do it well. Paper plates and napkins round out the experience. On a Friday, you have to get there early to get a seat at this place. There is another place in town that comes recommended, but I don't think they are as good. But then, pizza is a personal preference kind of meal.

Afterwards, we came home, I watched the evening news and a couple of game shows. Mary did some emailing, and by then, I was ready to sleep. So, I changed, fell into the bed and with Mary close behind and Sugar the Weather Dog alongside the bed, I was out.

Now I am up to await the OTC pain killer to work and then I can return to finish my rest. I may or may not get up for the local auto discussion show. If I do, it will be an accidental listen. After that, off to the Post for that celebration of life I mentioned yesterday. Afterwards, we are going downtown for the annual "Frozen in Time" exhibition. Local drama students and adults sit in the windows of local merchants, frozen in time, for two hours. Living mannequins best describes "Frozen in Time." It is another in the series of things that the local merchants do to entice people into the downtown area during the winter.

Otherwise, not much on tap for Saturday. Mary has work to do and I have more book to read. I should mention that my P/T appointment went well. I am making progress and that is the goal. A few more weeks and I should be mostly recovered, I hope.

Sunrises today will be at 7:52 AM and sunset at 6:04 PM. Tea time will be after the Sun rises. Enough for now. Ciao.

Once again, best wishes to Barb in her recovery. I know she is a fighter, so if she listens to the doctors, she will do fine.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:30 AM in "The City." Our current temperature is 10° with light snow falling. In other words, nothing new. We may see a high of 16°, but with the expected wind chill that comes from the anticipated 15 - 20 MPH winds, that may feel more like -10° or lower. It is Michigan after all.

Saturday Mary and I are going out to a celebration of life at the Post. These occasions are both sad and uplifting at the same time. On one hand, they are a memorial to the recently departed and on the other hand, a celebration of those whom they left behind. I've been to many traditional funerals and a few celebrations of life, and I prefer the latter. Having taught school for many years, I believe that we should always celebrate life and not dwell in the past.

It comes as no surprise to me that the train just went by at 3:02 AM. Twin EMD GP 38 locomotives, the one in the lead painted in the new livery and the second in the older C. F. & E livery. They were followed by five black tank cars and nine covered hopper cars, all headed north. I still worry about those black tank cars and their possible contents, given the myriad possibilities for their cargo. Sigh.

Thursday found me in my chair beginning my latest book. The author has done a nice job, so far, taking a non-fiction topic and making it interesting. I have been disappointed in the past, as various authors have belabored a point, Ad nauseam. I have hopes for this book, but that remains to be seen.

We are fast approaching the first day of spring, my first day of spring that is. The Tigers and the boys in blue have asked their pitchers and catchers to report on the 13th of this month. The pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox have been asked to report two days later, on the 15th. Respectively, that's six and eight days from now. The first television broadcasts for the boys in blue are scheduled on the 27th and 28th of February. To borrow from a politician I once heard, Ye Haw!

Today, I have a P/T appointment at 3:00 PM. I am slowly getting better and that's all that matters. The doctor told me it would be about 16 weeks before I felt good, and that's about mid-April, just in time for the snow to melt and the temperatures to rise. At least I am now allowed to lift some weights of two pounds. I still won't be able to throw a curve ball, but then I never could. I am hoping to try golf again this year, something I've not been able to do for a few years.

Will I be rusty? Think of an old car in the junk yard and you'll get the idea. I don't even have any clubs of my own, but when you can't play, you don't need any. Of course, if I get any more hobbies, I won't have any time to do them. That's a problem that I am sure may people would love to have.

So that looks like about enough for now. My OTC pain pill has begun to kick in, and that will allow me to return to bed. Sunrise will be at 7:52 AM, just before...Tea time and breakfast. I had Cheerios with an apple yesterday, so I think that today's breakfast will be banana/nut bread. Mary has to work on her latest effort, one that is extremely detailed and that will keep her busy. She will have to interrupt her work to chauffeur me to that P/T appointment. Right now she is not making the per hour progress that she prefers.

A special shout out to Barb. I hope that she is on the mend like me. This has not been a good winter for either of us. My thoughts are with her. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 15°, which is the warmest it will get today. In addition we will have, wait for it, snow showers, until later today. Accumulations are unknown at this time, but given our track record, the snow will accumulate. Sigh.

Enough with the snow already. I can't shovel it, I can't walk on sidewalks that are snow clogged, and I can't wait for it to be gone. Now I am done.

I had my now famous banana/nut bread for breakfast on Wednesday, and it was better that ever. Better than other loaves I've baked? Probably not, but I think I've got it down now. Mary thinks so too. When I think about it, I can scramble eggs and make other breakfast items. I can bake banana/nut bread, make cookies, chop and cut vegetables to make soups and salads, preferably with Iceberg lettuce and bottled dressing, and make a reasonable stir fry when I wish. While I"m not in Mary's league in the kitchen, I can survive. Sugar the Weather Dog/Sous Chef and I will never starve. Since we have public transportation and the internet, I would not have to drive to get to the grocery store.

All of that, and I'm not counting my skills at the grill. While I"m not in Adam's league there either, I can get the grill started, successfully grill corn and other vegetables, and even grill burgers and chops when I choose. However right now, the grill is under a tarp and a huge pile of snow in the back forty. Maybe by June I can get it back.

Our streets are passable these days. Mary can drive me to P/T and other places. One good thing about winter it does end, even here in Michigan. I may have my doubts, but I know that since the pitchers and catchers report in nine days, spring will soon be here. That's in spite of that groundhog in Pennsylvania and his shadowy prediction. What a surprise, six more weeks of winter after February 2.

I finished my latest book. Good news, Chet and Bernie solved another mystery. Now I get to read Sasha Abramsky's The American Way of Poverty. I am back to non-fiction in this one. For some fun and light reading, I will be following that with Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, by Michael Tomasky, a short book that Mary downloaded onto her kindle for me. Instead of the usual tome about the Beatles, this one deals with the events that surrounded their arrival in the U.S. It has been 50 years for those who weren't here. Sigh.

It is funny, Mary and I were talking about the benefits of being contemporaneous with your significant other. Otherwise, many cultural milestones are unknown to your partner. For many people less than thirty years old, Sir Paul McCartney is the guy who pops up on television once in awhile. A fair singer and an elderly rock and roll legend. Sigh.

In this case, I have to agree with that adage attributed to George Bernard Shaw, "What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young." Shaw passed in 1950 at 94. So, while there are many things he purportedly said and that some remember, his passing wasn't even a footnote in history for all too many.

So, until I have more to say, I'll go back to bed and await...Tea time and Cheerios. More exercises that I learned yesterday and am now permitted to do, and more reading. I should do some laundry too. But if I don't, the world will not end. Sunrise will be at 7:54 AM and sunset at 6:04 PM. Ciao.