Good early morning GH. It is nearly 3:30 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 15° as we head for our high of 23° under partly cloudy or partly sunny skies, your choice. Sunrise today will be at 7:57 AM and sunset at 6:01 PM. There is a  90% chance of snow beginning around noon today and continuing until about 5:00 AM on Wednesday. Accumulations of snow? Who knows? We have enough snow now, so more will not make much difference.

Sugar the Weather Dog is in her self-appointed guard position on the couch downstairs. She feels entitled, so who am I to dissuade her? Fortunately for us, Mary purchased a couch cover several weeks ago that catches Sugar's excess hair when she sheds. Speaking of shedding, I have brushed a second dog off of Sugar in the last couple of days. I have to remind myself to brush her again today. Sugar seems to tolerate brushing well. Maybe she intuitively understands that it is for her own good, or at least ours.

I updated yesterdays blog to reflect that almond milk has a high calcium content, contrary to my previous understanding. I was corrected by the regular cook. Otherwise, I got the facts right.

I think I will use the ripening bananas today to create a loaf of my now famous banana/nut bread. Since I have three bananas, the desired amount, I should be good to go. Since Mary will be going to the grocery store on Wednesday afternoon while I am at P/T, the bananas will be quickly replaced. Sugar the Sous Dog loves it when I bake my bread. In her role as kitchen assistant, she handles clean-up duties.

Otherwise, more reading, a layoff from guitar practice to give my shoulder a chance to rest, and my day will be filled. I am currently reading a Chet and Bernie mystery, one of my favorites. This book by author Spencer Quinn, The Sound and the Furry, is the latest in this series. While not necessarily a high level book, I like a quick read once in a while.

Chet the dog is a good narrator for the mysteries that he and his human, Bernie Little of the Little Detective Agency, encounter. I have read all of the books in the series so far. Like my reading of the old Tom Swift Jr. adventures or the Hardy Boys mysteries books when I was an adolescent, I like being able to read them in a few hours of otherwise wasted time. I have other more esoteric non-fiction books on order at the library too.

Mary says that I should get busy on the puzzle, but when I don't get up until late in the morning, I have to budget my time. By the time I get the baking done after...Tea time/breakfast, the day will be gone. Mary continues to be hard at work, so I am left to my own devices. Her office being an extension of the bedroom makes my going to bed on my schedule problematic. She likes to work late and I like to go to bed early. Oh well, sometimes you have to make accommodations.

That looks like about enough for today. A train went by heading south around 11:00 PM last night. Judging by the vibrations, it was long and fully laden. Another returned north at nearly 3:00 AM today. This too was a long one, being pulled by two EMD GP38 locomotives, one in the new livery and one in the old C., F., & E., livery. The locomotives were towing a long string of covered hopper cars, some in what could only be charitable described as rusty livery, five box cars, and one lonely black tank car bringing up the rear.

A small plow went up and down the tracks earlier on Monday. The railroad hasn't anyplace to put the snow either. Whatever snow the residents of the western sates are not getting, we are, here and in the East.

Did I mention that pitchers and catchers for the Tigers and the boys in blue report in 11 days? If I hadn't, now I have. Ciao.