Good morning GH, It is just past 7:00 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is a much more comfortable 36° outside. We are expecting a high today of 56° in GH, while over in GR, they are expecting a high in the lower sixties for the Tigers opener at Comerica Park. Best of all, there is no precipitation in the forecast. The balance of the week we will have temperatures in the low to mid forties. While not the warmest week in West Michigan history, it is the warmest we have seen in 2014 and the warmest it has been since early November 2013.

Sad to report, both of the college B'ball teams from Michigan, MSU and MI went down yesterday in the Elite Eight of the NCAA March Madness tournament. To paraphrase, "There is no joy in MI, the season is over." However, hope springs eternal, as the Tigers open their season today and the Whitecaps hold their home opener on April 8. Of course, what would sports be like, if hockey, baseball, and basketball didn't overlap until summer is nearly here. All of that doesn't discount that NASCAR, Indy Car, and Formula One racing either opened this past weekend or had already started in late February. If you are a sports fan, to borrow from the late Ron Santo, "This is the year!"

Speaking of Ron Santo and baseball in general, the boys in blue, my beloved Red Sox, and as I mentioned earlier, our own Tigers open this week. Even closer to home, as I also mentioned earlier, the West Michigan Whitecaps open soon. What's not to like?

Yesterday, I found time to finish my highlighting, start more highlighting, and play the girls just a bit. I also received a reply from the publisher of our puzzle. They let me know that with a digital picture of the completed puzzle, sans missing piece, and the place of purchase included in an email, they would send me a replacement puzzle free of charge. Unfortunately, they also let me know that every puzzle is cut differently, so the pieces are not interchangeable. Ergo, for one missing piece, I may have to rework the entire puzzle. Nonetheless, I sent the email.

Otherwise, Mary took the morning walk with Sugar the Weather Dog down to the waterfront yesterday, and I took the afternoon walk. Since today promises to be sunny and warm for most of the day, Sugar and I will go walking and I will clean her hair from the back of the car where she and her crate ride. I am anxious to try out our new device that we got at the home and garden show in GR earlier this month. I have used the smaller indoor version, so the extended version should also work well. This type just needs to be rinsed, but it also doesn't leave any residue behind. Then it's back to more highlighting and editing after Mary finishes her work. I may try to squeeze in a few innings of the Tiger's opener too.

Sunrise will be at 7:26 a.m. and sunset at 8:08 p.m. Worthy of note, is the fact that the Cheerios are gone. All five boxes are history. I like cold cereal, I like Cheerios, but I was/am ready for a change. So now I am on to crisped rice followed by bran cereal with raisins. I decided to start with the crisped rice, because I have apples to slice into my bowl, and that isn't always so good with raisins. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just before 3:00 a.m. in "The City." Our current indoor temperature is 70 digitally reported degrees. Outdoors, the temperature available from the analog instruments in the window of the Weather Center, is 31°, as we head down to our morning low of 23° and then back to the anticipated high of 41°. I'll likely wait until the sun rises at 7:29 a.m. before Sugar the Weather Dog and I take the first of our walks. Then, if I am lucky, Sugar will take me for another walk later in the day, just as she did on Saturday.

Speaking of Saturday, I finished the highlighting for Mary and then I finished the puzzle. That is all except for the missing piece. I searched the vacuum bag, but alas, it was not there. I could have made another dog from the hair I did find there, but no puzzle piece. Now I am awaiting a message from the publisher of the puzzle to see if they can help. Mary has some ideas of her own, but I have waited this long, so a few more days won't hurt.

That book I highlighted for Mary, I won't share the title nor the subject, enlightened me to a part of history that I hadn't known about. I guess I should never be amazed, but I continually am. Today I feel the need for some additional interaction with the girls along with those walks with Sugar. Mary has to keep on keeping on at her work. I will do some highlighting on my next assignment, but that will not be my major focus.

At 2:20 p.m., MSU tips off against CT, while at 5:25 p.m., MI tips off against KY in the Final Four of the NCAA. As you can imagine, all eyes here in MI will be focused on both of those games. What a trip it would be, but the chances of both MI teams making the final round are mighty small.

Speaking of sports, to borrow from the immortal Howard Cosell, the MLB season officially opened with the Dodgers vs. the D'Backs in Australia, although they played on a cricket field, so that isn't baseball. Here in MI, the Tigers open the season at Comerica Park on Monday afternoon with what are promised to be warmer temperatures. I had mistakenly thought that they opened the later evening. My beloved Red Sox, open on Monday too, at 3:05 p.m. in Baltimore. The boys in blue open in Pittsburgh at 1:05 p.m. The Caps opener is still a week a half away. Let me repeat, I am born again, there's new grass on the field.

Sunset will be at 8:06 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature, slightly before the sun rises at 7:31 a.m., is 32°. When the sun sets at 8:06 p.m., the temperature will have risen to 41°. Monday, opening day for the Tigers, our temperature is expected to be 54° and in Detroit, a high of 60° plus is possible. Then winter returns with a vengeance. One good thing, here in the Weather Office, the temperature is a climate controlled 70° most of the time.

Friday I worked more on our puzzle, and the missing piece is still missing. I haven't yet cut open the vacuum bag, and I won't until I determine that only the one piece is missing. Mary thinks that we should send a letter to the puzzle manufacturer regarding the missing piece and ask for help. Like Adam always says, it never hurts to ask, the worst that can happen is that they say there is nothing they can do. I have to agree, there is no harm in asking.

After I went to a very successful P/T session yesterday afternoon, I went on safari to the grocery store. I returned the cans, bought a lot of things to refill our larders, and then set out for home. A successful safari is one in which you meet your goals and then make it home unharmed. Alas, poor Sugar the Weather Dog did not get a walk for the second day in a row. Today for sure. She needs it, and I need it.

Speaking of walking, when I sent my jeans to the wash machine yesterday, I forgot to remove my pedometer from the pocket. The result was predictable. I ended up with a waterlogged pedometer that had lost its display. Mary and I placed it into a bowl of rice to try removing the water safely. Another day or so, and I should have an answer on the device's future. That always seems to work on TV.

Today, I plan to finish the highlighting that I am working on, possibly finish our puzzle, with the exception of that one piece, and walk with Sugar. Mary and I went out for dinner yesterday, so I have no pressing need to go out beyond that walk with my intrepid Weather Dog.

Both B'ball teams from Michigan won yesterday in the NCAA, both by two points. On to the next round.

Opening day is nearly upon is for the Tigers, my beloved Red Sox, the hapless boys in blue, and our own West Michigan Whitecaps. Once baseball is here, everything will be fine.

Ciao

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City," and as promised, I am returning to my more traditional blog format. Our current temperature is 45° as we head down to today's high of 39°. As the days progress, we should see the temperatures warm to 41°, 46°, and 54° respectively by Monday. Then, we plunge back to 36° on Tuesday. Oh well, it is Western MI and it will be April by Tuesday. Forecasters are expecting that the northern part of the U.S. will have a cooler that usual spring.

Thursday found me back at the puzzle table, where I determined that I am indeed missing a piece of the puzzle. Some might ask how I can tell until the puzzle is complete. Well, when the missing piece is a very distinct color and shape, you can tell. I have but one option, and that is to check the vacuum bag for the missing piece. If that doesn't yield the missing piece, then I am at a loss. Mary already had a place picked out to hang the puzzle when done. I suppose that I could buy another puzzle and pick through another 1,000 pieces to find the one that I am missing. Here's hoping that I find the piece in the vacuum.

Otherwise, I finished the latest chapter of highlighting for Mary. Sixty pages to go. My reward? Another book to highlight. I am liking this book, but the highlighting is an intense project this time. I am hoping for a lighter tome.

Sugar the Weather Dog and I didn't go for a walk on Thursday. It was rainy, with times of sleet and just in general, a wintry sort of day. I was hoping that the forecast for today was better, but alas, we are showing a 70% chance of rain/snow. Oh well, Sugar needs her walks and so do I, so I may have to suck it up and get out there. Mary held her off on Friday with a bone, but is is likely that Sugar won't be deterred two days in a row.

I will finish that highlighting today, and then go to P/T. I may get sucked into going to the grocery store and returning those aforementioned cans. I don't really mind, I just don't seek out the activity. However, I am more tolerant than Mary. I can't say I blame her, I don't really "like" it either, but if I didn't do it, every case would actually cost an additional $2.40 in lost deposits.

I am going to try to finish the puzzle today and see if there is only the one piece missing. I actually find it easier to work in the macro sense, than in the finishing micro sense. I think that the playing of the girls that I didn't get around to yesterday should also happen

I got a notification from the library that the book I had requested for purchase came in. Our library is very responsive to patron requests. I need go by and pick it up. I have requested that they set it aside for me. Now I have to find time to read it. I had heard about the book, Red Devil 4, during a discussion on talk radio by the author. Science fiction with a reality basis. I believe that that is what makes Sci/Fi effective. I'll review it when I read it.

Not much else on tap for today. I am up now listening to a discussion of SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, on the radio. This was supposed to be Mary's program, but she fell asleep. So I hope that I can fill her in, since I am only half listening. The percentage of people who believe in aliens and UFOs in the world is actually higher than you might think, anywhere between 33% and 48%. If I were one of the aliens, why would I visit here? Maybe simple curiosity explains their purported visits.

I heard a train earlier, and one or two last night, but I didn't want to get up to look. If I am still up in a while, I may view another. I may also do some additional highlighting. I try not to go downstairs and disturb the intrepid Weather Dog.

Sunrise will be at 7:35 a.m. and sunset at 8:04 p.m. Ciao.

Good Morning Grand Haven

I.    Current happenings in weather/time
      A.  Just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City"

      B.  Current outdoor temperature, 19 degrees

            1.  Felt like 10 degrees

            2.  The wind was biting out of the north

      C.  Today's high, 31 degrees

            1.  Tomorrow's high, 40 degrees with showers

            2.  Temperature drops to 37 degrees on Friday

      D.  Sugar the Weather Dog, was ready for our morning walk

            1.  We took our usual morning route

            2.  Stopped in for a newspaper at the local independent bookseller

II.   A.  Jax shoulder felt better on Monday night/Tuesday morning

            1.  Took an OTC pain killer

            2.  Allowed me to sleep and not get up

      B.  It was nice to stay in bed for a change

            1.  I slept on my side for a while

            2.  No pain equaled lots of gain

            3.  No blog as a result

III.  Daily activities for Monday and Tuesday

       A.  Cleaned the floors as planned

            1.  Steam cleaner cleared of calcium using vinegar

            2.  Floors looked great

       B.  Worked on our puzzle. 

             1.  Made great progress

             2.  Getting harder as it comes into clear focus

       C.  Highlighted for Mary

             1.  So many words to highlight

             2.  Looks like an artist's palette

       D. Played the "girls"

             1.  Typed some music for clarity

             2.  Had to transpose some scales

       E.  Breakfast was Cheerios and an apple

            1.  About two bowls left to go 

            2.  Here comes the raisin bran or crisped rice

       F.  Mary went to the store during a work break

            1. She didn't take the cans for redemption

            2. I had to stop highlighting to await further instructions

IV.  On tap for today

       A.  More highlighting

             1.  New highlighters are now here

             2.  The smaller ones wear out more quickly

       B.  Another walk with Sugar the Weather Dog

            1.  Time to vary our route if possible

            2.  Still have to walk slowly on slippery sidewalks and streets

       C. Trash day

            1.  Recycling bin needs to go out

            2.  All trash needs to be collected

       D. More exercises

            1.  No pain still equals gain

            2.  Getting easier each time

       E.  More puzzle solving

            1. Our jigsaw 

            2.  Another crossword

       F.  Meals as time allows and Mary prepares

            1.  She has been on an ethnic kick the last two days.

            2.  Tuesday's lunch was Swiss cheese and Sauerkraut with a side of creamed spinach

V.   Miscellaneous

       A.  Heard trains, didn't see them

       B.  Sunrise at 7:37 a.m.

       C.  Sunset at 8:02 p.m. 

       D.  Going back to old blog style

       E.  Ciao            

Good early morning GH. It is fast closing on 5:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is a brisk 15° as we near sunrise at 7:39 a.m. Today's high is anticipated to be 30°. We are still on track to get to the upper forties by week's end and may touch 50° by early next week.

I forgot to mention, that a local meteorologist on the radio last night predicted that we might have anywhere from a light dusting to two inches of snow. A glance out the Weather Window tells me that we are having a bit more than a dusting right now. That means that Sugar's invitation to walk will include a return to my winter boots and their accompanying paraphernalia. I'm not happy. We may set a record for snowfall here in GH, just as they did in Muskegon.

Mary wanted to know why I hadn't blogged at about 1:15 a.m., but it was too early and I was feeling fine, at least as far as my shoulder goes. I did manage to wake her for her favorite overnight radio program. Right now I am up because the shoulder ache was bothering me and I just took an OTC pain pill. I should be able to return to bed in about an hour.

Sunday was a good day for me. I got all the laundry done with a little help from Mary. I changed the furnace filter, and I strummed a bit on Ivy. I also found time, as I waited for the laundry to finish, to add more pieces to our puzzle. All of that after Sugar the Weather Dog and I went for our morning walk.

Later, Mary made a great breakfast burrito, and then used her culinary skills to make those Swiss cheese and Sauerkraut sandwiches she does so well for dinner. I also prevailed upon her to make the Brussels sprouts in her steamer, rather than bake them. I like them better steamed. She says that next time she will try again in the oven and avoid overcooking them. Personally, I like them better the way she did them yesterday. Last time in the oven, they tasted like they had been grilled outdoors. I also found time to rewrite some music that I have been meaning to get to. All in all, a good day.

Later, Mary showed me how she wants her next set of highlighting done. The book itself seems interesting, so It will be a task that I can enjoy. I still have to wash the floors and walk with Sugar the Weather Dog, but I don't mind the floors and Sugar is a great dog on a walk. A bit "nosy" perhaps, but a great companion to walk with. Then back to the highlighting. I prefer to do that in the daylight that streams through the window in my office.

That looks like a complete day for me. Mary took time to read the package for the sprouts that we bought on our safari on Saturday, and we decided that the cautions that came with them were too much for us. Also true of the bean seeds that we picked up. So, the only find was the packet of cucumber seeds that we got. In the major leagues, that would be a .333 average. Not bad for baseball, but not good for seeds. We'll have to try again on our second trip to the gardening plate.

The southbound train went by about 9:55 last night. The usual twin EMD GP 38 locomotives followed by a very long string of covered hopper cars of all ages. Plus there were about six of those dreaded black tank cars, one gray tank car, and one white tank car. I am just speculating here, that the black ones carry crude oil, the white ones acid or ethanol, and the gray ones carry something in between. Speculating on things seems all the rage right now.

Sunset will be at 8:00 p.m. this evening. Ciao

Good early morning GH. It is just before 6:00 a.m. in "The City," and our current temperature is 18°. We anticipate a high today of 24°. I feel like we are going backwards. Fortunately, we are still on track for a return to the lower forties by next Thursday. Here's hoping. Sugar the Weather Dog doesn't seem to mind, but then unless it is raining or bitterly cold, she doesn't.

Saturday found us lying in bed and listening to the auto talk radio show and then a show about home gardening. I slept through much of the auto show, but when Mary and I heard the gardening show, our ears perked up. It turns out that the principals of the show were having a couple of presentations starting at 11:00 a.m. So instead of all of the things I had planned, we hopped into the car and off we went to Kentwood. Coincidentally, Kentwood was the place we visited to pick up my 12 string guitar, Ivy. We made it just in time, but that was no thanks to the traffic gods. We arrived to hear two very excellent presentations and bought a few things in anticipation of the snow melting, someday.  All in all, a worthwhile trip. Mary got a book by a local author that was one of the presenters. This author shares many of Mary's passions, so the purchase was a lock.

However since this was a Saturday, the traffic was like Hanover Park, IL, or maybe Crystal Lake, IL on steroids. If you can picture two or three lanes of cars moving or mostly not moving, in both directions, a never ending succession of big-box stores, malls, and every type of restaurant, both chain and independent, you can possibly imagine, you may get a picture. We lost a few minutes going to the presentations, according to our GPS device, which we nicknamed HAL. According to HAL, we lost over 15 minutes returning home due to the heavy traffic and limited driving skills of the majority of motorists. Let's just say that the chance of our returning to this location are slim to none, and Slim left town years ago.

We made it back, but a few places or towns that beckoned on our outbound trip, were passed over in favor of escape. We didn't make it back without noting that it was nearing 4:00 p.m. by the time we arrived in GH. Plus, the price of gasoline had risen by over 20 cents between the time we left and the time we returned. We can wait until it comes back down after the weekend. Since it is highly unlikely that a delivery happened to all of the local gas stations while we were gone, this was a prime example of profit taking. Oh well, that's capitalism for you. Price is always dictated by demand and profit requirements, not by product cost. If you don't need a product, the price is irrelevant to you.

By the time we got back, we stopped for dinner and then came home. I was too pooped to pop, but Mary seemed energized by the experience, as she often does.  She went to the alternate craft/media room downstairs, while I retired to the upstairs media room for some TV viewing and then to my office for some Web surfing. I finally gave up and retired to bed where I slept the night away. I got up around 5:15 a.m., to take an OTC pain pill and wait. I'll finish this blog and then re-retire; to bed that is.

Today, I'll put all of yesterday's plans back on my schedule. The laundry seemed to grow exponentially, so that will take several hours. Puzzle solving and reading will be possible as I sit downstairs and await the laundry. Strumming with the "Girls" and exercising will have to wait as they take place upstairs. Hopefully, we can sleep in a bit more today and then when we arise, Mary can be convinced to make her now famous Swiss cheese and Sauerkraut sandwiches. All of those activities after Sugar takes me for a morning walk. I just have to watch out for any patches of residual ice and snow on the sidewalks.

So now that I am getting sleepy again and no trains are on the horizon, I can return to bed. Sunrise will occur at 7:41 a.m., right before...Tea time and those sandwiches. Sunset will be at 8:00 p.m. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City." The current indoor temperature is 70° in the Weather Office. Outdoors, the temperature is 33°, which is right about where the temperature will be all day. Both Mary and I let Sugar the Weather Dog walk us to her paw-di-cure. Mary didn't go in, because they also do cats there, and she can't handle the dander. I am mostly immune, but if I overstay, I feel it too. For the Midwest, the day was grand. Temperatures were in the low forties, and the sun was shining. As we walked, the sidewalks were mostly clear.

Sugar got her paw-di-cure, and we walked back. We had to cross Beacon going and coming, and that takes two light cycles. The state has made noises about taking out the center boulevard grass to widen the road. We always have to stop in the middle, and if they follow through, I don't know how the three of us will get across.

Since the day was so beautiful, Mary decided that a walk downtown to our favorite watering hole, and then to see Sally at the Post was in order. We haven't been able to walk that much since last fall. On the way home we only had to detour around the ice and snow for a very short distance. By this time next week, we should be in a final meltdown. However, we won't see temperatures in the forties until Thursday of next week.

Today, once I return to bed, I may wake up to hear people call in and ask questions about 1995 trucks and cars with 150 thousand plus miles on their clocks. When I was just a lad, cars struggled to get to 100,000 miles and you could get a running used car for as low as $199.00. Now, used cars with 100,00 miles on the clock are just getting broken in and can cost $15,000.00. I watched a guy drive into the parking lot at our favorite watering hole in a new truck that cost near to $50,000.00, so a used vehicle that costs less with low miles is probably the way to go.

Today, more walking with the intrepid Weather dog, more exercises for my shoulder, some strumming of the girls, changing the furnace filter, laundry, maybe highlighting for Mary, and working on our puzzle. What a busy day. Sunrise will happen at 7:46 a.m., just before...Tea time and sunset will be at 7:57 p.m. Of course, Sugar will insist that she get's a long walk later this morning. I haven't yet begun letting her take me out in the afternoon too, because then she will always expect it. When she saw Mary and I go past the front window on our way downtown, her look was one of "How come I'm not going?"

That's all for now, as we close on 5:00 a.m. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City," and our current temperature is 25°, as we head for our afternoon high of 44° at 4:00 p.m. That means that when I get around to letting Sugar the Weather Dog take me for a walk, it will be after lunch. I may even be able to get her to the groomer for her paw-di-cure. She needs it. If all goes well, the sidewalks between here and there should be snow and ice free. The spring thaw is finally starting. Too bad that Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday will fall below freezing. I guess that in this case, March came in like a lion and is going out like one too.

Thursday was an interesting day. I helped Mary with her work once I got back with Sugar from our morning walk. The sidewalks had just enough ice and snow cover to require caution while walking. Sugar doesn't understand why we can't walk on the sidewalks, but my fear of falling outweighs any desire to walk there on her part. That's why I am hoping that the forecast for today holds true.

I don't know what it is, but when I sit in Mary's office to help her, I get the yawns. Maybe it is because our bedroom is right next door. Mary is used to it, but I get the urge to go back to bed. Which in itself is odd, since I tend to be a night-owl more often than not. Once we were finished, we were off to enjoy the day. We didn't get far, just to our favorite watering hole. We watched some NCAA B'ball and then came home. A light dinner, and I was ready for bed. Actually, so was Mary, although she can outlast me.

Once in bed, I stayed put until just before I got up for an OTC pain pill and to write this blog. Mary came in long enough to ask me to explain how to change the radio station to her favorite. In this case, discretion being the better part of valor, meant that it was easier to go do it than it would be to explain how. So I did.

If my shoulder allows, I plan a bit more work on our puzzle. Right now, my shoulder is aching more, so that plan is subject to change. I wish that recovery would at least follow a linear path, but that is clearly not the case. For me, the path is filled with potholes and pitfalls. Sigh. When I feel good enough to exercise, I like to use my energy to play the "Girls." I guess that the exercises should supersede if I am going to make a meaningful recovery. Once again, sigh.

That looks like about it for today. Sunrise will be at 7:46 a.m. Sunset will be at 7:55 p.m. I am nearly certain that a train went by while I was sleeping, and that the return train hasn't happened while I have been gazing out the Weather Window. The mostly cloudy skies predicted for today are already in evidence, producing a darker than usual night accompanied by a side of dark. Ciao.

Update, I hear the train a'comin. Wait, that's not a train, that was one locomotive dead heading north. 3:30 a.m.

Good early morning GH. We have just passed 3:00 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 34° as we strive to reach today's high of 35°. I have to remember that old saw, "Be careful what you wish for," when I wish for the warmer weather, because we are also under a flood watch until Friday morning. I should mention that a flood is highly unlikely at the "Palatial Estate," we live too far from the channel. However, if the melting snows can't soak into the frozen ground, the water they produce will find its way into the man-cave. On the other hand, we drop back into the upper twenties on Sunday for a couple of days. Then we begin anew the rise back into the thirties and forties. At least today will me mostly sunny. It is a good thing that spring begins today. Sigh.

Oh well, enough carping by yours truly. I had thought that Sugar the Weather Dog and I wouldn't get out on Wednesday morning, but we did, It was early because Mary had to get up for work. So off Sugar and I went. Then, since I was up, I decided to do all of those errands I though might wait for today. The weather would have been more pleasant today, but my being gone allowed Mary to work uninterrupted. I stopped in at the local big-box office supply store for a case of paper. Mary was worried that I tried to lift is myself, but I had the young lady at the store load it into the car for me. Discretion is the better part of valor. The clerk, who was much younger and stronger than my weak shoulder offered to lad the paper into the car. I graciously accepted.

Next, I went to the locally owned pet supply store for additional treats for the intrepid Weather Dog. Then I headed north to the big-box home center. I got everything that I wanted. However, I had to find one item myself that three clerks couldn't find. It pays to have an automotive repair background and thus to know where to look.

Was I done? Of course not. I had to make a stop at the big-box everything store to pick up a replacement monitor for my BP. I have been doing fine, but I like to regularly check, and so when I found that my old device had perished, I needed a new one. I had tried the medium-box drug and sundry store earlier in my trip, but they only had a sale on one that gave money off if you bought two. Why would I need two? Talk about false economy.

Now I was nearly done. A stop at our favorite grocery store netted everything on my list. But, one more stop was required. I needed to stop at the local health food store for three items that aren't available at the other stores. At last I was done. I called Mary to tell her I was on my way home. It was about 12:45 p.m. I off-loaded everything except for that heavy case of paper. Mary thought that some of the grocery bags were too heavy, but I mostly carried with my left arm, so I was okay.

Mary opted to bring in two reams of paper when she couldn't lift that heavy case of paper herself. I guess that her ability to lift heavy people in her youth, has not left her strong as she gracefully ages. She flies a desk now. We had lunch, I helped her highlight something that she was working on, and then it was time to sit for a few minutes before P/T. I had to schedule four more appointments to continue the process of rehab. I am making progress, but I guess that my ability to lift heavy auto parts in my youth has deserted me too, as I age less gracefully than Mary.

Finally home, where I collapsed before helping Mary until about 8:00 p.m. She made the executive decision to stop and finish this morning. A wise choice.

It was about 7:00 p.m. when the southbound train went by. The usual twin locomotives towing one lone box car, what looked like every covered hopper car the railroad could press into service, and a string of those dreaded black tank cars. The train reversed its course about 10:30 p.m., and headed back north, with more covered hopper cars and a longer string of those black tank cars. That 7:00 p.m. train was unusual. It did offer me a chance to get out of my chair, and as I said to Mary, "That's one of the reasons I live on a reality scale train board."

Sunrise today will be at 7:46 a.m. Sunset at 7:55 p.m. More than 12 hours of daylight. Tea time, breakfast, and the whole process starts over again. Walk Sugar, work with Mary, eat meals. Rinse, repeat. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 7:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 36°. We are headed for a high of 39° by about 2:00 p.m. That also comes with a chance of showers that will be turning into snow showers as the temperatures fall later this afternoon. Fortunately, it will be next Tuesday before we return to those below freezing temperature that have become commonplace this winter. Places like Muskegon, have snow on the ground this late in the year for the first time on record. We do have an obsession with records in this country, that's for sure.

Tuesday, I walked with Sugar the Weather Dog in the morning. We stopped at the local independent book store for the newspaper and then came home. Today, with the rain and snow events happening, I am not going to do my errands and I may move my P/T appointment to Friday so that I don't have to go out. Sugar will be expecting a walk, but I'm not doing that either if the predicted precipitation prognosticated becomes reality. I will be pragmatic about that event. There, I've exhausted the "P" words that seem appropriate for the occasion. Oh, I also placed more pieces in our puzzle too.

Today, I will read more, place more pieces in our puzzle, and perform more exercises for my shoulder. I am only up now waiting for the ache to subside a bit. Pain can be a real pleasure killer. There appears to be no panacea for the physical pain that comes post surgery for a shoulder. It just requires patience and persistence. I may also do some playing and picking with the Girls too. There, I now think I have used up all the "P" words for sure. There are undoubtedly more, but I need to stop. What would they say on a sitcom, "Enough with the "Ps" already."

Sunrise will be in about 50 minutes at 7:48 a.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. Didjamissme? No matter, it is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City," and I just didn't have the need to get up and blog yesterday. Today, my shoulder is aching again, so I am up to wait for the OTC pain pills to kick in.That takes about an hour before I can go back to bed and sleep comfortably. So I might as well blog about my day.

Our current temperature is 26° as we head for our pleasant high of 44° under partly cloudy skies. In fact, we should stay above freezing until Sunday, before we plunge back into the 20s. Oh well, next week we are supposed to reach 33° on Wednesday and into the 40s by Thursday. One can only hope. I took some pictures for my winter chronology, so I'll include a few at the end.

Sunday was a slow day around here. I worked some on our puzzle, Mary worked some on her work, and Sugar the Weather Dog  and I took a walk. It was my intent to walk down to the waterfront with her, but when I hit Washington downtown I turned tail, along with Sugar, and headed for home. My cheeks were frozen by the time we got back. Sugar was also very insistent yesterday too, so I had to take her for another walk. It wasn't as windy yesterday, so Sugar and I were able to walk a bit farther. Now that she knows I can walk with her again, she is very demanding. I like to believe that she knows that I need the exercise.

Otherwise, Mary and I worked on things around the house. We decided that if we won the lottery, we would still stay here in GH. We would do a few tune-up type things around and to the house, and do a bit more traveling. We all need our dreams.

Today, I plan to work more on our puzzle and do more reading. I can't puzzle for long, because sitting for an extended period in a hard chair takes a toll on my back. Actually, an office style chair produces the same effect. I used to get that when I had to do an extended period of grading when I taught. That just leaves reading in a soft chair. After my morning constitutional, courtesy of Sugar the Weather Dog, I might go out to the big-box home/hardware store and the local grocery, but that allows me to get up and out and avoid sitting in a chair for too long.

I did play a few tunes on the "Girls" both days, and I may add in a few more tunes today. Otherwise, nothing else is on tap. Today, sunrise will be at 7:52 a.m. and sunset at 7:51 p.m.. We are just one minute short of 12 full hours of daylight. I'll look at my picture library and add those now. Ciao.

As you can see, Ragus is slowly reappearing.

Our front porch rockers are too.

I cut the snow away from the trees, and now the back forty is reappearing.

Same here

This is not a picture of Washington, D.C., no snow on the driveway.
It is also not L.A., because the ground isn't shaking. 

Good morning GH. It is just past 8:00 a.m. in the morning, and that means that sunrise, which happened at 7:54 a.m., is in my rear-view mirror. Sunset will be at 7:51 p.m. this evening. We are almost there, a full 12 hours of daylight. I'd like to say that spring can't be far behind, but the 9° temperature this morning tends to mitigate against that statement. Seasonally speaking, spring happens on Thursday, March 20, of this week. We will be topping out at 23° today, but then temperatures should stay above freezing. Here's hoping.

Saturday, I got up a bit later, and then Sugar the Weather Dog and I went for our morning walk. Sugar is excited to get out with her pawferred human, and I am glad to be able to accommodate her. We are still dodging ice covered sidewalks, but those should be gone with a few more days of thawing. We ran into a pet parent who didn't feel the need for a leash, so that meant that I had to restrain Sugar a bit more than I wanted when this human's dog came at Sugar. I suggested that next time that the human take responsibility for doing the right thing. Somehow, I doubt that that will be the last time this dog is unrestrained.

Once we returned, after buying the Saturday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, Mary made French toast for breakfast. Then she went to work, I added pieces to our puzzle, and then got ready for my first Irish Jam in three months. I enjoyed myself as always, had only a little pain while I played, and stopped when I felt it was too intense. All good. Afterwards, Mary swung by in the car and we were off to the Post. Sally and the regular gang were there. I even won twice at the quarter drop. That was about the end of my luck, unless you count the chance to interact with people.

We stopped off at the local hot dog place and got dinner on the way home. Mary didn't feel like cooking, so that was fine with me. I wasn't in any hurry to cook myself. Once home, we ate, I watched some TV downstairs, and then I came upstairs to recline and watch more TV. I fell asleep in the Media Room, and then went off to bed. That's where I stayed until just before 8:00 a.m. For me that is unusual. I know that Mary who had been watching some movie downstairs came up after a while, but as to when, I have no idea.

Today, more puzzle for me, more work for Mary, and I'll be unpacking Bridget from our trip to the Irish Jam session. I am actually surprised that my shoulder doesn't ache more this morning. I'll take it. I may cook breakfast this morning, unless Mary has other plans. Once every few weeks I like to do that, but I haven't been able for an extended period. Somehow, I doubt that Mary will say no. I am thinking garbage potatoes, and toast. We have all of the ingredients.

Now that the snow has receded some, I discovered that the Buffalo box control for the water in the house is in the driveway. I want to have the plumber change the main water valve before we go out of town, so that I can turn it off when we go. I heard that suggestion on a radio home improvement show. I had never thought of it before, but that way any leaks can be stopped before they start.

I had heard that wash machine hoses should be changed periodically and that the valves leading to the washing machine should be closed before an extended out of town trip. However, that doesn't solve the problems that could crop up elsewhere in the house. Our old water valve is just that, old, and nearly impossible to turn. A simple idea that could save a flood.

That's it for today. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is 36° as we head down to our expected high of 32°. I liked Friday's temperatures much better. Oh well. That's what they say about the weather in the Midwest, if you don't like it, wait a few minutes. In San Diego, the weather never changes much. However at this point in time, I might like that. Indoors, our climate-controlled temperature, is 70°. Predictable, but boring?

Today is the Irish Jam at the library. I haven't been able to attend for a few months due to circumstances beyond my control. However, I am feeling well enough to be able to play a few tunes. This being just a few days before St. Patrick's Day, I want to go and try. I can always listen more than I play.

Sugar the Weather Dog, along with Mary and I, got in our second walk on Friday afternoon. Today we will try again.. Sugar doesn't like walking in the street, but with the sidewalks mostly ice covered, we have no choice. Mary and I were over by Spring Lake yesterday, and they have a jogging path that is essentially snow free down to the pavement. I wonder why our municipality can't accomplish that?

We were over by Spring Lake because we had been to Fruitport to check out the new TSC store. I had heard from Adam that he likes them. We did too. I probably would have liked the store more in the past, when I was doing more tool things, but they do have organic seeds and gardening things. So that's good for the 2.0 version of me in 2014. What's not to like about a place that has a large supply of John Deere branded things? For me, some things never change.

Otherwise, I did place more pieces in our puzzle. I am making progress, but there are a few pieces that elude me. I'll get them. I got the laundry washed and mostly folded and put away too. We didn't get around to breakfast/lunch until after 1:00 p.m. yesterday. Mary made her now famous sauerkraut and Swiss cheese sandwiches. As always, I liked them. On our way back from TSC, we were going to the Post, but detoured to our second favorite watering hole because we were hungry. Like most places, they are offering a fish fry on Fridays. It was okay, but it wasn't as good as one we had north of here. In fact, although Mary had their coleslaw, she liked both the fish and the coleslaw at the place north of here better. When it comes to coleslaw, Mary is a connoisseur.

That's enough for now. The snow began to melt more on Friday, but that's over for a few days. Now we have the usual spring thaw slipperiness that comes with temperatures just below freezing or thereabouts. The sun will melt the snow just enough to produce black ice, and so walking will be more hazardous. I planned to walk to the Irish Jam, but that plan is subject to change. Sugar will also want her walk, but that is open to a change too.

Sunrise will be at 7:56 a.m. and sunset at 7:49 p.m. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City," and our current temperature outdoors is 33°. Indoors the temperature is a more comfortable 71°. Today we are expecting a high of 40°, and then the only day with temperatures under 30° is Tuesday. Yee-Haw! Best of all, the precipitation predicted for next Wednesday is 40%, and that will be rain.

Thursday found me working on our puzzle, reading some, and playing "The Girls" some. What's not to like? I did some exercises too, but as is often the case, the day after my P/T, my shoulder is a bit sore. I think to day will be better. My feeling is that today will be much like yesterday, except that I may add in some laundry to stay ahead of it. For breakfast, I had my first apple in my Cheerios, shared by Sugar the Weather Dog, and I think we both enjoyed it.

After breakfast, Sugar and I took a walk to the local independent book seller and bought the newspaper before going on a more extended walkabout. Today, Mary tells me that if Sugar and I wait until it gets warmer, around midday, she will join us. Mary made a great salad for lunch, I even ate some mushrooms, and that was mostly fine with me. I wish I could like mushrooms, but I find that their texture is something that I can easily live without. Sugar, on the other hand, loves the stems that Mary would otherwise discard. Those, along with the dregs from the tuna fish can that Mary lets Sugar chase around. Sugar is fun to watch, and I truly believe that she thinks that with apples, mushroom stems, and that tuna can, she has hit the jackpot. As people have often observed, without thumbs, Sugar struggles a bit. But like they also say, the joy of the journey is a pursuit in itself. Did you ever wonder who the proverbial "They" is?

Otherwise, I like having nowhere to go, and all day to get there. Mary has to work, and I have to do the laundry. We both get to "Work from home," but I think my work is a lot easier. I also have a confession to make. Although my aching shoulder often makes me get up to allow the OTC pain pills to kick in, I find myself drawn to my blog like the proverbial moth to the flame. I'd say that I would be like lemmings to the sea, but that's a myth. Those small rodents have a periodic unexplained population explosion, but they have no desire to toss themselves into the sea. In fact, push come to shove, they are fully capable of swimming. There, I have now officially used enough proverbial sayings for one blog.

Today in GH, the sun will rise at 7:58 a.m., just before...Tea time. Sunset will occur nearly 12 hours later at 7:49 p.m. Our high temperature of 40° today, will happen about 1:00 p.m. That should work out just fine for our walking schedule. At 40°, it should feel almost balmy out there. As I, not the proverbial they, have been known to say, "What's not to like?"

I just watched the northbound train go by. This one was decidedly more fuel efficient than the one yesterday morning. The usual twin EMD GP 38 locomotives, one new and one older, towing a contingent of 55 covered hopper cars, one way older covered hopper car, one box car and two of those dreaded black tank cars. Maybe I should be more worried about those covered hopper cars. I like to believe that they are filled with cereal grains and the like. I somehow missed the southbound train.

So, that looks like about enough for today. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is a chilly 10°. Our high later today is forecast to be 28°. On Friday, it will be a balmy 42°. Unfortunately, then the temperatures will plunge back to the lower 30s on Saturday, before they fall to the upper 20s on Sunday. It looks like we will stay in the 20s until Tuesday, when we return to the lower 30s. Here's hoping that those temperature forecasts are the harbinger of good things to come. We should be averaging in the low to mid 40s by now. The view out the Weather Window is dark with a side of cloudy. I base that on the fact that I can't see any stars this morning.

Once again, it looks like we dodged the storm bullet. According to the TV weather report, the snow hit hard in Chicago, South Bend, IN, and St. Joseph, MI, and surrounding counties, not to mention the East Coast. That's fine with me.

I have been waiting since just after 12:00 a.m. for the Internet service to come back. The cable television service has been working fine all along, but the Internet which feeds this computer and our radios, was out. Why? I don't know and I doubt that if I had called, whether anyone at the cable company would have done anything.

Actually, they would have gone through all of the standard fixes that they are supposed to recommend. Unplug your router. Let it rest for at least one minute, plug it in again and wait for it to reboot. Oh, be sure that you checked all of your connections too. If that didn't work, they would schedule a service call. Chances are that the box that is open on the pole may have something to do with it. Ever since the installer was here to add cable to my neighbors house a few days ago, that box has been open and a reel of coaxial cable has been sitting on the ground below. I guess I need to call the company. That shouldn't be my responsibility.

Wednesday afternoon, Mary went to the dentist. I mistakenly thought she was scheduled to go in the morning. While she was gone, I did the dishes and then worked on our puzzle. I am making significant progress. I went to my P/T appointment and the therapist stretched me some, taught me some new exercises, and then told me to keep on keeping on until next week.

Mary came along, and while there, she found an advertisement/listing for the same company that operates the center where I go. They offer a six session get ready for golf activity, that will improve your stroke, make sure that you don't hurt yourself, and teach you some additional stretches. I plan to give it a try. Even if I don't play much, I can uses the additional information. It is relatively inexpensive too.

The train went by heading south at around 12:30 a.m. Two locomotives towing one box car and 23 covered hopper cars. The same locomotives headed back north at about 3:15 a.m., towing nothing. I wonder what they are doing when they aren't going by. I also wonder how having an engineer and two locomotives "Deadheading" back to the other end of the line is an efficient use of fuel.

Today I have no real plans. Mary has to work, but I don't have anything specific in mind. Reading, exercising, playing "The Girls," and working on our puzzle. Oh, I have to take Sugar the Weather Dog for our second walk together this year. I had been unable to walk with her due to my shoulder surgery since early December. We have to walk in the streets because the sidewalks are still snow covered in most places, but if we are careful, we do fine.

Yesterday when I was getting ready to go out for that first walk, Mary took out two quarters to allow me to buy the the Grand Haven Tribune, at the local independent bookstore. Sugar picked up on that cue immediately when I placed the quarters in my pocket and she was ready to go, as though the months since my surgical incapacity had never happened. She didn't forget what the quarters in my pocket meant. When I got ready to go to P/T, she thought it was time for her second daily walk. That's something that we generally did before my surgery. Like I said, she never forgets the little details.

That looks like enough for this morning. Sunrise will be at 7:38 a.m., just before...Tea time and another bowl from that last box of Cheerios. Sunset will happen at 7:47 p.m. I tried to get Mary to buy more cereal the other day when we went to the store, but she told me to be patient, this box had a few more days in it. Ciao.

Good early morning GH, It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 36° as we head down to today's high of 25°. We won't see the 40s again until Friday, and then only for one day. It looks like we may have dodged a bullet that is called Vulcan. The snowfall that is forecast to hit the East Coast and points south, won't hit us, for once. That means that Mary can make it to her dental appointment later this morning, and I can make it to my P/T appointment later this afternoon.

I am currently looking out the Weather Window and there is no sign of that snow. Indoors, our temperature is 72 digitally reported degrees. I am tempted to quote from that old song, What a Difference a Day Made, wherein the lyrics state that, "What a difference a day made, twenty-four little hours." I almost used that lyric yesterday. When the outdoor temperature goes up, the indoor temperature in this old house, (pardon my pun), goes up too. I can look forward to another change by tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, Mary and I journeyed to the medium-box grocery store to pick up those things that we didn't get at the larger store the day before. The experiences were 180° apart. Pleasant engaged people, we easily found all of the items we wanted, and we didn't have to walk for what seemed like miles in a store too hot for comfort. In short, everything that a store can be. There are only one or two items that we have to get at that big-box store that we can't get at the medium sized store. We may have to adapt. We also traded in that smaller bag of food that we had picked up for Sugar the Weather Dog while we were out. Instead we got the larger bag that did offer a significant economy of scale.

In the later afternoon yesterday, we made a decision to take the older bag of food to the local shelter. They are always in need of food for the shelter dogs, and both Mary and I have a soft spot for shelters and their dogs. Sugar couldn't understand why we were taking away her food, but she was okay when she found that a replacement was on hand. You'll find a picture at the end that helps to explain.

Last night at 9:55 p.m. to 10:05 p.m., the train went by heading south. In order for the train to move any slower, it would have to stop. 28 cars and two locomotives took 10 full minutes to cross the nearby railroad crossing. Several impatient drivers were held up by the slow train. Twin locomotives, and their tow, moved so slowly that the wheels on the rails sounded like a Chicago elevated train. What an eclectic collection of cars. One box car, 20 covered hopper cars, one older, graffiti covered hopper car, and then a mix of five black, one white and two black tank cars brought up the rear.

Earlier this morning, at 2:15 a.m., the same locomotives headed north pulling a long string of covered hopper cars. That train took only a couple of minutes to pass. That means that all of the train traffic should be over for the night/morning.

Today, I plan to work on our puzzle more before I go to that P/T appointment. Yesterday, Mary reminded me to get out of the chair and walk around a bit, lest my back start aching again. She was right. However, while she was using my computer to do her twice weekly chat with her work group, my little box of chips became infected with multiple pieces of spyware. I spent several tedious minutes trying to get this machine to respond before I gave up, rebooted, and ran the scanners. I often wonder why I have an Internet security service when the service never seems to secure anything.

I did take some pictures for my winter chronology just in case the storm hit us. I'll share a couple at the end.

That looks like enough for now. Sunrise will be at 8:01 and sunset at 7:45 p.m. Ciao

Why these dogs? Because they were lifesavers when I was in the hospital a few years back.

What Ragus can see from her spot on the porch

Here too. 

Our trees have taken a beating this winter, with branches pinned in the snow.

We were almost there by late yesterday afternoon, you can see the grass in the middle .

Our hose is peeking out from beneath the snow covering the outdoor entrance to the "Man-Cave."

By way of perspective,  man vs. snow.  Note the relatively cleaner driveway.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City." Currently our indoor temperature is 71°, due in large measure to the outdoor temperature of 37°. That means that although all I can see out the Weather Window is darkness, I know that the snow piles continue to melt. That's good for us, for Sugar the Weather Dog, and humankind in general.

Unfortunately, with the exception of a couple of days later this week, once the curtain falls on today, we go back into the twenties. That will effectively end the melting of the snow and make driving and walking more hazardous. Hopefully, the prediction for three more inches of snow over lower Michigan later this week, courtesy of Winter Storm Vulcan, is wrong. Given the way that winter has gone so far, I'm not counting on that. Mary talked to Sugar's walker, and promised to call if we need her. We may. Sigh.

Mary and I journeyed to the big box grocery/everything store mid-afternoon yesterday. I was lucky enough to get the can return duty, which as it turned out, was probably better. Mary was dressed for the outdoors, so the heat turned up too high inside that store for a warmer day, nearly caused her to pass out. I think that some people are veterans when it comes to big box shopping. Mary just wants the experience to be over.

Once that experience was over, we headed for the veterinarian to get some additional food for Sugar. This is her special kidney diet and it is expensive in a smaller amount. Although still expensive, next time I'll have to buy a larger quantity. There is a real savings in buying in bulk in this case. I just had a thought. Since I haven't opened the smaller bag, maybe I can take the smaller bag back and buy the larger one. I'll have to ask Mary. I don't want to drive. I have to do that on Wednesday afternoon while she works and I go to P/T.

Afterwards, we stopped in at our favorite watering hole for dinner. On the way there, we passed the Armory Building in GH. This building is 109 years old and has served as an armory, the YMCA, and is now offices and shops. As we passed, both coming and going, people were coming out and milling around. The Public Safety people were rolling up as we passed the first time. According to the Grand Haven Tribune, it turns out that one of the shop owners smelled or saw smoke coming from an unused area of the building.

Using sophisticated thermal imaging cameras, Public Safety determined that a faulty heating unit was the culprit. They turned control of the building over to a maintenance person who promised to call an HVAC repair person today. Since this building is of an historic nature, Public Safety was taking no chances.

That was about it for our day. We came home, watched the snow melt, and watched a little TV. I went upstairs to the "Media Room," while Mary remained downstairs. After a while I fell asleep in my chair, and Mary must have come up to bed, where I found her when I came to bed later. I am up now because of my aching shoulder. However, the OTC pain pill will handle that shortly and I can return to bed.

I got all of my housework done yesterday afternoon, which Mary will say contributed to my aches and pains. However, my shoulder feels about the same as it always does after lying in bed for a few hours. So it is just possible that the extra exertion didn't hurt me, and may have helped.

The train passed heading south at 9:47 p.m. last night. I haven't heard one going north yet, but that often happens about 4:00 a.m. The one I saw had twin EMD GP 38 locomotives pulling 21 covered hopper cars, three of those dreaded black tank cars, and four of the usually benign white tank cars. If the train heading north goes by before I go back to bed, I'll add it to this blog.

Today Mary will work, and I'll read and work on our puzzle. That's about enough for today. Having completed the housework, the laundry, and with Mary and I getting the shopping done yesterday, I don't have any further ambitions.

Sunrise will be at 8:03 a.m. and sunset at 7:45 p.m. Ciao

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City." It is amazing what a one degree difference in the indoor temperature feels like. It was 70° in the Weather Office yesterday morning around this time and only 69° this morning. I felt the need to put on my slippers and my fleece from the Wisconsin Dells, to ward off the chill. On this second morning of DST, the view out the Weather Window is dark, with a side of melting snow. It is 36° this morning. Those warmer outdoor temperatures are forecast to last through Tuesday, when we return to the twenties for several days. We should see some melting by then, but alas, certainly not all of the snow cover will be gone.

Sunday I almost got up the energy to go to the library to see a fiddle group from one of the area high schools. I have heard some of their members play with the Irish Jam sessions I like to play with, and they are quite proficient. However, since that would have required getting into the car to go one and one half blocks to the library, I chose not to go. I didn't want to run the car because the sidewalks were icy on March 9. For the same reason, Sugar the Weather Dog didn't get a walk. The forecast calls for our temperatures to remain low for the next couple of weeks.

Mary and I  collectively completed a collage style picture that we have been working on for two years. That collage shows the Castro Theater in both a printed format that we got in San Francisco and in two pictures that Mary took while we were there two years ago. That was the year that it was 70 - 80 beautiful degrees here, and in the 50s and rainy in San Francisco. Not just the usual drizzly rain that seems to be part of San Francisco weather, but a heavy Midwest type of rain. During our visit, on a whim, Mary and I rode the trolley out to "The Castro" as the area is known by the locals.

Like the legendary "Haight-Ashbury" district in San Francisco, "The Castro" has a character that is distinct and different. Instead of what are collectively known as hippies, both then and now, "The Castro" is now home to the LGBT community of San Francisco. In the halcyon days of San Francisco, "The Castro" was a vibrant, working class community with what has to be the coolest hardware store that I have ever been privy to see. Now it is home to a diverse population, many superb restaurants, and that hardware store.

Our collective collage efforts now have a prominent home in our Media Room. It used to hang in what is now home to a movie poster of the film Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Since the theme of our collage is the Castro Theater, it is perfect in its final home on the north wall.

Today I plan to finish my housework, do the laundry, and work a little on our puzzle. I worked on the puzzle yesterday, just before dinner, but I stopped for the day as it was getting dark in the dining room. Plus, since I occupy part of the dining room table while I am working, I had to clear room for dinner. Dinner consisted of some leftovers from our favorite watering hole, and the remainder of a veggie meatloaf that we had had for lunch.

At lunch time, Mary made her now famous cauliflower gravy to use as a garnish for the veggie meatloaf. She critiqued her own efforts on the gravy, saying she forgot to put in the Worcestershire sauce. I liked it anyway, but I like most of the meals that Mary prepares. If I don't, I tell her. We had as a side with lunch, a salad recipe that Mary crafted from that cookbook she picked up when we were out the other day. Sauerkraut, chopped onions, carrots, sugar and vinegar, combined with olive oil to create what we both agreed is a wonderful taste treat. Mary didn't add quite as much sugar as the recipe called for, and maybe that is why it was so good. We both tend to like things a bit more tart than sweet. The salad requires some time in the refrigerator to let all of the ingredients blend and complement each other.

I also found time to exercise and play the girls too. However, since I haven't been actively finger picking for several weeks, my wrist hurt more than my shoulder. Go figure. Still, it felt good to play none the less. Given all that I have placed on my own plate today, I doubt that I'll get in much additional playing time. I will get to my exercises though.

Sunrise will be at 8:07 a.m., and sunset at 7:42 p.m. I've not heard any trains, so if they come, I'll be in bed by then. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 6:30 a.m. E.D.T. in "The City." Our current temperature right outside the Weather Window is 12°. Indoors, it is a much more comfortable 70°. Since we have now sprung forward, it should be darker in the A.M., but it will stay lighter in the P.M. Most opinions say that it makes driving safer in the evening, allows children to have more social time, and in general, allows farmers to work in the fields longer. When you are retired, most of those things don't matter.

Success, I managed to set my watch to match the current DST time for the Eastern Time Zone. I am feeling empowered. Score watch 0, Jack 1. My computer, just to mock me I believe, changed the time all by itself. I changed all of the clocks, including the ones downstairs. That is except for the clock radio in the the downstairs bedroom. It is supposed to take care of itself, but darned if I can figure it out. Maybe Adam or Steph knows.

Yesterday we got up late, and then had a light breakfast before journeying to the Post for Soup and Slider Fest. Five restaurants were represented, and each had their own offering, though some were similar. Sally says that Friday and Saturday were a particularly busy couple of days. I think that most of us were tired of winter and just ready to have some social time. We had a good time, Mary took some pictures, and then it was time to go home.

As is often the case, I got tired and then came upstairs for a nap. My nap lasted a bit longer than planned, but that's okay. One good thing, before I could spend too much time in my clothes, I changed into my scrubs for my nap. If you have noticed, I like being in my scrubs. Does that make me old?

Sugar the Weather Dog went out with Mary for a walk yesterday before we left, but according to Mary, Sugar seemed perfectly content to just walk and not get down to business, so to speak. Sugar is a sentient being, so she has a mind of her own. However, even she can't delay the call of nature forever.

Today more shoulder strengthening exercises, more puzzle, and perhaps a bit of fiction reading. Maybe some playing of the "Girls," but that is always determined by how my shoulder feels. I got the email from the coordinator of the Irish Jam at the library to remind us that the next session is on Saturday the 15th. I plan to go, but I will have to limit my playing time. That's okay with me, just being able to play is a plus.

Otherwise not much on tap for today. Laundry may rear its ugly head. While Mary and Sugar were out yesterday, I started the vacuuming, so that needs to be finished.

Sunrise will be at 8:07 a.m., and sunset at 7:42 p.m. That confirms the darker mornings and lighter evenings. Only AZ and HI do not observe DST. Indiana used to not change either, and some counties there still observe Central time and others some still don't change. Here in GH, we are about as far west as you can get, and not be in the Central Time Zone.

No trains this morning. Ciao

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 33°. It looks like we will be in the thirties for the next several days. On Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the source consulted, we drop into the twenties for one day and then return to the thirties. Hopefully, we stay there or above for a long time. Indoors, 70° is the current temperature. The view out the Weather Window is dark, but at 2:00 a.m., that's to be expected.

I had to throw in a mention of an activity that I accomplished last Wednesday. I noticed that the striker plate was missing from one of the doors here in the estate. Since we have antique door hardware, I was afraid that I"d have to go shopping in various stores to locate a replacement. However, something jogged my memory, and I went to the bench in the man-cave. Lo and behold, I found a striker plate in one of the drawers. With a little help from my chisels, a hammer, and a drill motor, I successfully installed the plate. Mary didn't even notice that we had a plate missing, but I did, and therefore I just had to effect a replacement. A complete success.

I have to thank Adam for his rearrangement of the man-cave about two years ago. Since I sit at the bench periodically and open the drawers, I was able to remember that I had that plate. That was about my limit for woodworking this week. My shoulder is still aching, but when I am careful, I can do many things.

Speaking of that achy shoulder, that's why I am up right now, waiting for the pain pill to kick in. Writing this reminded me to get up and stretch my aching back. Mary says that I need to do that more often, and she is right. There are concessions that have to be made to age. Mary and I noted that we have been unable to walk much this year. Too much snow and ice.

Mary checked past entries in her blog en route to looking up something else, and found pictures that showed green grass in Central Park and hardly any snow in late winter last year. In a picture she took in Duncan Woods, near the hospital, one of her blogs shows no snow in January 2013. Along with the caption, her blog describes she and Sugar the Weather Dog walking with me to a doctor's appointment at the hospital. They turned off at Duncan Woods and I kept going. What a difference a year makes.

Speaking of the hospital, I went to my P/T appointment and all went well. However, there are somethings that I still can't do, so the therapist gave me some additional exercises and a different resistance band to help me at home. He said don't hurt yourself, but keep up the exercising. He stretched my shoulder before my personal efforts, and that helped a lot.

Yesterday, after my appointment, Mary and I journeyed to GR to see the Home and Garden show. Mary took some pictures and she will blog about our visit. A lot of walking, more than we have done in quite a spell. We did get some useful items, so the trip wasn't wasted. However, the potholes in the roads leading to and from GR, and in GR itself, were a challenge. I still wonder where the money that this state collects in a special gasoline tax to repair roads is going. I must mention, that I got my annual Shamrock Shake on the way home. One a year is fine with me.

Today is Soup and Slider Fest at the Post. Local restaurants will be purveying their efforts, and there will be live music. That will consume part of our morning and early afternoon. Since I need to stay out of my puzzle chair, that's all good. Speaking of getting up periodically, I am doing that right now. I also need to not overuse the phrase "Speaking of," any more in this blog. Oops, I just did.

When we got back to GH, we stopped in at our favorite watering hole. One of the wait staff, who has been on maternity leave, has returned. She shared pictures of her new baby. Cute and smiley, just as they should be.

One train this morning at 4:15 a.m., heading north. Twin locomotives, several covered hopper cars, three box cars, one lone black tank car, and what appeared to be hopper cars that are older and well used. I must have missed the southbound train earlier last night. That's okay, there is always another day.

Tomorrow morning, I'll share my semi-annual experiences with setting my wrist watch ahead for daylight savings time.. I checked my archives and found the setting instructions, and I think I've got it. At the risk of sounding trite, only time will tell.

Sunrise will be at 7:07 a.m., and sunset at 6:40 p.m. I brought in the last and final box of cheerios from the pantry on Friday. I still have to finish the box in the cabinet, but I need to add to the available amount. As I told Mary, I like cold cereal, but I need a change to something other than Cheerios. Hint, hint. Mary, next time you are at the store, buy some raisin bran, crisped rice, wheat flakes, corn flakes, anything other than Cheerios. There I've said it. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 14° as we head for our daily high of 37°. The fact that we anticipate that 37°, is in and of itself a great thing. We are currently trending towards one of the coldest and snowiest winters in recent memory. I heard something on a morning news program yesterday that of the top five snowiest cities in the nation, with a population in excess of 100,000, GR is at number three. They have a spot that is ahead of Buffalo, NY. Here in the Weather Office, the temperature is 70°.

I did it! I spent all of yesterday in my scrubs. Mary went out to the store by herself. It was one of the big box stores, so she was already at a disadvantage. I stayed behind and fell asleep in my office chair. I don't know what it was, but I was sleepy for most of the day. In fact, I didn't awaken this morning until a short time ago. I went to bed about 10:00 p.m., so that is a lot of rack time for me after having taken a nap earlier in the day.

I was awake long enough to see the train go by heading south. Twin locomotives, eight longer covered hopper cars, six shorter covered hopper cars, one black tank car, and one gray tank car. An interesting configuration. Not long after, the lights came on signaling the approach of another train, but I didn't see one. I promptly fell asleep after that, so the train may have gone by heading north, but I missed it.

Today I have that P/T appointment at 1:00 p.m. I think I'll avoid the puzzle, because the excess chair time required by that activity makes my lower back ache; like I don't have enough achy parts. I haven't played my girls in several days and I haven't even done much with my home exercises. Although my shoulder is doing fine per the doctor, I think that the cold and winter is slowing my recovery.

Mary washed the pillows yesterday. They are now nice and fluffy and comfortable. I guess that when they labeled them as washable, they were right.

Not much else on tap for today. Sugar the Weather Dog has spent some time the last few days in the mud room chewing her tooth cleaning bone in the indoor "Bone Zone." She may get a chance again today. I am almost certain that she would prefer some time in the outdoor "Bone Zone," but the snow piles and cold currently preclude that.

Sunrise today will be at 7:09 a.m., shortly before...Tea time. Later, sunset will be at 6:40 pm. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature is 11° according to two sources that I consulted. Indoors, the temperature is 69° on the digital readout in the Weather Office. Best of all, the view out the Weather Window is dark and clear. That means that no snow is in the forecast. Not to worry, we have enough. The current forecast from the Weather Channel™ is for temperatures to continue to rise to 40° by Friday. Then we drop down to 30° on Saturday and Sunday. However, we return back to 35° on Monday. Mary told me the other day, that in Muskegon, they have multiple inches of snow on the ground this late in March for the first time in recorded history.

As promised, I have some pictures that I'll share later. These pictures are from the winter snow chronology that I am keeping. While they don't look all that much different from earlier ones, they do show the piles that existed as of Tuesday and that are hopefully gone by April.

Wednesday, Mary decided to join me at the doctor's office and I am glad that she did. Like many people, when I go to the doctor, I don't ask the questions that I should. In this case, with her help, I got the answers that I needed, though not necessarily those I wanted. A true mixed bag. Yes, aches are normal for about a year. Yes, another month and I can slowly increase my lifting limit to fifteen pounds and then gradually increase it from there. Yes, I have been using my left arm to compensate for my weaker right arm, so it is not surprising that it too is aching. Yes, healing is progressing as expected. Be patient.

I had that P/T appointment scheduled for 4:00 p.m. too, but I rescheduled it for Friday, as we were done at the doctor's office earlier than expected. That gave us time to go to an antique store that we haven't visited for awhile. We got a few inexpensive things, one of which Mary spotted and which I'll share a picture of at the very end. Mary, as is often the case, got a small cookbook. I'll let her tell you about it in her blog.

Once done antiquing, we headed for home, with a stop at the Post to see the folks there. We watched a program on TV that told Mary what she already knew. It was about only buying organic vegetables, especially potatoes, using things that only come in glass jars, and avoiding dairy products that have hormones in them. If you need more information, maybe Mary will share with you in her blog.

Time to head for home where we ordered and ate delivered food. Then I was ready for bed. I'm up now because of that achy shoulder, but I'll be ready for bed again soon. Mary stayed up later than me, but when she came to bed, she slept like I usually don't. I should mention another question that we asked the doctor. Yes, it is normal for a shoulder to pull on healing ligaments when lying in bed, and that produces the ache. Surprise.

Sunrise will be at 7:11 a.m., and sunset at 6:35 p.m. Now for those promised pictures.

The piles in front are taller than the porch railing.

This is the cut out that our snow removal service made for the trash can.

New snow covers the old, but you can't hide the piles.

The deck pile that has resulted from the snow this year. 

So much snow, that the trees are buried.

The pile in the back continues to grow.

Nowhere else to pile the driveway snow.

That trinket that Mary spotted. Those who know me, know why.