Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City," and our current temperature is 42° as we head for today's high of 49°. However that comes with a caveat, because Thursday it got a lot warmer than the forecast indicated. So it could be warmer, cooler, or anywhere in between. In addition, our greatest chance for precipitation is Thursday, when a 40% prediction has been made by the National Weather Service. Closer to home, the local "Weather Office" is predicting that when sunrise occurs at 6:53 a.m. this morning, we will have weather and we will have sunshine and clouds. I know that's a tough forecast to have to make, but sometimes we "Weather Guys" have to go out on a limb.

Thursday, Mary and I worked in the yard in our fleece vests and long sleeve shirts. The temperature had reached the upper 50s and we felt certain that were safe to do that. We got the leaves off of the rose garden in the front of the "Palatial Estate" and Mary planted some tubers she had picked up during our visit to the Home and Garden Show in GR early last month. We have hopes that their chosen location allows them to thrive. Once we were done out front, we moved to the back forty of the "Palatial Estate," and emptied some dirt into our newly created mulch pit from one of the planters. We have hopes that the mulch pit will provide nutritious soil for future gardening instead of having to buy pre-made mulch. That used to work well in our old home. Time will tell. That and the ability of the gardeners to dig it up and move it about.

I must mention that Sugar the Weather Dog joined us out back in her person "Bone Zone." We have to get more, because that was her last one. When we came in, we brought the bone into the mud room. Sugar rediscovered it there later when Mary left the door open, and while Mary and I weren't looking, Sugar surreptitiously retrieved it carried it into the dining room. Fortunately it was already clean on the outside, so no dirt was transferred to the carpet.

I discovered that my wheelbarrow that I built last year and aired up, had a flat tire. When I tried to air it up this year, all I heard was the sound of escaping air. The thing was never used, so I am not happy. I am hoping that the problem is the connection to the air pump, but I have my doubts. I may take the wheel back to the store where I bought it and demand that they make it right. There is a limit to my  forbearance. I know that Adam would say that you get what you pay for, but in this case, since I didn't use the item at all, it should be able to last more than one winter hanging in the garage. My dad would never accept this as "normal" for a tire.

We decided after more raking and dirt moving that we would go for some additional mulch and save our backs. A good idea, but the garden place was closed. So we went to a nearby grocery store and that was a pleasant experience.

Finally we landed at what might now be our second favorite watering hole, and the first place winner on the other side of the bridge leading to Spring Lake. Cold beverages and a special that gives you a pizza and a pitcher of beer and a two topping pizza for $15.00. You can also get two ten inch sub sandwiches for the same amount. We didn't know what to expect, but the pizza was good. It came from a shop a few doors down. Turns out that the shop also delivers to GH. What's not to like?

I should mention that we were caught in a backup at the drawbridge over the Grand River on our outbound trip. However, I think the bridge tender was just messing with traffic to see what would happen, because we saw no boats once the bridge was down and we passed over it. I think that the guy in charge of bridges in NJ, who recently resigned, has transferred here. What was the quote there? Oh yeah, "Time for a little traffic trouble," or words that effect. Since that drawbridge is the only way for people to cross the Grand on Route 31, unless you go way to the east to use the new bypass, it might have been a way to convince people that they need to diversify their route choices.

Locally, MIDOT has floated an idea that they should remove our Beacon St./ Route 31 parkway and give us more lanes to ease traffic congestion. But since that drawbridge will not get any wider nor quicker, that wouldn't make a difference, especially when pedestrians try to cross Beacon. Oh well, somebody's crony probably needs a construction project. There is a move afoot to increase the road tax millage to fill potholes. In GR, some suggest that they are letting the holes grow in depth and number to cause people to vote in favor. As it is, there has been a tax collected for years to repair roads, but no one knows where that revenue is going, only where it isn't.

Today I have a P/T appointment, which may be my final. I am able to work on the "Palatial Estate" without much shoulder pain, so it may now be a matter of patience and strength building. In fact, I can play my "Girls" with little pain too. That was always my goal. I think that my back ached more after yesterday's activity than my shoulder.

Other than that. Mary and I have a bit of additional planting to do in our gardens, and then I can get on with the balance of my day. I have little else that is pressing. Sunset will happen today at 8:29 p.m.

I think that I heard the southbound train around 12:30 a.m. I haven't heard anything since then. If there is going to be a northbound run, it will have to happen soon. Update, it happened at 4:05 a.m. The usual twin EMD GP 38 locomotives in their regular livery, followed by 22 covered hopper cars, some sporting livery courtesy of our local West MI "Taggers." Tow white tank cars, two box cars and two of those dreaded black tank cars.

In sports, the Tigers downed the Indians 7 - 5 to move back into first place in the AL Central by one half game over the Twins and one full game over that other team from Chicago. My beloved Red Sox defeated those guys 3 - 1, but the Sox are still a sub 500 team in the AL East. The boys in blue had a travel day off as they came back to Chicago to face off against the Reds this afternoon. The boys are currently at 4 - 10 in their division. The Caps are now at 9 - 5 and one half game back following their defeat of the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 4 - 0. Ciao.