Good early morning GH. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City," and the current temperature, according to the analog instruments located in the Weather Window, is 48°. While Monday started out warm and pleasant, the day degenerated by late afternoon. In fact, Sugar the Weather Dog knew it was going to rain before we did. She made a beeline to her hide-e-hole as the front moved in. We looked out the window and saw the first drops, after she had departed. We anticipate today's high to be no more than 47° with a low of 33°. That's why Mary has delayed the transplantation of her indoor garden to the outdoors. That same weather scenario is supposed to repeat itself on Saturday. As the local television/radio weather forecaster lamented, this is going to be a roller coaster year.

As Mary and I were walking through Central Park with Sugar the Weather Dog on Monday morning, we noted that the tulips were coming up. No flowers yet, just like in Mary's tulip pot in the back forty. Two years ago, it got so warm, that the tulips here in town and in Holland, MI, home to the Tulip Time Fest™, became stems before the May 3 Tulip Time™ fest. This year we joked that it might be "Bud Fest" instead. Two years ago was the year that we had 80° plus days in early spring that ruined the fruit crop when the temperatures plunged back below freezing and the early buds were damaged on the fruit trees.

So we wait and watch as the natural order of things plays itself out.

I phoned the plumber on Monday and he is set to come this afternoon. We started using his services when we first moved in, and so we trust his work and his skills. No ups and no extras, to borrow from that long ago car painting pitchman. The plumber does what you ask or what you need and that's a great thing.

Monday afternoon found us at the grocery store to get a few things that we lacked. When we got back, Mary spent a few hours in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove. She groused about the heat, but in fact, she loves being able to chop and blend. I did the laundry. Today I'll steam clean the floors after her efforts in the kitchen. She made cauliflower sauce that is a great base for many sauces. She just has to augment it for various dishes. She also made chili using a recipe that she actually follows, with regard to the amount of spices. She plays with the amount of garlic, onions, peppers, and tomatoes, but she believes, and I agree, that the balance of spices should not be altered.

She even found time to make her sauerkraut and Swiss cheese sandwiches for lunch before we went to the grocers. Sugar the Sous Dog was there for all of Mary's culinary efforts on Monday. Sugar gets cauliflower and thinks she is getting something special. We don't tell her that it is essentially no calories and good for her.

Some of the things I didn't get to on Monday I'll work on today. By the time I was done with the laundry etc., I just wanted to relax. Retirement is such hard work sometimes.

I heard a train go by around 12:00 a.m., probably heading south. The northbound train came through about 4:15 a.m. Twin EMD GP 38 locomotives in their usual livery, 32 covered hopper cars, one with Seaboard Line livery, 10 of those dreaded black tank cars and two white ones, along with one lone box car. I feel like Dick Fox, a writer for the Grand Haven Tribune, who reports on the comings and goings of the commercial ships here in the GH area. He only writes during the shipping season and does a great job. I have more trains to report on, but they are not all that varied as a rule.

In sports, the boys in blue rebounded with a strong win on Monday night over the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5 - 1, but they are still sporting a 6 - 12 record and are ensconced in last place. Unfortunately, my beloved Red Sox are not faring well either. They too are in last place, following a 6 - 7 loss to the Orioles. The Tigers dropped one to that other tam from Chicago, but the Tigers are still one game up in their division. The Caps fell too, to the Bowling Green Hot rods, 4 - 7. The Blackhawks handed the Blues of St. Louis a 2 - 0 defeat to move to a 1 - 2 deficit in their playoff series. The Bulls also lost, to the Charlotte Bobcats, 86 - 91. That followed a loss to the Washington Wizards. The Bulls are still headed for the playoffs with a winning record.

Sunrise will happen soon at 6:50 a.m. and sunset at 8:34 p.m. We are as far west as you can get in the Eastern Time Zone. Ciao.