Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature both inside and outside the Weather Window, is 74° as we head down to a predicted low of 64°. Later today, after the sun rises at 6:03 a.m., we may see a 60% chance of T-storms. If that's true, I won't have to water the gardens on the palatial estate.. However, Sugar the Weather Dog will not be happy. By the way, I had originally considered adding a forecast from a homemade Weather Rock, but Mary suggested that I didn't have to work that hard. Instead, she pointed out that I already have a Weather Roof right outside the Weather Window. Turns out that she is right. So periodically, I'll add in the forecast from there. Right now, the Weather Roof is dry and still attached to the house. That means that it isn't raining and there is only a light wind. That's at least as accurate as several of the sources I have consulted in the past. When the T-storms occur, if they do, well you get the idea.

Mary, Sugar the Weather Dog, and I had a great morning walk. We strolled over to the local butcher's shop and market, to get some Ricotta and Swiss cheeses. Alas, they had no Ricotta, so Mary got some Swiss for her famous sandwiches and some bologna for me. Normally, I like the imitation bologna made from tofu, but I haven't been able to get any lately. Maybe the stores stopped ordering it because people weren't buying it. There are a few stores in Muskegon that may have a product that is similar to the one I like. It is also possible that one of the big box stores in town may have it, but we don't shop there. One-half the calories, no fat, and of course, very low cholesterol numbers. Otherwise, I'd have to go to GR for the brand I prefer.

Speaking of preferences, as I mentioned in my previous blog, I received several gifts from our children on Father's Day. I will add in a picture of the pick-up truck that I received later in this blog. I also got some snack foods, one of which, caramel corn, was new to me. I find I really like it. As I said in an email to Adam, thank Stephany and tell her, "Please ma'am, may I have another." Please ignore my pleas, as I don't need anymore temptations. Neither does my Sous Dog, Sugar. Hey, why not add the truck picture right now?

"The Duke" lives on and looks great next to my service station.

It actually took the 15 minutes to install, as they stated on the box.  A great product!

Let's just say that it has been a long time since I was able to wield my tools in anger. I loved it. 

Right now, the northbound train is about to rumble by. By the time I walked with Sugar and Mary, By the time I installed the flush valve, finished the laundry and completed more highlighting, I was tuckered out. I missed the southbound train run on Sunday night, and the northbound run didn't happen until late on Monday morning, nearly 5:00 a.m. That means that this run is early by those standards. I guess I missed the southbound run again. Two EMD GP 38 locomotives, one old liveried and one new in the lead, 10 of those dreaded black tank cars interspersed with one lone white tank car and six covered hopper cars. The horn happy engineer appears to be at the throttle. 

I just got up to obey the "summons" given out by the Stretch Break™ app that Mary showed me how to use. She set it for 20 minutes, and so I obey when I am highlighting or writing. My baking yak thanks her.

Speaking of my baking yak, I started to do a regular exercise routine yesterday. Stretching,  and strengthening of my core abdominal muscles will result. I got lazy and stopped, and as Adam said, the doctor told him that the time to exercise is when you don't have pain. Otherwise you are playing catch up. Sigh.

In sports, the boys in blue continued their yo-yo brand of baseball, eking out a 5 - 4 win in 13 innings over the Florida Marlins, to move to only 10 games under .500. I watched just enough of the Tiger's game to see them up by two and then down by eight, only to lose by three to the Royals, 8 - 11. My beloved Red Sox hung another loss on the Twins 1 - 0. The Caps had the day off as they prepare for the Midwest League All-Star game tonight at 7:00 p.m. The Caps already clinched the Midwest League title. What a great year, and their pitching staff will be up to the "Big Club" before you know it. In fact, of the seven Whitecaps players on the All-Star team, six are pitchers.

Today, Mary says I am enough ahead of her that I can take the day off from highlighting. She stopped me at the end of chapter five last evening, as she headed down to decide on dinner. Turns out that dinner was a scoop salad on top of home grown lettuce leaves. Tuna salad with smoked paprika, egg salad with mustard, and cottage cheese. All good by me, especially in light of a lunch that was Mary's famous Swiss cheese sandwiches and winter squash, that Sugar grudgingly shared. I froze the squash last fall, and it was still great.

So, more reading, more guitar playing, and more relaxing. Don't tell Sugar, but there may be some "Bone Zone" in her future, that's if there is no rain. The sun will set at 9:25 tonight. Ciao.

Sorry about that second part in black. I messed up and didn't want to go yak.