Good morning GH. It is just past 6:15 a.m. in "The City" whee the sun will be rising at 6:22 a.m. and setting later today at 9:24 p.m. Our current temperature is 63° as we head down to an overnight low of 54°, although how we'll get that low before the sun begins to warm the day is beyond me. Our forecast for today and tomorrow is a high of about 72° with sunny skies. That all begins to change as Friday rolls around. The temperature for the first day the annual Coast Guard Fest™ will stay about the same, but the chance of showers increases to 40%. Saturday, the chance of isolated T-storms is about 30%.

I've been away from the keyboard for a few days as Mary and I visited the beautiful Kettle Moraine area of Wisconsin. The sound of high horsepower, the smell of high octane gasoline in the morning, and the allure of the area all combined to make for a fabulous trip. Plus, beautiful race cars and bratwursts contributed to our enjoyment. What's not to like when hundreds of horsepower are used to propel a car around a track at speeds sometimes exceeding 170 mph are before you? I'll add some pictures in future blogs.

Of course since we were in Wisconsin, we had to stop for some cheese, both in curd form and in larger pieces. When coupled with sausages of various types, it makes for an enjoyable time. Our accommodations were fine with the exception of the lack of parking provided by the hotel/resort. The management was less than helpful in the resolution of that issue. I won't name names here, but let's just say that future stays will not be at the same establishment. Across the street is another resort with a terrific Tiki Bar that overlooks the lake. It almost felt like being in the Caribbean when we dined there. We will try for that next trip to the area.

The train passed by heading north at around 5:10 a.m this morning. The horn happy engineer was once again at the throttle of the twin EMD GP 38 locomotives as they towed 13 covered hopper cars north. I heard the southbound run about 1:00 a.m., but I didn't feel like getting up. I was tired from the long drive back from Wisconsin, even though Mary did all of the driving. Who knew that a few days of rest could be so tiring?

We did watch a movie in the media room last night, but today I have to resolve the issue of why our TV downstairs stopped getting a signal. That means a call to the cable company, an explanation of the problem, and then a resolution, we hope. The TV is fine, but when we left it was working and now it is not receiving a signal.

In sports, the boys in blue have not been very successful while we were out of town, although they did win yesterday 6 - 0 over the Padres. My beloved Red Sox were on a roll until yesterday when they lost to the Blue Jays, 3 - 7. But, they have improved to just six games under .500. The Tigers lost too, 4 - 5 to the Diamondbacks while still maintaining a lead in their division. The Caps defeated the Burlington, IA Bees 2 - 0.

I had to water when we got back even though or neighbors had watered while we were away. Some of the plants in the direct sun looked a bit dry, while others were just fine. In any case, I have to harvest today as the beans are once again in full fruit. We're still waiting on the peppers, tomatoes, and the cucumbers. I may also harvest the kale today too. Once kale is harvested, it begins to grow a new crop. Our Swiss chard isn't doing much right now. The cucumbers were looking great when we left, but now seem to have a leaf yellowing problem. Farming can be such a tough business.

Today we have a walking trip to the farmer's market, and that's about it. As always, when Coast Guard Fest™ comes to town, we won't drive much, so that means that after tomorrow, our car will stay in the garage most of the time.

Tomorrow I have an appointment for the fourth of five treatments for my knees and a P/T appointment for my baking yak. I have to admit that a diligent effort at the homework exercises has produced positive benefits. I'm hoping that the effects last if I keep up the exercises.

So there you have it. That's enough for today. Ciao.