Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is 62° as we head down to the overnight low of 57°. Yesterday we had a threat of T-storms, but as Sugar the Weather Dog pointed out, there was nothing to it. Only once did she head for her hide-e-hole, and that was for a brief moment in time before her dinner hit the floor. So while our temperatures will remain in the upper 60° to lower 70° range, in the immediate future the threat of more T-storms will once again increase to between 30% and 40% Tuesday through Thursday.

Not ironically, those are the days when I have to travel to the doctor and the physical therapist, hopefully by bicycle, at the hospital. I suspect that that means that it probably won't rain here on the shores of the"Big Lake." That's one of the reasons that I watered the gardens on the palatial estate yesterday, because the forecasts are generally off target here. If we can just get a forecast for winter that does not include snow. or does, it doesn't seem to matter, who knows?

Yesterday was the annual Coast Guard Festival™ car show on Washington St. here on GH. Mary and I went to the show to see if any new entries came this year. In fact there were a few, but many of the old standbys were there too. I took some pictures for my collection and for the enjoyment of Adam.

Speaking of Adam, I heard that Adam got another car for around town so that he didn't have to drive his new Mustang all the time. That caused me to take pictures of some Mustangs and other cars for him while we were at the show. His new car has a name, supplied by Stephany, but I can't remember it right now. I saw a picture of said car and the color matches his Mustang. My comment in reply was something along the lines of, "Symmetry, catch it." At any rate, I'll put those pictures at the end like I always do.

In sports, the boys in blue have nearly imported their entire triple A team to the majors. It really is next year. On Sunday, the boys lost to the Cardinals, 0 - 1. So much for next year. My beloved Red Sox eked out a win over the Rays, 3 - 2. The Tigers, in spite of trading for a new relief pitcher, fell to the Angels once again, this time by a score of 1 - 2. The Caps once again beat the Kane County Cougars by a score of 2 - 1. See what I mean by, "So much for next year?"

Since I was outside to water the gardens here on the palatial estate, I decided to clean the furniture and the front veranda after I watered. I did something by dumb luck that saved some time. I washed the furniture while it was in situ on the veranda and then I washed the veranda afterwards. That saved carrying the furniture off the veranda and saved soap and water too. Mary always wondered why I carried the furniture around so much, and now I do too. While I was out, I raked some leaves and other lawn detritus to place into a waste bag. I also hung our Coast Guard flag in the eaves.

All the while, Mary was inside making lunch, which left her kitchen looking like she made macaroni and cheese. Lunch was a salad of my favorite lettuce, iceberg, and a potato salad that is a keeper. She also tried a new recipe for shredded carrots, but she admits that it is a work in progress. I suggested it needed more tartness. All I know for certain, is that the carrots will be reappearing for several days. I think the potato salad will do likewise.

I just watched the northbound run of the train rumble by. Two locomotives towing 37 covered hopper cars, eight of those dreaded black tank cars and two box cars intermingled in the empty sounding train. Those dreaded black tank cars are nearly invisible in the darkness outside the Weather Window. Speaking of Mary, which in a tangential way I was, she confirmed that her cryptic email the other morning regarding the black tank cars, was about the movie she was watching.

Today Mary and I plan to get more biscuits for Sugar and possible go down to the waterfront to see the annul arrival of the Coast Guard cutters and ice breaking tugs. If we time it right, we can get to a nearby restaurant before the crowds disperse and overwhelm the places we like. I'll take some pictures with my new camera while we are there. Once Sugar is sated on breakfast and her de rigueur biscuits, we can go about our business. I don't need anything else to do, other than to mow the lawns on the estate. I wonder where the summer is going?

So without further ado, here are those promised pictures. Ciao

A rearrangement of the girls as a direct result of the carpet cleaning

For Lisa and Dave

Look at all the wood they used in 1942. Hard to believe that this was allowed during the war.

This truck represents one of our local merchants, and is always at this show.

A Rat Rod with a tool box for an air cleaner housing. I like it. Oh, it's a tow truck too.

A nice example of a Pick-up roadster.

An older version of  a Mustang like Adam's. I don't know which has less under-hood room, this one or his. 

Same thought here.

Mary and I thought this truck was rad.

A nice roadster, this one with a Buick V8 engine instead of the usual Chevrolet V8.

Maybe a better picture of that truck

I took this as a message for Adam. Notice the license plate. 

A Lotus Super 7 from 1990

With the exception of the darker blue color, this car could have been the one I once owned. Identical in every other way.