Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is 71° as we wend our way towards the overnight low of 66°. Today promises to be sunny and clear with a high temperature of 73° and only a 10% chance of precipitation. Monday could go either way. just like Saturday did.

My birthday dinner went off without a hitch. The skies cleared in the afternoon, we got out and went walkabout, and all was good. Now that I am in my 64th year, all that is in store  for the future is the chance of another rough winter. But like all things weather wise in GH, who knows?

Sugar the Weather Dog spent only a short time in her hide-e-hole yesterday. By the time the afternoon arrived, Mary and I knew that all the precipitation was over. Sugar had returned to her couch and so we went out. A stop at a local garden or two that Mary wanted to visit and then the Post for a celebratory brew.

Once home, I employed the chimney that we were encouraged to buy for our grill, and once the coals were glowing, I just had to wait for everything to get properly cooked. Mary employed the microwave to speed up the process of cooking the vegetables, but the steak was left to its own devices. Everything was great. I had a wonderful birthday.

In sports, the boys in blue got clobbered by the Cardinals 2 - 13. Ouch. My beloved Red Sox also got hammered 0 - 7 by the Rays. The Tigers, fell to that other team from Chicago 4 - 8. It was left to the Caps to redeem the day and they did, 1 - 0, over the Great Lakes Loons.

Today I get to watch the grass grow on the palatial estate. No watering should be required. Our harvest time is nearly over, but we've had a good year. From now on, we'll have to harvest at the farmer's market. There may be a few more beans, a couple of tomatoes, and perhaps some peppers and cucumbers. But alas, their numbers are dwindling. Next year, we'll devote more acreage to beans and tomatoes and less to kale and chard. Speaking of the gardens on the palatial estate, Mary took some pictures of our latest flower children for a future blog. I'll link to her blog when it is time.

Right now, we have another book to highlight, index and get out. So that will probably take precedence. One thing is for certain, the Labor Day holiday signals the end of the official tourist season here in GH. That's probably true of most of the tourist towns around the "Big Lake." The stalwarts and true aficionados will still be around, but the state park will see fewer visitors until next year. Next up for GH is the annual Salmon Fest in September. For West Michigan in general, there is still the Michigan Irish Festival in Muskegon, which Mary and I will be attending. Plus, there are various apple festivals and the like throughout the area.

Today we should see the estate's final cleaning for the summer. I can keep it up when the big stuff is done.

When the sun sets at 8:21 p.m., the day will have been very comfortable. Tonight on the porch of the estate, Mary and I can watch the traffic go by. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. Another year has gone by in "The City." I've made it farther than I expected. I should have one of those T-shirts that says something like "I survived..." Be that as it may, it is just past 2:30 a.m. and the current temperature is 76° as we head for the overnight low of 71°. What was it the Beatles sang, "You say it's your birthday, well it's my birthday too yeah." 63 feels a lot like 62.

Today the forecast calls for an 80% chance of T-storms with a high of 76° here in the GH area. Tomorrow that chance of T-storms falls to 10% with a high of 72°. Then for Labor Day, the temperature rises to 74° and the chance of potentially severe T-storms rises to 80%. Sugar the Weather Dog will be difficult to get out the door once again.

In that context, Friday was a near impossibility. Mary got Sugar on her Thunder Leash™ and Sugar and I darted through the rain to get in our morning walk. Needless to say, Sugar was not happy about going out in the light rain that was falling. As the morning wore on. she was in her hide-e-hole to avoid the storms. Mary and I took advantage of the lull between the morning rains and the afternoon storms to walk to the butcher shop. We took our umbrellas, but it turned out that they weren't necessary. At one point in the early afternoon, the skies opened up and that large boat filled with animals was allegedly spotted once again. In fact, we did hear a ship's horn in the channel while we were walking, as it made its way to one of the local docks.

Later in the afternoon, the rains let up again. Sugar was out of her hide-e-hole, and so Mary and I set out for the Post. One of the "Young Men" there had also heard that horn and traveled to see that large ship negotiating the channel. We are always reminded that we know so little about our adopted home state. People at the Post speak of locations that might as well be on the moon. In some ways, that's nice. Afterwards, Mary decided that a dinner of perch and Cole Slaw would be nice, so we returned to our neighborhood and went to the best kept secret in GH. Then home to watch the Tigers and MSU.

A nice segue that allows me to report on sports. MSU easily defeated Jackson State, 45 - 7. The Tigers easily overcame that other team from Chicago, 7 - 1. The boys in blue were also victorious, as they easily defeated the Cardinals 7 - 2. I love it when the boys win, especially over the Cardinals. Their newest addition, Jorge Soler, had two home runs on the day. My beloved Red Sox also posted a win over the Rays,  easily defeating them 8 - 4. To make clean sweep of the day in sports, the Caps also beat the Fort Wayne Tin Caps by a score of 12 - 9.

Back to activities at the palatial estate. Since we had a lull in the storms between our morning walk and the downpours in the afternoon, Mary and I took time to plant our latest "flower children." Some day lilies, a hibiscus, appropriately of the pink elephant variety, and a few smaller plants. Some of our older children got new locations and I insisted on watering all of them to be sure they were well settled. I like to think that in spite of the rains that came later, a good soaking is always a good idea.

Today, is my day to do very little. Our cleaning assistant came yesterday and she will return to finish up today. She did all of the polishing that my creaky yak does not allow. That was downstairs. Today is the upstairs. I'll have my feet up. Sugar the Weather Dog will likely be in her hide-e-hole once again. There is a lull forecast at about 2:00 p.m., so maybe Sugar will be inclined to go out then.

Special thanks to Ellen for the birthday wishes. Like I said, every year is a gift to me. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City. Our current temperature is 64°, the anticipated low for tonight. Once the sun rises at 7:03 this morning, the temperature will rise to a high of 78° with a 60% chance of T-storms. Saturday the temperature looks about the same, albeit with an 80% chance of T-storms. Sunday is expected to be calm and then Monday, the chance for further T-storms once again rears its ugly head with another 80% in the forecast.

Once again, the boys in blue fell into their old ways, as they lost to the Reds, 2 - 7. My beloved Red Sox mercifully had the day off. The Tigers slipped past the Yankees 3 - 2 on a sunny afternoon in Detroit. The Caps, well they had a rough outing, losing to the Fort Wayne Tin Caps 4 - 6.

Yesterday we traveled south to the big city of Holland. We had an appointment to get the tires rotated at the dealer. We also took time to pick up the poster that we had dropped off for framing. A fruitful trip. We came home to GH, stopped at the favorite watering hole for lunch, and ended our outing with a stop at the Post to see Sally et al. Once home, I retired to the deck of the palatial estate with Sugar the Weather Dog. She chewed happily in the "Bone Zone", I listened to the oldies radio station out of GR, and read my book. Mary was upstairs, so her activities were unknown to me.

Speaking of Mary, when we stopped in at the farmer's market on Wednesday, she made the executive decision to get five pounds of blueberries to go with my morning cereal. She froze them in the proper way, and so they should be good for six months. Since I now have three boxes of Cheerios™ to go with my nearly finished box of Special K™, that will turn out to be a good choice on her part. I'll get my anti-oxidant quotient for the day, protect my vision, and improve my brain and overall cardiac health. When coupled with the Cheerios™, I'll be so healthy that I might just be ready to run a 1/8 K marathon. Well maybe walk with the intrepid Weather Dog, but I'll be ready.

Today I have no actual plans. Since those T-storms are in the forecast, the prospect for outdoor activities is low. That's okay, I don't need to do anything outdoors and watering should not be required. Our cleaning assistant had to reschedule from Wednesday, so she'll be in today. Since Sugar the Guard Dog knows this young lady from their adventures in walking, Sugar should be fine.

So there you have it. A two day synopsis of our activities, a four day forecast provided courtesy of the Weather Window and the National Weather Service, and a report on the spotty outcomes for our sports teams. At least the Yankees lost to the Tigers. The sun will set today at 8:25 p.m. Ciao.

P.S.

I stayed up long enough to see the northbound train run. Two locomotives trailing a bevy of mixed cars, including: 15 covered hopper cars, one box car, and two white, gray and black tank cars. Gray cars often carry ethanol, white tank cars carry other liquids, and black tank cars usually carry some form of petroleum.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City." We have a current temperature of 58°. We are expecting sunny skies today, but Friday there is a 50% chance of T-storms. Much the same for Saturday too. Once the sun rises at 7:01 this morning we will peak out in the mid 70s. Temperatures should be consistent until the first part of next week. Right now the forecast is calling for a rainy Labor Day holiday.

A quick sports report. Every team I follow lost yesterday. One highlight, the debut of rookie outfielder Jorge Soler. He hit a home run in his first at bat at Great America Ballpark in Cincinnati, just like his new teammate, Starlin Castro did in his rookie debut four years ago. Maybe, there is a tomorrow, if not a next year.

The southbound train rumbled by at 12:45 a.m.. The usual twin EMD GP 38 locomotives towing 20 covered hopper cars, one lone box car, and four of those dreaded black tank cars. No horn happy engineer either.

Wednesday, Mary and I journeyed to the big-box greenhouse for their end of season sale. Mary had already been to the big box everything store earlier while I was mowing the lawn. We picked up a few perennials for our ever expanding gardens and two hanging baskets to replace a couple that had hit the end of their lifespans. They won't last more than a month or two, but they will add some color. One of the perennials that we got is called Pink Elephant, a hibiscus. It will grow to about five feet tall, and in late summer and early fall, will produce large pink flowers. Now Mary just has to find the appropriate place to plant her. In order to ensure the success of all of the new arrivals, we also picked up some special soil at another garden center in Spring Lake, in which to plant everybody.

Once we got them home, I watered them to be sure that they wouldn't dry out before we could get them in the ground. That was enough for one day.

The sun will set at 8:27 p.m. tonight. That's all folks. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City." Currently the temperature outside the Weather Window is 61° and the Weather Roof is dry, as we head down to an overnight low of 60°. Unlike Tuesday, when the T-storms didn't start until about 1:30 p.m., today the forecast is for a 0% chance of rain and a high of 71°. Tomorrow looks about the same.  Friday is another story, as the chance of T-storms increases to 80%. So that means two things to me. First, I won't have to water the gardens on the palatial estate. Two, Sugar the Weather Dog won't have to be tricked into going out until Friday.

I had my final P/T appointment at the hospital yesterday. I decided to walk and Mary thought she would walk along with Sugar. By the time Mary was able to convince Sugar to go out, I had about 15 minutes to make the 20 minute walk to the Hospital. I made it a bit late, but everything went well and I was discharged from therapy. Now I just have to keep up on my exercises to maintain both strength and flexibility. It is more likely that the strength part will be easier. As I get older, the flexibility becomes more problematical. Sigh.

Otherwise, not much was happening yesterday. Mostly I did a couple of crosswords and sat around. Once it was time to go to lunch, I was spent from too long walks in the morning. Mary was disappointed, as she wanted to walk downtown. However, as we were arriving in the downtown area by car, the skies opened up, and I think I saw a large ship go by filled with animals. There were cats and rats and elephants.. well you get the idea. We ate lunch at our favorite watering hole and then headed home. The rain had stopped, that ship had docked, and the skies had calmed. I'll have to check with Dick Fox about that ship sighting.

We had an early dinner, I watched an episode of my favorite show, NCIS,  and then it was time for bed. That's where I was until I got up to blog, Mary had an advantage over me, as she had napped earlier in the day. So when she came to bed, that nap had invigorated her. She was wide awake and I wasn't. Now it's my turn.

In sports, the boys in blue won another. This time the score was 5 - 2 over the Reds. My beloved Red Sox made it two in a row over the Blue Jays, in their case 11 - 7. The Tigers defeated the Yankees, 5 - 2 behind another fine pitching performance by Rick Porcello. The Caps were less fortunate, losing 3 - 5 to the South Bend Rail Cats.

Today, we have someone coming to help with the house cleaning. As Adam says, sometimes you have to make accommodations to keep your yak in shape. I am willing to try. I like to think that I do a good job of housekeeping over the course of a couple of days, but concessions sometimes have to be made.

So I think I'll take time to mow the lawns of the estate and later in the day, get together with the girls. Speaking of which, my physical therapist is also a player, so I told him about our monthly jam sessions and invited him to come.

That looks like enough for now, Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just after sunrise in "The City." Since the days are getting shorter, the sun rose at 7:01 and will set this evening at 8:29. We are expecting a 50% chance of T-storms this morning. Sugar the Weather Dog had to be tricked into going out yesterday just before the torrential rains that hit our fair city. Today if she senses another disturbance in the force, she will simply make herself scarce. Currently the view out the Weather Window is gray and cloudy. Skies are expected to clear by noon.

Since I have what I expect to be my last P/T appointment this morning at 11:00 a.m. I may have to wait until I get closer to that time before making a transportation decision. I'd prefer to ride my bike, but I may walk to take advantage of the clearing skies that should happen after I am done. Sugar and I may invite Mary along on our earlier walk. Mary and I had planned to walk to the stores in east town this morning, but the weather forecast makes that an iffy idea as of now.

I did hear the southbound train last night around midnight, but, I didn't get up. So all I have to go on is years of trainspotting experience to say that it was long and heavily laden. Oh, that horn happy engineer was at the throttles of the GH express.

In sports, not much was happening. The boys in blue had the day off following their weekend sweep of the Orioles. The Tigers also had the day off. My beloved  Red Sox narrowly defeated the Blue Jays 4 -3 for a rare victory. The Caps fell to the South Bend Rail Cats, 1 - 3.

I am now officially out of library books. I finished one yesterday. Now I'll have to await the arrival of some requests that I have in at the library. I returned all my books without Sugar, as she was not inclined to leave the house.I picked up the newspaper and some bread while I was out. I may have to visit the library to see what's on the new arrivals shelf. I am in a pulp fiction phase right now.

Once I am done at that P/T appointment, I'll spend some time with the girls. I had to be quiet yesterday because Mary was on deadline for her latest project. I sat down to help at about 5:00 p.m. and we finished around 10:00 p.m. That was a long one.

Otherwise, the boss owes me payment for my efforts. We missed the Mexican specials that are served on Mondays at the best kept secret in GH. Today the special at our favorite watering hole is Chimichangas, but that is a fact, not a choice.

So that looks like enough for yesterday and today. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening GH. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City." We are currently "enjoying" a temperature of 73° as we drop to an overnight low of 71° under a new moon. Once the sun rises at 6:59 a.m., we'll see the day's temperatures soar to a forecast high of 79° near the shores of the "Big Lake." We'll also be "enjoying" the high humidity that we have mostly missed this summer. While we have a 50% chance of scattered T-storms, it seems likely that I'll be watering today. Sugar the Weather Dog will let me know how important that 50% chance really is.

Sugar and I took our morning walk yesterday. Since it was Sunday, there was no need for us to go towards the newspaper office. So we headed one block east and then proceeded south to the other side of GH. Well only about eight blocks, but for Sugar, that's the other side of GH. By the time we reversed the above procedure, we were ready for rest. I gave Sugar her ritual biscuit and then watched some morning news. Breakfast was blueberries mixed with Special "K"™. I find that I like that cereal. Of course there are few cold cereals that I don't like. I can think of only two or three.

Over the weekend, I had a scare. My cuckoo clock stopped running. I thought sure it was on its way to the "Clock Doctor." But, a slight movement to the side of no more than one-eighth of an inch, and voila, the cuckoo was back in full voice. I know that the cuckoo was the bane of Adam and Steph's existence when we lived in our old home in Illinois. When they would come to stay in "The Country" as they referred to our home, they would stop the cuckoo because it used to sound every hour on the half hour right above where they were sleeping.

Now the clock resides at the end of the hall in our bedroom and I find it oddly comforting. The clock is special to me because it was my paternal grandmother's, then my parents, and now mine. That makes it an antique, an heirloom and a keepsake. Plus, it is an eight day movement from the Black Forest of Germany. According to the clock doctor that makes it more rare. So, I"ll be sure that someday it resides on the wall at Steph and Adam's. That would make it a fourth generation clock.

In other news of the day, I played the girls, transcribed some music and read the balance of that book I started on Saturday. Both books I checked out on Thursday aren't due until early next month. So I"ll get them back by week's end. I have a couple of books on the shelf that are part of my personal collection, They don't have to get back, so maybe they'll be next. There is a book on our Kindle™ about the history of the Beatles that I have been meaning to get to also.

In sports, the boys in blue swept the Orioles for only the boys second sweep this season. Two of the three winning pitchers were trades from the Orioles. The boys beat the Orioles 2 - 1 behind  33 year old "rookie" pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada, a pitcher originally signed by the Orioles. He came to the Orioles from a big career in Japan and almost immediately needed Tommy John surgery. He was a pick up in a trade last year by Theo Estein. The Orioles are six games ahead of the Yankees in the A.L. East™ and 16 games ahead of my beloved Red Sox, who lost to the Mariners 6 - 8. The Tigers trounced the Twins 13 - 4, but still remain two games behind the Royals in their division. The Caps fell to the South Bend Rail Cats in 11 innings, 3 - 6.

That looks like enough for the weekend and today's activities. The sun will set at 8:32 p.m. tonight, and I'll be helping Mary edit later today. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is 71° as we near the overnight high of 69°. Once the sun rises at 6:59 a.m., we'll begin our inexorable climb to a high of 79°. That high will be accompanied by high humidity and a 50% chance of T-storms later this morning. That forecast caught me by surprise. I guess that's what happens when I don't consult the Weather Roof after looking out the Weather Window. Sugar the Weather Dog is sleeping soundly, so the storms are not imminent.

Speaking of Sugar, she may have come up early yesterday to get her morning biscuits, but we were asleep. We got up earlier on a Saturday so that Mary could get to work. That meant that Sugar got an early breakfast and an early walk. In typical Sugar fashion, she wanted Mary to go on the morning walk, so she ran upstairs to get Mary. I believe that she recognizes that one of her "jobs" is to get her humans out for a daily walk, so she doesn't want to leave Mary behind. Bless her little heart.

Sugar also provides comic relief when we are working late into the night, just to keep us alert. She knows when to be needy. She always brings a smile to my face.

In sports, the boys in blue are on a roll. They once again defeated the Orioles, 7 - 2 this time, after a three hour and nine minute rain delay. That delay forced the Cubs to dip into their bullpen after the manager pulled the starting pitcher. The pen responded by blanking the Orioles the rest of the way and the hitters put seven runs on the board. My beloved Red Sox are still in free fall, as they lost to the Mariners 3 - 8. At this point, they are either angling for a high draft pick, or they are getting ready to non-tender some free agents. Or, they feel a need to go back to their old ways. The Tigers had a mixed day in Minnesota. In the first game of a double header, the Tigers lost to the Twins, 4 - 12. In the night cap, they came back to win 8 - 6. The pitching staff is surrendering way too many runs to allow them to be called a contender at this point in the season. The Caps overcame the Dayton Dragons, 3 - 2.

I spent some time reading, cooking in the kitchen while Mary worked, and sitting on the deck watching Sugar in the "Bone Zone." The deck is always the perfect setting for reading, drinking a little wine, and listening to the oldies station out of GR. That station, WGVU, is an NPR service of Grand Valley State University. A great mix of oldies that are not often heard and no commercials. What's not to like? If you like to hear some of the disc jockeys who retired from Chicago radio, this station is your place. I even heard a promo by John Records Landecker yesterday. He can currently be heard in Chicago Monday through Friday evenings on WLS FM 94.7, from 8:00 til 11:00 p.m.

I made Cole slaw in the morning, for which which Sugar the Sous Dog provided invaluable assistance. She likes green leafy vegetables like cabbage and iceberg lettuce. In the evening, I wanted to feel useful, so I made spaghetti for dinner. Mary came down and announced that she wanted to go out instead. That means that the spaghetti will be available for lunch and dinner today. Mary often says that the sauce is better after having a day to blend in the refrigerator. I think she is probably right. I did overshoot on the noodles, but that means that I can carb load today.

I got in some time with the girls and that felt good. More practice is making me a better player. There's a surprise. 

Otherwise, not much was happening. The sun will set on schedule at 8: 32 this evening. I'll be happily listening to my new favorite radio station or reading. Maybe both. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in The City. What a great night I had. I fell asleep about 11:30 last night and I just woke up a few minutes ago. For me, that's a lot of sleeping. Our current temperature is 69° and that is about as low as it will get before we rebound to today's steamy high of 78°. Sunday looks about the same. No precipitation and partly cloudy skies. Today the sun will rise at 6:54 a.m., just a short time from now.

Mary announced last evening that it was time to close the windows and turn the A/C back on. It looks like it will be on until Wednesday when the humidity drops along with the daily temperatures. I won't complain, because this has been a very comfortable summer season. However, this winter is supposed to be very cold in the northeastern U.S., according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Friday was a productive day. I reorganized the man-cave and got it more to my liking. I finished installing the new door sweep on the rear storm door, which actually was just a matter of aligning it to fit. Sugar and I had a great walk in the morning, although she must have been feeling a disturbance in the force, as she seemed to be initially reluctant to go out.

I got all of the music transcribed that I had planned to do and then I printed out the latest indexing project. Unfortunately, the printer and I were not communicating, and so while I wasn't looking, it spewed about 300 sheets of paper onto the floor. I had to organize them, check them for page order, and flatten them out. I thought I had clicked the right button, but I guess that I didn't.

In sports, the boys in blue successfully out slugged the Orioles 4 - 1. My beloved Red Sox lost once again to the Mariners, 3 - 5. The Tigers, they were in Minnesota to take on the Twins. Too bad that the Tiger's offense and pitching failed to show up. By the time the game was over, the dome had fallen on the Tigers, as the Twins rocked the Tigers 6 - 20. The World Series™ is slipping away. The Caps enjoyed a win over the Dayton Dragons, 3 - 2.

Today, I plan to do more reading, more playing with the girls, and advanced food preparation, Mary has a lot of work to do, and so I am once again on my own. She took time out yesterday to prepare breakfast and dinner, but today, she has to put her nose to the grindstone. Sugar and I will survive.

That's enough for yesterday and today. The sun will set at 8:36 this evening. I'll enjoy my second day off. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be in "The City" or its environs. It is just past 3:30 a.m. and our current temperature is 72° as we head for this morning's low of 69°. Once the sun rises at 6:54 this morning, we are supposed to get to a partly cloudy high of 78° with a 20% chance of showers. Saturday looks about the same.

Thursday, Mary and I finished the latest project. We have a system that allows us to work independently and collectively to achieve maximum effect. Wow, that was just a bit of hyperbolic business jargon. I have to be careful, or they'll revoke my AARP membership. My early efforts for the next project are done. Now I have to get busy on the latest project once it arrives. However, the boss paid me for my recent efforts and so I have the day off. today. Since we had two days of significant rains, I don't have to water anything on the palatial estate. I did find time to cook the vegetables that were near their shelf life. Carrots, beans and celery now await my palate today.

Since Mary tells me that she will be working all day and night for three days, I am on my own for meals. To paraphrase the Terminator, I'll live. Sugar and I will take our morning walk, I'll pick up the newspaper, and do the crossword, and then I'll read one of the books I picked up yesterday. Both books are of the type that lend themselves to a quick read.

Mostly, I'll just try to stay quiet and out of the way. Mary will periodically burst into the kitchen to scarf down a hard boiled egg or something. I will take time to transcribe some music that I've wanted to work on for a few days.

Speaking of music, Mary discovered a great movie/documentary on the cable last night. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, Another Day, Another Time, was/is a compilation of the music for the Coen Brother's movie Inside Llewyn Davis. This movie is a documentary about the 60s Greenwich Village music scene. Burnett toured with Bob Dylan, has written and performed many songs, and with Burnett's wife, he was a producer for the TV series Nashville's first season. Mary watched it twice, I came along and watched it one and one half times. It was superb and included some music by Joan Baez, Patti Smith, and many other musicians. They rehearsed upstairs at the Town Hall in New York, and then performed on the main stage in one night only. What a treat. I'd recommend this documentary to anyone.

In sports, the boys in blue took the suspended game from the Giants, 2 - 1. In the night cap, they lost to the Giants, 3 - 5. My beloved Red Sox are going to cost their manager his job, as they dropped another game to the Rays, 0 - 2. The Tigers got great pitching, but no hitting as they lost to the Rays, 0 - 1. The Caps enjoyed another win, this one over the Dayton Dragons, 5 - 0.

So that looks like enough for yesterday and today. Since I have the day off, I plan to use my time unwisely. Maybe I'll pop in and out of Mary's office in homage to Leslie Nielsen's character in the movie Airplane!. In that role, Nielsen periodically pokes his head into the cockpit and says,"Just want to tell you both, good luck, we're all counting on you." I'm sure that will make her day. Then I'll go back to reading.

The sun will set at 8:36 tonight. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be in "The City" or its environs. It is just past 4:00 a.m., and our current temperature is 67°, which coincides with our overnight low. That means that after the sun rises at 6:58 a.m., and well before the sun sets at 8:37 p.m., the weather will be a mixed bag. A high of 83° will be accompanied by a 40% chance of scattered T-storms. That's roughly the same for Friday's forecast too. Right now the view out the Weather Window is calm and serene. Sugar the Weather Dog is sleeping soundly on her couch, and all is well.

Yesterday I finished my outdoor work. The porch stairs railing is now fully painted and next spring I'll give the entire railing a complete scraping and painting. Right now, it should overwinter nicely. The lawns of the palatial estate are mowed, and the new door sweep has been installed. All in all, a productive day. I even found time to play the girls and retype some music that I had typed and hand notated at least 25 years ago.

Sugar and I went for our morning walk to the newspaper office and after we returned, that's when I did all my outdoor work. Mary was hard at work, and when she discovered that her original lunch plans had been spoiled by mold, she switched to plan "B" for lunch. Sugar was overjoyed, as she got a tuna and a nearly empty cottage cheese container. Well, I guess that it was her second visit to a dog's version of paradise, as she had banana for breakfast.

Naturally, as lunch had been changed, Mary had to switch to plan "C" for dinner. A veggie burger and some corn from Sally's brother was a nice plan "C". Then it was back to work for both of us.

Today I have to edit Mary's previous work as she gets started on the next project. I finished highlighting the source material for that next job, so now it's up to Mary to do her part. I understand that another project is due off the wires on Friday. If so, I know what I'll be doing. I do have a couple of books ready for pick-up at the library, but those are of the quick read variety.

In sports, the boys in blue are hot and cold. They lost to the Giants 3 - 8 yesterday. Today at 4:05 p.m., they have to restart the game that was called on Tuesday night due to a soggy infield. The Giants protested losing a game in that fashion. According to MLB™ rules, the tarp malfunction that necessitated the calling of the game was within the control of the Cubs. Therefore, the Giants won the protest and the game will restart in the bottom of the 5th, with the boys leading 2 - 0. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Angels bye a score of 3 - 8. The Tigers behind Rick Porcello beat the Rays 6 - 0. Maybe they are not dead yet. The Caps overcame the Lug Nuts, 2 - 0.

So that's an old man's story, I'm glad you came tonight, ya see... Oops, I was channeling Harry Chapin's Corey's Coming there for a second. I like the song and it was the subject of a recent session with the girls. Otherwise, not much will be happening. Editing, walking, playing with the girls and that's about it. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be in the Tri-Cities area or "The City." Our current temperature is 68° at just past 12:00 a.m., as we head down to an overnight low of of 64°. It looks like the next significant chance of showers is Thursday when the forecast calls for a 40% chance of scattered T-storms. Yesterday, we had bursts of heavy rain and some serious thunder claps, which meant that Sugar the Weather Dog wasn't eager to go out. She was eager to eat, but when queried as to whether she wanted to go out, she couldn't get upstairs fast enough. I guess that was her answer.

Today we expect partly cloudy skies and 69°. However, if the muggy feeling in the Weather Office is any indicator, it will be a regular August day.

We think we know what happened to the porch railing. We were downstairs and Sugar the Watch Dog went nuts. That uncontrollable great Dane came right up on our porch and the owner had to pull him sideways to get him down. When you think about it, the railing was probably pulled sideways with him the last time. We can't prove it, but the dog's human has no control, so the dog goes wherever he wants. Sugar doesn't like that dog and neither do I. Oh well, as long as the owner can't control the dog, I'll just have to hope that I have no more repairs to do.

I played the girls after highlighting yesterday. I sounded great, if I have to say so myself. Mary was hard at work, so I had my door closed and therefore, she had no comment.

In sports, the boys in blue were in a rain delay in the bottom of the 5th the last time I checked,.They were leading the Giants 2 - 0. If they try to restart this game, I"ll be surprised. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Angels, 3 - 4. The Tigers finished off the Rays, 8 - 6 in 11 innings. The Caps lost last evening to the Lug Nuts, 5 - 6.

No train traffic, yet.

That leaves today's activities. More repairs and painting to the porch and environs, editing for Mary, walking with the intrepid Weather Dog, and my day will be complete. Sugar and I will get the newspaper, so I"ll read that and do the crossword. The sun will rise at 6:52 a.m. and set earlier in the evening, at 8:40. Since the weather will continue on the humid side even with the low temperatures predicted, it probably is time to turn the A/C on once again. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be in, about, or around the Tri-Cities area. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in this part of "The City." Currently our temperature is 70° as we drop towards our low of 64°. As the day progresses. the chance for T-storms increases to 70% as we pass 7:00 a.m., and approach our high of 71 ° Only time will tell.

I was awakened by the southbound train run at about 12:45 a.m. The regular twin EMD GP 38 locomotives, followed by 26 covered hopper cars and five of those dreaded black tank cars. The covered hopper cars glistened in the street lights as they screeched down the rails. The black tank cars glided silently by, carrying their load, testimony to the industrial progress of our country.

In sports, the boys in blue were powered to a 4 - 1 victory over the Mets by home runs from Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. My beloved Red Sox dropped to 22 games below .500, as they lost to the Angels 2 - 4. The Tigers mercifully had the day off to regroup from that 1 - 8 loss dropped on them by the Mariners on Sunday. The Tigers are two games behind the Royals whom they led by five just a few short weeks ago. That 10 games above .500 is looking like it will be dwindling further in the not too distant future. Shades of the 1969 Cubs. The Caps defeated the Lansing Lug Nuts, 7 - 5.

Yesterday I opted to give my baking yak a rest. The painting waited, and based on the weather forecast for today, it will wait until Thursday before it gets finished. I did run some errands in the morning and that was fine. However my usual comfortable ride in our car didn't give me any relief. My yak was giving me fits in the thoracic area. Right now, nothing. Go figure. Later in the day, Mary and I traveled south to Holland to exchange an item that I had gotten at the big-box hardware store in Muskegon earlier. When you have a receipt, no problem. Then we moved on to the spice store and got that spice that seems to be unavailable locally. Finally, we dropped off my guitar chord poster for framing at the frame store in Holland. Then homeward bound.

We watched some television news coverage, and then I was off to bed. I slept until the train woke me up.

Today I have an appointment at P/T. Yesterday I was hurting, right now, nothing. Go figure. I know that Adam can empathize with me. Which reminds me, I got the correct door sweep for the back door. I have to measure the door width, and when we see Adam later this month, or is it next, I can use one of his tools to cut it to the proper size. What a complete reversal. Now I get to use his tools. Fair play I say.

After I get back from P/T, I plan to work on more highlighting and then play the girls if I get time. Not much else appeals. If I get up early enough, Sugar the Weather Dog and I may avoid the T-storms. If not, she won't be doing an Elvis and leaving the building.

The sun will rise at 6:50 a.m. and set at 8:42 p.m. Somewhere in between, Sugar will have to go out. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is a very comfortable 70°, as we head down to an overnight low of 64°. Today promises to top out around 71° with a 10% chance of showers under partly cloudy skies. Tuesday has a forecast of the same temperature, but with an 80% chance of T-storms. I may not have to water again until Thursday or Friday.

In other news, I returned that book I mentioned and finished a pulp fiction novel I'd checked out in about three hours. I have another similar novel that I'll finish in about the same time. I have to pick up my latest library request by Friday. It won't take long either.

I hear a train a'comin, it's rolling round the bend, heading south. I am not usually up at this time and lately we haven't had the windows open, so I can report on the southbound run this time. The train has the usual twin EMD GP 38 locomotives in the Mid-Michigan Railroad livery, followed by a single box car and 20 covered hopper cars. The locomotives and the cars squealed on the rails like a Chicago "L" train as they passed. The horn happy engineer was definitely not at the throttle. This guy used the horn judiciously.

As often happens, sometimes plans go awry. I hadn't planned to be up now, but I had stayed awake to watch some of the coverage from MO, and then I was snug as a bug. However, something awakened me, and then I heard the horn of the northbound train. The same EMD GP 38 locomotives and a similar mix of rail cars. However, there were now 32 covered hopper cars, no box car, and two tank cars, one white and one that dreaded black. Same squeal though and same engineer. Oh, the hopper cars were a mixed bag too, with some very rusty.

Sunday was a day of rest here in GH. Sugar the Weather Dog and I went walkabout while Mary went to the local health food store after breakfast. It was after I returned from that walk that I finished about 3/5 of that aforementioned novel. I finished the balance after we came back from an unrequited trip to the downtown for some spice that Mary wanted. I have been tasked to procure the spice today as Mary continues her work. She also added a few things to her list of wanted items.

I also finished a crossword after Mary cued me on how to download a free app that offers answers to crossword clues. Mostly I didn't do very much, which is always the best cure for my baking yak. After the rain early Sunday morning, everything in the gardens seems to be doing just fine, hence the feeling that I won't have to water until later this week.

In sports, the boys in blue rebounded to beat the Mets 2 - 1 on a ninth inning home run by Starlin Castro. That was after losing a few games. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Astros, 1 - 8. By an eerily similar score, the Tigers also lost, in their case to the Mariners, 1 - 8. The Tigers are in disarray and they are quickly falling out of contention in their division. The Caps defeated the Loons, 7 - 5.

Today I may get to that outdoor painting if the rain holds off. The paint will dry before the rain if the forecast is correct. But as we know, that's always an iffy situation around these parts. In addition, I have to find time to play the girls whom I have been ignoring for a few days.

If you check out Mary's blog at: http://marygoeswalking.blogspot.com/, you'll find pictures of the recent GH Pirate Fest, me playing Abaigael on the waterfront with our Irish Jam group, and other sundry photos. Unlike me, Mary is a woman of few words.

The sun will rise at 6:53 a.m., and set at 8:43 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning, or good evening, wherever you may be in "The City." It is just past 5:00 a.m. and our current temperature is 68° as we head for a mostly sunny high of 73°. That's after the sun rises at 6:53 a.m., and well before the sun sets at 8:45 p.m. The National Weather Service is predicting that we have a 50% chance of rain on Tuesday, but like all the forecasts, that's subject to change. Sugar the Weather Dog will let us know. I can feel a cool breeze wafting through the Weather Window right now. That is a 68° breeze on August 16th. Speaking of those unpredictable forecasts, it is raining, which means that I won't have to water today. The chance of rain wasn't forecast to be more than 20% today.

In other news, I decided to get a first coat of paint on the porch railing. Today I"ll get the second coat. Next year, I"ll give the entire railing that surrounds the porch a good sanding and painting. It will take several days, but the one thing I have an abundance of, is time. So for this year, the touch up and maintenance will have to suffice.

I did a lot of reading yesterday. However, the book I am reading has become formulaic and therefore boring to read. I know where the author is going. It reads like the script for an action movie, which it probably will be. The original author of this character died 13 years ago, so his protagonist has been reanimated by another famous, albeit less appealing author. It seems as though all writers these days are writing for the optioning of book rights.

Sugar, Mary and I walked downtown yesterday to get a loaf of bread from the bakery and a newspaper. Mary was able to jump to the head of the line and bypass the latte crowd of tourists and get out before much time had passed. We stopped and got the newspaper on-the way home and that's when we had breakfast. Mary made her soon to be famous BLTs, using fresh iceberg lettuce, a tomato given to us by Sally's brother via Sally, and some lunch veggie meat from a company that both Mary and I like. That usually means that this company will be bought out by one of the "Big Boys" of the no-meat industry, and the formula will change. Next will come the chemical preservatives. Sigh.  After that, I sat down to read the newspaper and more of the book. That book is overdue and it is not worth paying additional fines for a pedestrian read.

I had originally planned to just read yesterday because I was feeling tired, but I got up a fresh supply of energy. I went to the front of the palatial estate and sanded the railing and put on that first coat. Once I was cleaned up, Mary and I walked downtown to see the Art on the Waterfront displays. We once again passed through the sidewalk sale, and Mary noted that the blouse she had looked at on Friday was still available. It was marked at $71.00, one half off, and still available. Let's see, it didn't sell at the original price of $142.00 and it didn't sell at $71.00, so it goes back into storage at the merchant, to hit the bruised and reduced sale next spring.

In sports, the boys in blue are playing like it's last year, as they lost to the Mets, 3 - 7. My beloved Red Sox got into a slug fest with the Astros, winning 10 - 7. The Tigers are their usual maddening selves, defeating the Mariners 4 - 2. The Caps romped in their game with the Loons, 7 - 2.

Looks like that's a full day. There is a big NASCAR race at the Michigan International Speedway, the Pure Michigan 400, but taxi cab racing and I are not all that compatible. The NASCAR gang raced at Mid-Ohio Raceway on Saturday, but that was interesting, because it is a road course, like Road America. Michigan International is a high speed oval. Get in, tighten your seat bets and turn let with the throttle to the floor. Once I get the morning walk in with the intrepid one, it's time for reading and working crosswords. That second coat of paint will have to wait for the humidity to ebb. Oh well, there's always Monday. Ciao.                                          

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be. It is just after 4:00 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is 64° as we head down to the overnight low of 61°. That's before we rebound to today's high of 71°. That forecast for T-storms seems to have vanished. Tomorrow looks to be about the same. Any significant chance for showers/T-storms seems to have been pushed back until Tuesday or Wednesday. Guess what that means? If you chose: water the gardens on the palatial estate, you get a genuine "No Prize!".

Speaking of the palatial estate, I feel like I can do anything now. The devastated porch railing has met its match. What was once a pile of spare parts, cause unknown, is now a complete and reassembled railing, only in need of paint. As I worked, I carefully pulled the old fasteners, sanded the places where the glue would be applied, and pre-drilled the screw holes to avoid splitting the old wood. I even went so far as to test fit the pieces before final assembly. Directly below are some before and after pictures. If I were into "Selfies", you'd see a big grin on my face.

What Mary and I found a few days ago. (Before)

Another angle

Once I was done. (After)

One more view

As you can see, the railing is now back in place. I like to believe that it is more solid than it was before we moved in. Thanks to some construction adhesive from Adam's house of man cave construction, some screws, wood filler, and a few sundry things from the big-box hardware store, along with some tools and experience from yours truly, the railing now awaits only painting.  Perhaps a bit of excess pride on my part, but once again , I was able to wield my tools in anger and nearly complete a project in about two hours. Best of all, my baking yak wasn't baking afterwards. That allowed me to also mow the lawns of the estate when I was done. 

In sports, the boys in blue fell to the N Y Mets, the N Y Mets!, 2 - 3. Somewhere up there, Ron Santo is not smiling. My beloved Red Sox also took it on the chin, losing 3 - 5 to the Astros. The Astros! The Tigers are still struggling after winning yesterday, as they lost to the Mariners, 2 - 7. The Caps narrowly lost to the Great Lakes Loons, 4 - 5. To say the least, not a great day in sports.

In other news, the day was uneventful after the porch repairs and the lawn mowing. I did some crosswords, read my book on the deck as Sugar plied her trade in the Bone Zone, and Mary and I had dinner at the "Best Kept Secret in GH." Finally we made it home. After an attempt by me to stay awake during a movie in the "Media Room", I was off to bed for some sleep. I lasted about six hours, which for me is along time. I guess that all that outdoor work and the walk downtown to the sidewalk sale took a lot out of me. 

That was enough for one day. So now today awaits. Mary says I am enough ahead of her with the highlighting and therefore I can spend my day reading. The book I am reading is due today, so I'll accrue a few days of fines to get it finished. For less than $1.00, I can afford it. That's a lot less than buying a book. 

After my morning walk with the intrepid Weather Dog, I'll settle in and read. I may take a break and play the girls along the way. Along with listening to the tales of woe from people with their 250,000 mile or more cars, that should be a full day. The sun will rise at 6:52 a.m. and set at 8:45 p.m. The days are getting shorter and the raking of leaves can't be far behind these cool days of summer. Ciao.

Good morning GH. The sun just rose at 6:50 a.m. and it will set at 8:48 this evening in "The City." Our current temperature is 47 chilly degrees as we head for today's high of 70° under partly cloudy skies. Tomorrow looks about the same temperature wise, but there is a 30% chance of T-storms. Oh well, more rain unless you are in Detroit or New England, is a good thing.

Today I have plans to fix that broken railing on the front porch of the palatial estate. I still don't know what caused the railing to fall off the porch, but it looks like I"ll have to fix it myself. I"ll have about $30.00 of materials in the job, along with about 50 years worth of experience and a few tools that I already own. Mary used to say that everything that I built for use in and around the house cost about $3,000 each due to the cost of my woodworking tools. She was probably right. But the point, as with all hobbies, was enjoyment, not how much it cost. I am almost certain that like car guys, the amount of enjoyment is huge as is the cost. You can't put a price on pleasure. Maybe on the aches and pains, but not the pleasure.

I never got to that lawn yesterday. By the time I got up and set out on and completed my various errands, the day was half gone. I got home, had a late lunch, and the day was nearly done. So, I"ll get to the lawn today after I fix the railing. Or maybe tomorrow. One day won't make a huge difference. Once again, I'm nearly certain that Marshall would approve. In order to preserve my baking yak, Mary has to be the voice of reason and stop me from overdoing. I would have mowed the lawn yesterday when I got home from my errands, but she stopped me, thank heavens.

That pretty much sums up my activities for today. Maybe a chance to play with the girls and do some reading, but that's about it.

In sports, the boys in blue once again fell victim to the superior force, in this case, the Brewers, beat them 2 - 6. My beloved Red Sox beat the hapless Astros, 9 - 4. The Tigers, behind a 14 strikeout performance by Max Scherzer, beat the Prates 5 - 2. Joe and I agree that the Tigers are going to be lucky to get into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The Caps got hammered by the Rail Cats, 2 - 10.

I heard one of the train runs heading south last night, but that was the extent of my train experience.

So that looks like enough for one day. I'll walk with the intrepid weather dog this morning and then get home and get to work. Like all good handymen, I have been running my plans over in my mind for several days. I started yesterday by gluing in some new wood where it was needed after the screws were ripped out. So I should be ready. If it looks like I need to do more tomorrow, I will. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be. It is just coming up on 2:00 a.m. in "The City." The current temperature is 61°, which should also be our low for today. After the sun rises at 6:49 a.m. and we warm up into the afternoon, the temperature should rise to 66° before the sun sets at 8:49 p.m. We are still expecting that T-storms will happen on Saturday, but that is only a 40% chance and so we'll have to wait.

Wednesday, Sugar the Weather Dog, Mary, and I went to the farmer's market as anticipated. Then all three of us returned home. I read the newspaper, Mary finished some work, and Sugar being Sugar, recovered from the long walk. Once we got rolling, we traveled to the big-box electronics store and got that monitor that I wanted. We also stopped at the big-box lumber and hardware near the bog-box electronics store in Fruitport to get an under cabinet light Mary wanted for her kitchen. Afterwards, we hit a store in Ferrysburg that sells a bit of this and that. Mary got a tray that she liked and we were on our way again.

We landed in Spring Lake near our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge. We stopped in a small thrift store first, and found a perfectly new wicker laundry basket that we had wanted along with some new to her and comfortable jeans that Mary wanted and got those too. Finally lunch at the watering hole and then home.

Once here, we heard from that carpenter that he didn't really want to travel this far from Zeeland for a small job like our railing. So, that means that I"ll follow Adam's advice and do the repair myself. As I said to Mary, "I know what to do with wood." I have my drill driver battery in the charger, so I will be ready. As Tim Allen used to say, "Go ahead, break something" as he brandished his drill driver.

So after I install my monitor later this morning, I'll be ready to play the girls, read more of the new book I started on the deck yesterday as Sugar chewed happily in the "Bone Zone." Then I can anticipate what I have to do on that railing. Like Marshall, I don't want to rush into anything. I need to mow the lawn on the palatial estate, so maybe I'll do that too. That should be enough for one day.

In sports, the boys in blue are on a roll. They won their second in a row over the Brewers, this time 4 - 2. Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez hit back to back homers. Hey John, maybe it really is next year. Am I a die hard Cubs fan? Looks like it. My beloved Red Sox once again beat the Reds, this time 5 - 4. That's three in a row for the surging Sox. The Tigers righted the ship for one day following four losses in a row as they defeated the Pirates, 8 - 4. They are still in second place. The Caps fell to the South Bend Rail Cats, 1 - 5.

Speaking of south, I didn't hear the southbound train earlier. We're about two to three hours away from the northbound run. I did hear yesterday's northbound run, but I didn't get up to look.

After the morning walk with Sugar, I'll get that monitor installed and then read more. I'll play the girls either before or after I get back this afternoon from my self appointed rounds to the doctor, the big-box hardware store near here, and the barber. Mary will be glad to know that I have made a list of things I need at the big-box hardware store. I am finally going to get to my newest box of Cheerios™ this morning before that aforementioned walk. I have some fresh blueberries and almond milk to go with them. The last few days, Mary has made eggs and veggie sausages for breakfast. I like the sausages and I like the eggs, but sometimes, I just want to have my cold cereal. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is 61°, the expected overnight low. Tomorrow after the sun rises at 6:48 a.m., the sunny skies will let the temperatur soar to a high of 67°. Not bad for a day in August. The chance of precipitation has dropped to 0% after two mostly rainy days. As of now, the next significant chance of rain is Saturday, when the high reaches 75° and the chance of showers rises to 60%. That's several days away, so I'll once again take the forecast provided by Sugar the Weather Dog over that of the National Weather Service as we get closer.

In sports, the boys in blue defeated the Brew Crew 3 - 0, with another win by Kyle Hendricks, the 24 year old with a 4 - 1 record. Anthony Rizzo hit another home run. I'll keep hoping that next year really is here, now. Too late for this season, but there is now a chance for next year. My beloved Red Sox slipped past the Reds, 3 - 2. The Tigers are in trouble. They lost to the Pirates, 2 - 4. They didn't lose any ground to the Royals, bu they are not looking well. The Caps eked out a win over the South Bend Rail Cats, 2 - 1.

Tuesday I had my latest visit at P/T. New exercises for my thoracic yak and an admonition to take it easy on the entire yak. Adam says that I need to use the right combination of drugs, exercises, and precautions and get busy living, so that's my plan. Adam knows whereof he speaks on yak issues.

Once I came home, Sugar the Weather Dog refused to go out, just as she did before I left. Her prediction had come true, as it poured rain while I was at P/T and the rain continued until later in the afternoon, when Mary walked with her while I was editing. A small window had opened, and so with a bit of subterfuge by Mary, Sugar went out for a short walk. I think that today will be more to Sugar's liking. Editing went well, we got our work done, and then we settled in for the evening.

Today, Mary, Sugar and I will walk to the farmer's market for a few things. I'd like to go to the big-box electronics store to get a larger monitor for my desktop too. Now that I know that I can use the DVDI port, I can do what I tried to do once before, get a bigger screen in front of my old eyes. This should be good day for that short trip. We have two more projects in the pipeline, but I am done with the highlighting of one and I have about 140 pages to go on the other. Mary has a lot more wok than I, but I will have read about 650 pages to get my early parts done. I am learning, so that's all good. Anyone who stops learning, stops living.

Elsewhere today, we are expecting that carpenter to visit this evening to give us an estimate on that broken porch railing. If his estimate and plan seem reasonable enough, I'll let him go at it. Otherwise, I'll take a crack at the job myself. I have a figure in mind, but I won't tell him that. That assumes that he makes the appointment.

Once we get back from the big-box electronics store and I get the monitor hooked up, I'll get back to highlighting. A little play time with the girls is in order too. I have a couple of books to read, but when I am reading for highlighting, I find that I can't read for pleasure. I have a book in transit to the library that I'd like to read too, so one of the books I have is too long to read before I have to get it returned. I'll just put it on my to be read list.

No northbound train yet. I didn't hear the southbound run. I often don't, as my fading hearing and my getting used to the noise often renders the trains invisible. Our guests notice, but I don't.

So before the sun can set at 8:51 p.m., I'll be on my way. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City. Currently there is no precipitation, as the National Weather Service predicted correctly. You have to give credit when credit is due. Now if they are right, at 6:00 a.m., the chance of T-storms that have been on hiatus for several hours, once again begin to rise. By 800 a.m., the prediction calls for 80% and then falls to 60% as the morning turns into afternoon. I guess that means that I won't be riding my bike to the P/T appointment today. It also means no watering of the gardens on the palatial estate. Right now, Sugar the Weather Dog is  asleep on her couch, and the Weather Roof is dry as I gaze out the Weather Window.

Speaking of appointments for my baking yak, I went to the yak doctor yesterday. After a few more X-rays, it was pronounced that I have arthritis and some bone spurs. The pain I am experiencing will probably ebb with more P/T and some additional muscle relaxants that he prescribed. Without saying it, he was telling me that I am getting older. Surprise. So I'll continue the P/T, take the pills when I am feeling pain, and learn to work with some discomfort. If I don't see improvement in six weeks, we can schedule an MRI for my yak.

The northbound train run just went by at 4:10 a.m. Twin locomotives pulling 12 covered hopper cars and one lone black tank car. Just a short train on a short line.

In sports news, the boys in blue fell to the Braves 1 - 3. The Braves started the year strong, and probably will win the division, but they are not the force they were earlier in the season. Both the Pirates and the Cardinals are close behind. Do I sound like a lifelong Cubs fan? My beloved Red Sox had the day off as did the Caps. The Tigers should have taken the day off. They dropped another game, this time to those surging Pirates, 6 - 11. Justin Verlander was out before the first inning was over, the shortest game of his career. Someone said he is hurting, but neither he nor his manager have said anything. Now, as predicted, their six game lead over the division has turned in to a .5 game second place status.

Today I have that P/T appointment at 11:00 a.m. Before that, a walk with the intrepid weather dog. She should be here soon, because she will begin to sense a disturbance in the force. That happened yesterday morning too, around 4:00 a.m., and Mary thought that Sugar had arrived early for her morning treat at about 7:15 a.m. I said, "No, she arrived about 4:00 a.m. to escape from the incoming weather front."

Unfortunately, when Sugar senses the changes in the force, getting her to go out becomes an exercise in futility. That's why she is such an accurate predictor of things to come, weather wise.

After I return, I have some editing to do for my boss, as she continues on to her next project. While I am at P/T, she will have done a first edit before I see my editing. Then we will combine in a final run through. The sun will rise in about two and one half hours and then set at 8:51 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be in "The City." At just after 4:00 a.m., and the current temperature is 68°. The much anticipated precipitation has yet to arrive. The sun will be rising at 6:47 a.m. this morning. We have a prediction of 60% for T-storms starting about now, but so far, nothing. Our high temperature is expected to be 73° today and Tuesday, the temperature is not expected to be any higher than 66° with a 40% chance of T-storms. Right now, Sugar the Weather Dog is asleep on her couch and the view out the Weather Window of the Weather Roof, is clear skies and dry, in that order. That's the weather here in West Michigan in mid-August.

A late edition of this blog. Sugar the Weather Dog has just arrived, the Weather Roof is now wet, and I can actually see that the streets are wet with rain. Hallelujah! Sugar was a bit late in arriving, and she isn't hiding. So, that means that getting her out for her walk last evening was a good thing, in spite of her misgivings.

I expected that the trains would be coming, but I guess I won't be requited this early morning. An update at 4:45 a.m. I must have missed the southbound run. The northbound train with the usual contingent of twin EMD GP 38 locomotives passed by a few minutes ago. 42 covered hopper cars with varying livery and states of decay went by, with a single box car and two of those dreaded black tank cars sandwiched in between.

In sports, the boys in blue are being their usual inconsistent selves, defeating the Rays in 12 innings, 3 - 2. My beloved Red Sox are also showing that same sort of maddening inconsistency, as they beat a vastly superior Angels team, 3 - 1. Speaking of inconsistent, the Tigers took 19 innings to lose to the Blue Jays 5 - 6. That's more than two full games in length, and with their struggling bullpen, the Tigers could ill afford to go that long, only to lose. Their lead in the American League Central Division has once again dwindled to one-half game over the Royals.

With the boys, I don't expect much, and I am rarely disappointed. Maybe the "young" fans of the millennial generation are, but as a long-suffering fan of over 60 years, like John, I have long since passed the stage where my low expectations are disappointed. If the boys actually do win "next year", I'll get excited, but right now, things are as I expect. My beloved Red Sox delivered regular disappointment for a long time too, and after last year's incredible finish, I am only somewhat disappointed. For the Red Sox, there really  is a next year. Maybe that's why my newly adopted Tigers are being such a disappointment. They have had a few good teams over the years. I almost forgot the Caps. They defeated the Lug Nuts 3 - 2 in regular innings.

I watered yesterday, in anticipation of the T-storms. Yes, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. I finished the crossword and then did some highlighting. I stopped one project and started another that is more pressing. I am finding this one interesting too.

I also talked to Adam. He called to tell me that his Cabriolet, Carl, is coming together once again after a needed replacement of the ignition switch. He vows that if any further repairs are needed, he'll push Carl into the lake. I doubt that, since in the same breath, he was making plans for winter storage of Carl. However, since like me he too has a baking yak, I can understand the sentiment. We commiserated over our respective aches and pains, and then he was off to get a beer and a pizza. I had a bologna sandwich since I was hard at work through dinnertime.

Speaking of aches and pains, I have that appointment at the yak doctor this morning at 8:40. I hope that he has some ideas for me. Since I only see him once every four to five weeks, I need some relief soon. I am still not willing to go for any surgical remedies, so I'll continue with the P/T and hope that there is a new, low side-effects drug the doctor can prescribe. Adam told me about a drug combination that was prescribed for his yak, but it is loaded with side-effects. It did produce near miraculous results, but I don't think I want to try something that can be loaded with those side-effects. Or, I could just sit in my office chair or a car seat with good lumbar support and grin and bear it. Sigh.

In other news, still no T-storms, not even a flash of lightning on the horizon as I gaze out the Weather Window. Sugar has yet to stir on her way to the hide-e-hole, and the Weather Roof is still dry. More highlighting today followed by more editing, and perhaps a possible call from the insurance company regarding our recent damage. Since I have been disappointed by things of late, that will probably occur while I am at the yak doctor's office.

Otherwise, that's enough today before the sun sets at 8:52 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning, or good evening, wherever you may be in "The City." it is just past 1:30 a.m. and our current temperature is 69° before we bottom out just before sunrise at 6:42 a.m. The forecast from the National Weather Service is still for T-storms on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures somewhere around 77° or 69° depending on the sources. When it comes to accurate T-storm forecasts, I'll still take the prediction of Sugar the Weather Dog or my view out the Weather Window, or a perusal of the Weather Roof as the final arbiter of things to come.

In news around the palatial estate, Mary and I arose Saturday morning to find that one-half of the railing on our front steps had been demolished. Not slightly damaged, but demolished. I have a call in to the homeowner's insurance company to get them to assess the coverage for repairs. Neither myself nor Mary, nor our neighbors have a clue as to what happened. Everyone is fine, and there were no tire tracks or other evidence, so we haven't any ideas. One more headache to deal with. Sigh.

In other news around the estate, I have to water again today. I know, I know, there is a forecast for rain on Monday and Tuesday, but if I didn't water every time rain was in the forecast, we'd have no vegetables. Conversely, if I'd waited for an accurate prediction about snowfall last winter, the estate would have been buried. It nearly was. As Mary likes to remind me, we live on the the shores of the "Big Lake", and so that old saw about "Lake Effect" snow, temperatures, and other weather phenomena comes into play.

In sports, the boys in blue still struggle. As our friend John, a die hard Cubs fan, likes to remind me, next year is nearly here. Like the weather, seeing is believing. My beloved Red Sox are tied with the Angels in the top of the 14th at three all as I write this. I got tired about 1:40 a.m., and so you'll have to await tomorrow's sports report. . The Tigers are still up and down. Although they managed to eke out a win on Friday in a gem marred by serious gaffes, yesterday they fell to the Blue Jays, in spite of a masterful pitching effort by Max Scherzer. He was relieved by the manager in the eighth, and the bullpen proceeded to lose the game for him. Max didn't take the loss, but he didn't get a chance to finish what he had started and get the win. The Caps edged the Lug Nuts, 3 - 2.

Naturally, no trains early on a Sunday morning.

Today, walking with Sugar, watering, and doing the crossword from Saturday's newspaper. With luck, I can experience that relaxation that I had planned for Saturday. I was sitting at my desk on Saturday afternoon when Mary asked if I'd like to see that exhibit on Gerald R. Ford's ascendancy to the presidency in 1974. I said yes, and we set off for GR. However, we never made it that far. We decided that a stop for lunch along the way would be a better use of our time. Then we returned to GH and a visit to the Post to see Sally. Finally home to the estate and bed time.

I think that about sums up our day. More work for Mary today, more highlighting for me, possibly on an alternate project, and that is about it. The sun will set at 8:55 p.m. and perhaps those much ballyhooed T-storms will start after midnight. Only time will tell. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is is now half past 2:30 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature just outside the Weather Window is 65°, as we drop to an overnight low of 59°. Today we are expecting a high of 79°, Great if you are a tourist who came to town  and anticipated using the beach at the state park. Tomorrow looks about the same. Monday too. Tuesday is showing a 50% chance for rain in the forecast from the National Weather Service, but somehow I doubt it. I'll check with Sugar the Weather Dog and get a more accurate report on Tuesday morning.

Speaking of the intrepid weather dog, when she and I went for our morning walk, she had to be coaxed to go any distance. I don't know what was up with her. We made it to the library and then it was a struggle to get her to the newspaper office and finally to the UPS store to return a package. She has a mind of her own, and her mind was set on getting home again, as quickly as possible. Go figure.

Once home I watered the gardens of the palatial estate and then retired to read the newspaper and work the crossword. Prior to the morning walk, Mary made breakfast that used her egg rings and also included some new breakfast sausages that were made of all vegetable ingredients. I liked them. Later we had a late lunch of egg salad, iceberg lettuce, and cottage cheese. All good.

Since I had to go to the welcoming the pirates Irish jam on the waterfront in the evening, a light lunch was appropriate. Since I had to take Abaigeal along, we drove and parked near the waterfront in the municipal parking lot. That lot offers people parking for all activities in the downtown area, including on the waterfront, and at our favorite watering hole, where we ended up after the jam. It was a good thing that we had arrived early, because by the time I was done jamming, the parking lot was filled.

We sounded good, the pirates and the sizable crowd were appreciative. I played and sang an extra few songs with the rhythm section, and a shortened second set to make the experience even better. Mary took some pictures, which I am certain she will share in a future edition of her blog. With a little help from Mary, I donned a few items of clothing that added to my pirate persona. Mary repaired to our favorite watering hole and held down two seats. I guess that she thought I had gotten lost, but when you are having a good time, time can just slip right on away. For those in the know, or who want to be, that's part of a lyric from an old song by Willie Nelson, a song recorded by numerous artists over the years. As always the watering hole was busy, but I was on a musical high, and it felt great just to be alive.

I wish that my baking yak would cooperate. I can ignore the aches while I am walking with Sugar, or jamming, but they come roaring back, no pun intended. I told Mary that if I could just ride around in the car all the time, I'd feel fine. I guess the lumbar supports in the car seats must be just right. Same for my newly supported office chair. Standing on uneven ground near the waterfront while jamming probably exacerbated the aggravation. Oh well, I see the doctor on Monday and I can give him the 411.

A quick report on sports. The boys in blue fell to the Rays, 3 - 4. My beloved Red Sox overcame their losing ways for one game, as they topped the Angels, 4 - 2. The Tigers had to overcome some really sloppy play in the outfield, in the infield and on the bases, to defeat the Blue Jays 5 - 4. The Caps unfortunately were not so lucky, as they lost to the Lansing Lug Nuts, 5 - 7.

Today I will be relaxing after Sugar and I retrieve the newspaper. Mary has a new project, which may take precedence over the one I am highlighting right now. I am totally enjoying this one. Things I thought I knew are either being turned upside down or confirmed. I even got a better grasp on what Adam does for a living. What's not to like?

That looks like enough for one day. The watering is done, and the jam is over, so that just leaves the morning walk with Sugar and some reading. Mary tells me that she needs to get her latest project printed, but I think it has a lesser amount of pages that should allow her to print it in-house. At 10 cents per page, that's an imagined savings of $27.00, if you don 't count the cost of the printer, the toner and cartridge, and the requisite amount of paper.

Once the sun rises at 6:40 a.m. and then sets later at 8:57 p.m., the shorter day will be complete. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be in the "The City." It is just past 2:30 a.m., and our current temperature is 66° as we drop to our overnight low of 61° Of more import, is the lack of possible precipitation until at least Monday or maybe even Tuesday. Regular followers of this space know what that means. Once again, time to water the gardens on the palatial estate.

Speaking of the gardens, as the summer draws to a close, the tomatoes are beginning to play out their yields. The cucumbers are still producing. In fact, the first cucumber of the season came off the vine and was eaten two days ago. We have many more to be harvested as they mature. The green peppers are ripening and will soon be ready for harvest too. The two kinds of salsa peppers we planted are nearly ready for harvest and will need to be mixed with diced tomatoes to make them edible. That's due to their likely score on the Scoville index, Hot!. Our bean plants are still producing, albeit at a lesser volume. Sugar the Weather Dog enjoyed some for breakfast yesterday. Our kale is still there, as is the Swiss chard. Next year, more beans, more tomatoes, and no kale or chard.

I never heard the southbound train earlier, and it is unlikely I'll hear the northbound run either.

In sports, the boys in blue were victorious over the Rockies, 6 - 2. Four of those runs came off the bat of Javier Baez, as he hit two home runs and had four RBIs. The future seems to be arriving. Is next year now here? Stay tuned. The real proof of the pudding will come as the various teams around the league learn about Baez's weaknesses at the plate. Can he keep it up? My beloved Red Sox were once again victimized by the Cardinals, this time by a score of 2 - 5. Somehow free fall doesn't seem to be an adequate description. The Tigers lost by one run to the Yankees, 0 -1. Ouch. What was I saying about a winning streak? The Caps crushed the Lansing Lug Nuts, 14 - 6. It looks like they are learning.

Yesterday, my baking yak was feeling better. Mary was digging through her cedar chest to find some yarn that I could use to attach my guitar strap to Abaigeal. While searching, she pulled out the sling that kept my shoulder safe for many weeks last winter. As I was trying to decide what to do with that sling, Mary suggested a possible use. Turns out that one of the pads that came with that sling makes a perfect lumbar support. Who knew? In addition, she found a world map plaque that she had stashed in the chest three years ago. It looks great on the shelf as part of her map and globe display. At any rate, I got the yarn that I desired.

As a result, I was able to stand and play while in Central Park last evening, as our Irish Jam group rehearsed for the arrival of the pirates tonight. So while not pretty, the strap was solidly attached. Tonight I'll be ready to welcome the pirates to GH with a hearty Arrrr maties! I think that Abaigeal enjoyed getting out with the crowd.

In other news, the pirates arrive tonight between five and six. Our jam will be there to greet them. I'll be doing some additional highlighting today. I plan to rest my back for the majority of the day. Sugar will require me to walk with her, but that's generally a pleasure. I'll water when I return and then settle in at my desk.

That's about enough for one day's activity. The sun will rise at 6:40 a.m. and set at 8:57 p.m. tonight. Since Mary and I will be on the waterfront to meet and greet the pirates, we might even be there late enough to see the current incarnation of the Musical Fountain. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be in "The City" and its environs. It is just past 1:30 a.m. and the current temperature is 66° as we drop to our overnight low of 59°. The next few days will be sunny with temperatures in the low 80s and only a slight chance of rain. I guess that means that I"ll be back out with the water hose on Saturday. For those who like outdoor activities, that's good, for me, it means watering. Sigh.

I have no P/T appointment after all today. My therapist is unable to come into the office, so I am rescheduled for next Tuesday. I have an early appointment next Monday with the back doctor. I wish that I had a consistent report to give to him. The aches in my back have good days and bad. I can live with the pain, but it would be nice if it was a consistent ache that I could manage. The pain seems to move around and the intensity seems to change too.

I did a lot of work in the fields of the palatial estate on Wednesday afternoon. I probably overdid it. When coupled with the walk we took to the favorite watering hole in the evening, it was probably too much. The muscle relaxant that the doctor prescribed at my last visit didn't/doesn't seem to do much, if anything. I recognize that he was trying a drug with the least side effects, but a drug that worked would be better. My new lumbar support arrives today. Hopefully that will help. Right now I am using a small pillow as a substitute. The exercises that the therapist prescribed have helped, but they too are not totally effective at relieving the pain. When we visited the racetrack a few weeks ago, I had no pain and now it's back. Go figure. If this is all there is, I'll work with it, but I am hoping that there is a non-surgical something. I would have to be desperate to go the surgical route any time soon. I'm not there, yet.

Tonight I have that rehearsal for our Irish Jam. We are supposed to be welcoming the pirates as they come to GH. I can do it if the pain I am feeling right now isn't any worse. I guess that I'll have to take a wait and see attitude.

In sports, the boys in blue fell into their old ways once again on Wednesday night, as they lost to the Rockies, 4 - 13. My beloved Red Sox eked out a win over the Cardinals 2 - 1. The Tigers lost to the Yankees 1 - 5. While still leading their division, they need to put together a longer win streak than one game so that the playoffs are not a one and done affair. The Caps are doing what most "A" level teams do, learning. As a result, they lost to the Lake County Captains, 0 - 3.

I am up to page 127 in my highlighting efforts. If I maintain my current pace, I'll finish ahead of schedule while learning something new along the way. Mary is making steady progress on her current project. She is still on schedule to deliver it to her editor by Saturday.

Today I will practice with the girls a bit more. More practice equals better playing. There's a surprise. I'll also walk with Sugar the Weather Dog this morning as she enjoys the sunshine. She had a good visit to her doctor yesterday and received a clean bill of health. She likes her current food, so as long as it is producing positive results on her tests, we'll stay with it. It seems expensive up front, but at one cup per day, it lasts a long time. After our walk, it's back for more newspaper reading, more highlighting, more crossword puzzle solving, and more practice with the girls. If all goes well, I'll go to that practice session with the Irish Jam group in the park later. Tomorrow, the "performance" itself.

The sun will rise today at 6:37 a.m. and set at 8:59 p.m. In between the morning walk and the evening rehearsal, I'm in. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be in "The City." It is just past 2:30 a.m. and the current temperature is 67°, as we roll towards a low of 59°. Once the sun rises at 6:37 a.m., the temperature will begin to rebound to 71°, which will repeat itself over and over for the next few days. Sugar the Weather Dog was queried about the forecast for T-storms on Tuesday, and she confirmed my personal forecast that the rains would pass us by. So that means it's back to the hose to apply water to the gardens today. That will happen after Sugar and I return from her doctor following her 10:00 a.m. appointment.

I missed the earlier southbound run of the train, and I am hoping to be back in bed before the northbound run. With the improving economy, the trains have been growing in length and the mix of cars is ever changing.

In sports, the boys in blue are on a roll. They have won four out of five, and last night they beat the Rockies in 12 innings, 6 - 5. On the strength of home runs by catcher Wellington Castillo, and a towering drive by newly called-up rookie Javier Baez, playing in his first major league game, they are on the move. With his family watching, Baez got off to a rocky start, striking out in three of his first five at bats. But when he got the pitch he was looking for, it was long gone over the wall. Here's hoping that this is the first of many. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Cardinals, 2 - 3. Fortunately, the  Tigers beat the Yankees 4 - 3 to make me feel better. The Caps lost to the Lake County Captains, 2 - 3.

Yesterday I went to my P/T appointment. I rode my bicycle and the appointment went well. My therapist suggested that I order a lumbar support cushion for my office chair to aid in my posture, which I did. It will arrive on Thursday. He also suggested that I raise the height of my computer. After consulting with Mary, we placed a box most recently containing a batch of printing underneath, and that raised the computer by about two inches. Cost, nothing. Good feeling, everything, as we re-purposed a box that called out for some new use. Mary's ingenuity and thriftiness saved us $20.00 and kept a box out of the landfill. A little leftover fabric will bring it fully into vogue.

Meanwhile, I am endeavoring to improve my posture before the lumbar support arrives, by concentrating on sitting upright and using the timing program that Mary had me get from the internet. For years, I have slouched when working on my computer or at my desk. I get up every 20 minutes and that in itself is a good thing. I was also advised by the therapist to get up after every song or two when playing the girls. I use a tall stool, so though inconvenient, it is a simple thing to do. I suspect that Adam's therapist has given him similar advice too regarding desk height etc. Since he and I are taller than the average desk was built to accommodate, we share some similar aches and pains.

Once again yesterday, I had lunch at the hospital cafeteria salad bar. I used to exist on salad bars when I was going to college, and I still enjoy the variety of choice. Mary creates a tasty salad bar too, often using the bounty from our gardens, but her choices are of necessity, limited. I may do salad bar again following Thursday's P/T appointment.

Our garden continues to yield a bountiful harvest. Soon, the cucumbers will be coming in to join the tomatoes, green beans and hopefully, the green peppers. For a picture of one of our recent harvests, check Mary's blog at http://marygoeswalking.blogspot.com, for Sunday August 3, 2014, as well as future postings. My task is to grow and water. Mary cooks and chronicles the harvests.

I got started on my highlighting for Mary yesterday. It seems like it will be an interesting book. By the time I walked with Sugar, read the newspaper, got back from my appointment, voted in the primary, and got started on that highlighting, the day was mostly gone. Busy, busy, busy.

Last night I walked over to Central Park to see the Sea Cruzers play old time rock and roll. I stayed for about an hour, and then headed home to watch a movie with Mary. As usual, I fell asleep and then I was off to bed until just a short time ago.

Once Sugar and I get back this morning, I'll read the paper, do more highlighting, and play the girls a bit. If I highlight for about two hours each day. I should be able to get the work done on schedule. The sun will reliably set at 8:59 p.m. I'll watch some TV and then it will once again be time for bed. Like I've said before, retirement is such a busy time of life. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be in "The City" or its environs. It is just after 4:30 a.m. and the current temperature is 67° as we drop to our overnight low of 59° The chance for scattered T-storms today increases to 40% by 8:00 a.m. and then continues to rise until 3:00 p.m., when it once again recedes to about 20% for the balance of the day/evening. In other words, although the view out the Weather Window is dark with a side of dark, Sugar the Weather Dog should have only the middle of the day as her problem. That is if, and I do mean if, the weather forecast is any where near accurate. You know how I feel about that. It is a good thing that I watered the gardens on the palatial estate yesterday.

Speaking of that forecast for T-storms, I have a P/T appointment today scheduled for 11:30 a.m. My plans call for  me to ride my bicycle, so if the forecast is accurate, I'll make it without a problem. But since the forecast is iffy, I'll check with Sugar and then make my plans. I tell anyone that my appointments are not firm until I check with the Weather Dog. She is generally accurate to within  about one-half an hour.

Sugar is also a good judge of people. If she doesn't like someone, there is probably a good reason. It has taken her nearly three years, but she is now desirous of seeing our local letter carrier, not any of his substitutes mind you. Then only until she gets close, at which time she doesn't bark, wants to be petted, but them turns shy and moves away. We figure that by the time we've been her another two years or so, she will be his.

In sports today, the boys in blue had the day off and play the Rockies tonight. My beloved Red Sox also had the day off on Monday and they too play this evening against the Cardinals. The Tigers fell to the Yankees 1 - 2. They still lead their division by 4.5 games over the Royals. The Caps are coming off a win on Monday over the Lake County Captains, 5 - 4.

I did get in some playing time with the girls yesterday. Abaigeal continues to delight. Her tone or timbre is wonderful and she is easy to play. She is the perfect addition to the family. I also read the Grand Haven Tribune and completed the weekend crossword, in addition to the crossword from Monday's paper. Naturally the paper was chock full of stories regarding the just concluded Coast Guard Festival™. I think that Mary's pictures, which can be found at her blog marygoeswalking.blogspot.com, are on a par with the professional pictures from the newspaper. But like Adam says, I am biased.

Mary did some laundry and used her drying rack to dry everything, using only the sun and the wind. An excellent use of natural resources. I think she was trying to get her head around the way to proceed on her current project. She says I should have that project for editing by Friday or Saturday at the latest.

In train news, I missed the southbound run, but I was here to witness the northbound run as it passed by the Train Spotting Window. The regular cadre of locomotives followed by 15 covered covered hopper cars, a black tank car, 23 more covered hopper cars, another black tank car, and then nine open and very rusty regular hopper cars brought up the rear. Various livery was seen on the covered hopper cars of differing dimensions. Some of the covered hopper cars are leased from a famous rail services co. Others belong to a large firm out of Florida that operates in the eastern U.S. The rusty cars were too rusty to I.D. The black tank cars went by before I could I.D. them. Maybe next time.

Today I have that P/T appointment and I have a call into Sugars doctor for a follow-up blood test. I'd like that to take place on Wednesday, but anything that doesn't conflict with my P/T is fine, since Sugar and I will be walking to her doctor. She has been fine, but I like to play it safe when it comes to our fur child.

That looks like enough for today. A bit more time with the girls, a little more reading of the newspaper and books, and the day will be done. I had to return some books because Mary and I will be too busy to read then right now. The sun will rise at 6:37 a.m. and set at 8:59 p.m. The days are indeed getting shorter. Ciao.

Good morning, good evening, wherever you may be in "The City" or its environs. It is just past 2:00 a.m., and the current temperature is 66° as we head down to a low of 62°. The view out the Weather Window is dark. No lightning nor cars on this early Monday morning. The sun will be rising at 6:35 a.m. and setting at 9:01 p.m. in our post Coast Guard Festival™ city. Things are once again a bit quieter here in our little corner of the world. We love hosting the festival, but a breather is in store. We are still in tourist season, so we have plenty of visitors to our fair city. Don't forget to visit marygoeswalking.blogspot.com for more pictures, and Mary's unique slant on what is happening or has happened in GH, including the Coast Guard Festival™ and the Grand Parade. I like her pictures better.

Next up is the Michigan Pirate Festival. Pirate re-enactors from the historical to the fanciful sail into our city to the delight of  both young and old. Our Irish Jam musicians will be there to help welcome the pirates. The Loutit District Library along with Harbor Island, will be home to the pirates for several days. More fun activities and visitors to GH. Sidewalk sales, Art on the Riverfront, and Walk the Beat follow shortly thereafter. Walk the Beat brings together hundreds of musicians and offers prizes at many venues in the Tri Cities area for those musicians. It should be fun.

I heard the southbound train go by earlier, but I didn't feel like getting up to look.

In sports, the boys in blue took two out of three from the Dodgers, beating them 7 - 3 Sunday afternoon. An all too rare win for hard luck pitcher Edwin Jackson. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Yankees, 7 - 8 Sunday night. The Tigers swept the Rockies with a final game score of 4 - 0 Sunday afternoon. The Caps were not as fortunate Sunday afternoon, as they dropped two of three to the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps, this time 3 - 5.

Looks like I'll be watering again today. In spite of that forecast for rain on Tuesday, I know the right thing to do is water the gardens on the palatial estate. If I do, it may rain. If I don't, it won't. Is that a silly, superstitious way to look at things? Probably, but here in GH, I don't count on the weather forecast much anymore.

Otherwise, with the exception of watering, not much is expected to happen today. I will read the Grand Haven Tribune after I return from my morning walk with Sugar the Weather Dog. I have numerous books o choose from after that. Plus, the girls are always there for me. I also have to go back to my highlighting job. I've been prepaid for my efforts, so I can't delay for too long. It is also time to pull in the Coast Guard flag from the eaves for another year. That should be enough for today. Ciao