Good evening GH. It is just past 7:30 in the evening in "The City." I thought that since I had the time and the inclination, I'd get a head start and do it now. Our current temperature is 46° as we drop to an overnight low of a frigid 32°, just like last night. In the UP, the temperature got down to the lower 20s last night. I am so not ready for winter to begin. Tomorrow, the high is forecast to be 57°. Friday we'll improve by one lonely degree, but Saturday we are supposed to get to 61° under partly cloudy skies. The current long term forecast is that this winter will be more mild and less snow filled than the last one. I like that.

Earlier today, Sugar the Weather Dog, Mary, and I took a walk to the farmer's market for exercise and the chance to enjoy the weather here in GH. When I read the temperature this morning, 32°, I took my heavier winter coat downstairs. Mary convinced me that it would have been overkill, and as is almost always the case, she was right. I didn't even need my gloves. For me, that is a sign that the temperature is just fine. All those years I worked in the gas station business took a toll on my extremities, so I have a tendency to get cold hands. We picked up some produce and some additional eggs for Mary's contribution of deviled eggs, which we will take to the MSU vs. Michigan game to be televised Saturday and shown at the Post.

The Post is having a gathering arranged by one of the ladies who lost her husband last spring. I remember her saying that they had been married over 50 years. Her husband made her promise that she would carry on the traditional party that they started having many years ago. So she is. I think that she is both sad and happy at the same time. Mary makes great deviled eggs and so that should be a nice contribution.

Earlier today, at 2:40 p.m., the southbound train went by. It seemed to both Mary and yours truly, that it was heavily laden. Three locomotives, #s 2019, 2057, and 3885 were in the lead. #s 2019 and 2057 were in the newer livery, while #3885 was still painted in the old colors. One box car and 46 covered hopper cars, were interspersed with the two of those dreaded black tank cars, one gray tank car, and five white tank cars. Mary noted that the white tankers were carrying sulfuric acid. Not mush of an improvement over the contents of those dreaded black tank cars. One of the hopper cars was still painted with the old Seaboard Coast Line livery. As you can surmise, the train going through at 2:40 p.m. was a little odd.

However, the northbound train went through about 6:30 p.m. The same three EMD GP 38 locomotives were in the lead, only in reverse order, followed by 15 covered hopper cars and one lone black tank car. I don't know if there will be any more trains in the early a.m. hours.

Elsewhere, when we finished lunch, Mary went back to work and I raked more leaves. There are 10 bags at the curb waiting for pick-up. There are likely to be at least that many more before the leaves stop falling.

Once I came inside, I played the girls, after I cleaned the kitchen and read the newspaper. Then I became a recliner potato. I guess that I made as much of a contribution as any other day.

The sun will rise at 8:05 tomorrow morning and it has already set this evening at 6:49 p.m. Ciao.