Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City." I am going to keep this as short as I can, because I have to spend less time in this chair to help my baking yak not bake so much.

Currently no precipitation is falling outside the WW. However, the seeds from the maple tree in the parkway are falling and covering everything in sight.

The weather today is supposed to be partly cloudy with a high temperature of 63°. There is no rain in the forecast for the next several days. The sun will rise at 6:08 a.m. and set at 9:16 p.m.

In sports, the boys in blue were rained out. The Tigers lost their third straight on the west coast to the Angels, 6 - 8. My beloved Red Sox fared even worse, falling to the TX Rangers, 0 - 8. The Caps also fell victim to the rain. The Blackhawks came out strong in Anaheim and defeated the Ducks, 5 - 3. The Ducks never got their act together. Now the Hawks will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL Finals starting next Wednesday. I think that's one day before the NBA finals even begin.

It was cold and rainy yesterday, but that didn't stop STWD, Mary and I from making the morning trek to the farmer's market. We got some raw honey for Sally and some leafy greens for us. The intrepid one got to smell all new things along the way.

I was a busy beaver yesterday. I made apple sauce. did the laundry, and made potato leek soup from scratch for lunch. In between, I got in some time with the girls and worked in the man-cave. Maybe that's why my yak is aching so much. Dr. Mary has prescribed a day of no activity and just reading in my La-Z-Boy today. I think I can follow that proscription. STWD will need to go for a short walk, but that is something can do.

Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." Interestingly, when I open my blog each day, I see how many hours have passed since the last time I opened the site. It has been 22 hours.

I had a great experience yesterday. I was lying in bed, and Mary heard the train whistle. I grabbed my camera and flew downstairs. This was the ultimate for me, areal train passing through close enough to feel the heat of the locomotive. I just had to take some pictures. I think they belong right here.

I just had to include a photo of the sun rising over the trees and the crossing as I waited.

Anticipation.

Locomotive 2019 entering the crossing.

Two CHCs.

Bringing up the rear, a lone DBTC.

And that's the trainspotting report for Friday. Not a long train, but very real.

In other news, I finished my highlighting duties, albeit after Mary confused me with a cryptic note that said. "Not indexed." Turns out that this was a note to herself to indicate that she had yet to index this section, not that I didn't have to highlight it. Fortunately, it was only an additional two pages. I'm done for a day.

We traveled to the Post after I finished and that is always a good thing. Home, Mary's soon to be famous cheese bread with tomato sauce, nap time. A side note. Our visit to the Post was even more rewarding. Sally pulled out a handful of quarters. I checked them and lo and behold, one was a 2015 Homestead quarter, the first to be issued this year. I'm still looking for a 2014 Everglades "D" for my other America the Beautiful collection. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, I hope.That same collection also uses the 2015 Nebraska Homestead quarters, both the "P" and the "D" editions. Thanks Sally.

In sports, the boys in blue aren't quite there yet. That was the expectation, but as a die hard fan, I always hope that, "This is the year!" The boys lost 4 - 8 to the Royals. Speaking of teams that aren't there yet, the Tigers fell to the Angels, 0 - 2. My beloved Red Sox are fading too, losing to the Rangers, 4 - 7. The Caps also lost, to the Ft. Wayne TinCaps, 4 - 5. That makes my teams 0 - 4 for the day. Tonight the Blackhawks go for the win in Anaheim and a shot at the NHL Finals. 

I hope to get to the man-cave and place some of the items that Adam and Steph gifted to us the other day. I have a sign to place and a light to hang. If I play my cards right, that could take several hours. I'll need to stop for lunch, but that's a small price to pay. 

It is also time for some interplay with the girls. I can never get enough of that.

I may get to transplanting a cucumber plant too, but that can wait. 

The sun will rise at 6:09 a.m. on a cloudy day with an 80% chance of T-storms by 10:00 a.m. The high is expected to be 60°. That's spring in MI for you. Outside the WW no precipitation is happening at this time. We will walk to the farmer's market this morning if it is not raining too hard or thundering. STWD will go along if there is no thunder. It looks as though we need to get out early to avoid the rain and thunder. 

The sun will set at 9:16 p.m. The showers will continue through tomorrow. Come to think of it, the rain mitigates against my transplanting plans, so that cucumber plant will wait. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." Outside the WW, the air is calm, the skies are dark, and the night is quiet. While we are officially "in season", even the denizens of the local bars and eateries are safely home in bed and the early morning workers have yet to take to the streets to make their deliveries and get set to purvey their wares or cook and serve breakfast to the masses. Ah, what is life without the hum of human activity?

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I got up and got my outdoor activities underway. The car got unloaded, the dead tree got removed and replaced by some irises, the lawns of the PE got mowed, and the visits to the big box home center and grocery store were all accomplished before 1:00 p.m. I feel like the men and women in that commercial that the military used to run about accomplishing more before lunch than most people do in a day.

I was fortunate, Mary and STWD went for the morning safari which allowed me to do all of those things. Mary thinks that I like returning cans for their deposit, but it is actually something that I endure, like putting gas in the car, necessary, but not enjoyable.

I did get in some time with the girls early yesterday morning. I have to get up early these days to get time for that activity. I am three days behind on reading the newspaper and doing the crosswords. Plus, I still have to find some downtime. Once again, my mother in law was right. I am just as busy or busier than I was before I retired. I think that's why I get up now, it gives me time that has no demands.

Mid afternoon yesterday, Mary and I set forth to the library to meet with a man who is collecting signatures from registered MI voters to place a referendum to ban on "Fracking" on the ballot in November of 2016. He gave us a set of petitions for our own efforts. Each county in MI requires a separate petition. Only registered voters over the age of 18 may sign. A valid address is essential too. The petitions have to be completed by November of 2015 and a minimum of 240.000 valid signatures re required. That's a steep hill to climb.

Since we were one-half of the way to the Post, we carried the petitions along and got signatures from many of the members present. Mary first checked with the Post Commander, to make sure it was okay. It may be a steep hill to climb, but the future of our state and our planet, as well as the welfare of our progeny demands that we try. You have to consider that we were given this world to use, not exploit to our own generational profit.

I did some trainspotting yesterday afternoon. The southbound train went by about 2:45 p.m. A lone locomotive, 32019, towing 17 CHCs, and nine DBTCs. An odd time to say the least. I didn't hear the return run.

In sports report, not much was happening on the north side of Chicago on Thursday afternoon. No hockey and in basketball news, the Bulls fired their head coach. Baseball results were: the boys in blue had the day off before facing the Royals this afternoon. The Tigers, lost 2 - 12 to the Angels. My beloved Red Sox beat TX 5 - 1, and the Caps lost to the Lake County Captains 3 - 4.

Today, is set aside for highlighting after the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog. Maybe it is time to add to my list of acronyms. STWD could be listed as STIWD when on safari, which would be the acronym for Sugar the intrepid weather dog. What do you think? I wonder if I would have to double post that acronym in my blog. In indexing, you double post acronyms at the full name and at the acronym. For example, NASA is the acronym for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Anyone who looked at either the acronym or the full name in the index would be able to locate the desired information. I'll ask Mary

So that looks like enough for one day. The weather is supposed to be nice today until about 11:00 a.m. The temperature will be in the upper 70s or lower 80s. The scattered T-storms predicted won't begin until around that time. As long as STWD gets out before then, everything should be fine. Those T-storms are expected to be only around 35% until Saturday morning, when the percentage changes to 75% or more.

The sun will rise today at 6:09 a.m. and set at 9:15 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

Mary reminded me yesterday, that I need to include a listing of the various acronyms that I use in my blogs. I can't remember the name she gave to the list, but that's okay, I can create the list and she can tell me tomorrow. So here goes..

WW = Weather Window. STWD = Sugar the Weather Dog. CHC = Covered Hopper Car. DBTC = Dreaded Black Tank Car. PE = Palatial Estate. I think there are others, and as I remember or use them, I'll try to update the list.

As is the norm at this hour, it is dark outside the WW. The forecast for today shows that no precipitation will be happening and the high temperature will be 78° after the early morning low of 52°. The first chance of significant precipitation appears on Saturday. STWD didn't go into hiding, so we knew that the chance of severe weather was slight. On Saturday, I'll update her forecast.

Yesterday was a great day. We made our pilgrimage to see Adam and Steph. We picked up a few things that they were willing to part with. We ate an excellent lunch at a place not far from their home. We had to let them know that we had gone Vegan just before New Year's Day. When queried as to why, I had to say that the accompanying loss of weight has done wonders for my knees, but that my concern for animals and their welfare was the overriding reason. If you can envision your pet on your dinner plate, then you get some idea of what moved me in the vegan direction.

It took a lot of years to get here. I had dabbled with vegetarianism several times, but when the chance/challenge to join the Veganuary movement came to light, I agreed that it was the right time and the right decision. One month became two and then three, and so on. I've been drinking almond milk and using meat and cheese substitutes for several years, so it wasn't all that difficult.

It can be hard, but not impossible, to find things to eat away from home, but with a little creativity, you can make it work. Mary is great at the creation of tasty meals that use no animal products when she is cooking, and she is a genius at reading a menu and finding things that fit the bill.

I got in some time with the girls yesterday, even though my voice was on the scratchy side. I think it has something to do with the high volume of allergens in the air this year. I like sleeping with the windows open, but alas, there is a price to pay in the morning.

The sports report is a mixed bag. The boys in blue fell to the Nats, 0 - 3. The Tigers eked out a win over the As, 3 - 2. My beloved Red Sox once again fell to the Twins, 4 - 6. The Caps took another one from the Lake County Captains, 4 - 3. The Blackhawks defeated the Ducks 5 - 2, to force a seventh and deciding game in their playoff series.

We stopped at the Post to see Sally.

Today, I have to go to the grocery store while Mary continues working, and then I have to get back to work highlighting. Mary was offered another job that will eliminate the hoped for downtime, but that's okay, because it looks like another interesting book to read and highlight. Before I go to the store, I have to unload the car of all the things that we carried back from Adam and Steph's.

Not much else is on tap for today. I have a plant to place in the garden, and I should mow the lawns of the P.E., but that should be it. The sun will rise at 6:10 a.m. and set at 9:14 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." Outside the WW, there is no precipitation in evidence, but there is a strong wind blowing.

Yesterday, at about 3:30 p.m., a gentle rain began. STWD, who had been at our side, was off to her hide-e-hole. We knew that something big was about to happen. Sure enough, the skies opened up and the rains came down hard, accompanied by some thunder. By about 6:00 p.m. it was over, and the intrepid weather dog returned to our side. Today, we expect partly cloudy skies, a 20% chance of rain, and winds at about 14 mph. Thursday, the expectation is for partly cloudy skies, no chance of rain, and 77°.

Mary and I were working during the storm, so it didn't really make much difference to us. We finished the indexing project, one more to go, and then we can relax for a couple of weeks. I still have some highlighting to finish for the next project.

A nice segue to what I had been doing prior to today's indoor work. I spent some time walking with STWD. we took a different route, as Mary, who left before us, needed to walk down to the waterfront and commune with the channel that leads to the "Big Lake." Here in MI, that's as close as she can get to "Mother Ocean." We collectively returned about the same time, so I gave Sugar a treat and then went to work in the gardens of the palatial estate. Transplanting, weeding, and a guarantee of rain, were on my list. As nearly every gardener knows, if you water, it will rain. I needed to water my transplanted perennials, so I guaranteed the rain.

I took some pictures of  my gardening efforts, so I think I'll include a few here.

Weed and leaf free, well mostly, and transplanting done.

You can see what I mean by the phrase "Vast Gardens."

Same here.

I like this shot.

A nice view of Mary's violas and my handiwork on the cold frame. 

But I digress. Since I wasn't able to do any trainspotting over the holiday weekend, I was surprised and pleased to hear the familiar sound of a train whistle, yesterday morning. Yes, I said yesterday morning at about 10:50 a.m. Locomotive 2019 went rolling through town heading south, towing a lone box car, one white tank car, three of those DBTCs, a lone gray tank car, and nine CHCs. Naturally, at that hour of the day, the engineer started blowing his horn like he was Little Boy Blue. At about 2:45 p.m., the train reversed the above procedure and headed back north, this time towing three box cars, six of the DBTCs, and 15 CHCs. I expected that they were making up for the weekend and that I'd hear another train late last night or early this morning. Nope.

In sporting news, the boys in blue used a walk off hit my Addison Russell, what a great name for a young man who plays at the corner of Addison and Clark, to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. The boys won 3 - 2. The Tigers knocked off the As. 1 - 0. A real offensive struggle in CA. My beloved Red Sox lost to the Twins, 1 - 2. The Caps easily defeated the Lake County Captains, 5 - 1. The Blackhawks play tonight, as do the boys and my beloved Red Sox The Tigers play this afternoon, while the Caps get the first pitch at 11:00 a.m.

Today we are planning to visit with Adam and Steph. We haven't seen them for several weeks, so a post-holiday trip will fit nicely into our schedule before we have to get back to work on the next index. 

I won't get any time with the girls, or at least very little, but that's okay. One of the many positives about being retired, in spite of my always being busy, is that there is always tomorrow. I did get in a little time yesterday, but not enough. 

The sun will rise at 6:11 a.m. and set at 9:13 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just 1:45 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature outside the WW is 64° as we drop to the overnight low of 57°. Most of the showers that were forecast for yesterday and early this morning never happened. Today, we have a forecast for showers and T-storms in the afternoon or evening. My confidence level based on the forecast of the National Weather Service, not very high. My belief and confidence in the forecast delivered by STWD, much higher. Today's high is expected to top out at 73° after the sun rises at 6:11 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday have no or little precipitation in the "Official Forecast", but once again, my confidence level is low.

Yesterday was a great day. I spent some time in the "Bone Zone" with STWD later in the afternoon as Mary worked. Sugar chewed, I read, listened to the oldies station, WGVU Real Oldies 1480, located in Kentwood, MI. Their web address is: http://wgvu.radio.net., and drank some wine. Earlier in the day, I spent a goodly portion of the afternoon highlighting the latest indexing project. It is a good read, so it is going well and quickly.

I got in a few minutes with the girls, but not as much as I would have liked. I am reminded by that phrase, that I once had many students who made the contraction would've into would of, instead of would have, when they wrote it out. It sounds the same, so the mistake was easy.

But I digress. Today, I have to put on my editor's hat and work on the index that Mary is finishing now. It is based on the book that I highlighted last week. That book too was an interesting read. After that, I hope to get in some meaningful time with the girls. Sugar should be bone sated, so once she has had her morning walk, she should not be very needy. Not that I really mind, but when there is work to be done, I can't devote the attention to her that she deserves.

In sports, the boys in blue fell to the Washington Nationals, the Nats, 1 - 2. The Tigers fell to the As of Oakland, 0 - 4. My beloved Red Sox of Boston, also fell, in their case to the Twins of MN, 2 - 7. The Caps of Comstock Park, MI, triumphed over the Dayton of Ohio Dragons, 4 - 3, in 10 innings. That's a .250 winning average for my four teams.

My day looks full as of this writing.

Since we are coming off of a holiday weekend, there were/are no trains to spot.

The sun will be setting at 9:12 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 10:30 a.m. in "The City." Memorial Day dawned with ominous looking skies as I gazed out the WW. That meant that STWD, Mary, and yours truly needed to get an early start on our morning walk. Plus, the annual Memorial Day parade stopped off at 9:30 a.m., so I needed to be in position to get some pictures. I'll add those later. 

Our current temperature is 73° under cloudy skies. The weather forecast is inconclusive and ambiguous. It depends on what source you check, and when you check it. STWD isn't in her hide-e-hole, so I think that I'll go with her forecast. Tomorrow is forecast to be cloudy, but dry.

According to one source, there is a chance for T-storms this afternoon, but who really knows. Like I said, I'll stay with the weather report from the intrepid weather dog.

Yesterday was the 99th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Motor Car Racing" to quote former driver Jackie Stewart. The race was run under sunny skies and the eventual winner was Juan Pablo Montoya. I just like the sound of his name. He came from 30th place, survived a couple of rules warnings and being crashed into during a caution, to win going away.

Mary helped with the pre-race food preparations. I think I'll include a few of those pictures now.

Looked good to me

I was at the ready. in the Media Room

So was STWD. She checked things out thoroughly

Elsewhere in sports, yesterday, the boys in blue fell to the D'Backs, 3 - 4. However, with a record of 24 - 19, they remain in second place in their division. The Tigers have fallen to third place with a record of 26 19. in their division, following an 8 - 10 loss to the surprising Houston Astros. The Astros have a record of 29 - 16, and lead the A.L. West. My beloved Red Sox are also in third place, with a sub .500 record of 21 - 23, after beating the Angels, 6 - 1. The Caps defeated the Dragons, 5 - 0.

As I noted earlier, the annual MD parade in GH stepped off at 9:30 a.m. Like many small towns and cities across MI and the US, it wasn't long, but it was still great. The Coast Guard Color Guard led off the parade, followed by the men of the VFW Post 2326 Honor Guard, pictured below. 

The skies looked ominous, but they did not "Rain on our parade."

Looking Good!

Post Commander of VFW 2326, Ted Raggl and his wife Kathy.

Also looking good.

What would a parade be without the local high school marching band. Here are the Marching Buccaneers of Grand Haven High School.

Waiting on the playing of Taps at Central Park

"The Hooligans" also overflew the parade. Here is a shot as they flew over the GH City Hall.

Nice formation flying as they passed directly over the hook and ladder truck parked in front of the GH Dept. of Public Safety

Good advice on a holiday weekend

Finally, what would a parade be without a shot of dogs. Here it is

A pedigreed Burmese Mountain Dog meets a rescued Husky, Labrador, and Dachshund mix.

The sun rose at 6:12 a.m.and will set at 9:11 p.m. Ciao

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. Not surprisingly, it is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." A current low temperature of 58° is as low as we will get this morning. We'll be springing back to a high of 76° after the sun rises at 6:13 a.m., just a bit more than two hours from now. As long as I'm on the subject, the sun will set later today at 9:10 p.m. In between, we should have another nice day, much like the one that Saturday became. The rains are not in the forecast until later this evening.

Which also reminds me, that the 99th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Motor Car Racing" happens later today. I know I've mentioned that a few times before, but it makes for a great segue into the sports report.

The boys in blue had a solid game in AZ, triumphing over the D'Backs 9 - 6 on the strength of  an Anthony Rizzo three run home run. Rizzo is having a monster season, as befits a player who is maturing and growing into the All Star that he was named last year. The Tigers fell to the Astros, 2 - 3. Pitching was once again the culprit. The relatively rare triple play turned in by the Astros didn't help the Tigers any, but the Tigers shot themselves in the foot, metaphorically speaking. My beloved Red Sox comfortably defeated the Angels 8 - 3. So tantalizing, but so inconsistent. The Caps were crushed by the Dayton Dragons, 1 - 14. I suspect that some of these players better start thinking about a future that doesn't include professional baseball.  In hockey, the Blackhawks once again took overtime to get a win, 5 - 4 over the Anaheim Ducks. Their series is now knotted at 2 -2.

Yesterday was as fine a day as we ever get in GH. Aside from the previously mentioned weather, I got to ride my bike in the morning and go to the bakery for some bread, while Mary walked with STWD. Shortly thereafter, Mary and I walked over to the Farmer's Market. Naturally, on a holiday weekend, it was crowded. Green things, red things, orange looking things, all came into the bag we carried to the market. Once we got them home, Mary crafted some of them into a nice salad. She also tried sauteing the tops of the radishes with some garlic and olive oil. That was an excellent idea as it turned out.

Later in the day, we journeyed to the Post and talked to a few people, shook hands with our representative to Congress, Bill Huizenga, who was acting as one of the judges, and watched the awarding of the prizes for the best sides and ribs. We can't vouch for the rib selections, but the judges seemed to agree with the people on them for the most part. As evidence of our attendance, I offer the following.

No comment

A good sized crowd.

We finished up the evening at our favorite watering hole and then headed home for a good night's sleep. That's where I was until just before the 4;00 a.m. hour. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. Here in "The City", it is probably closer to morning than it is to evening, as it's 5:10 a.m., but that's okay. The sun will rise at 6:14 a.m. on what is expected to be a sunny day. No precipitation in sight and that makes it the beginning to a beautiful holiday weekend here in GH specifically, and in West, MI generally. Our high is expected to be 72° as we have already reached our nadir, 42°, temperature wise.

Yesterday was busy. I nearly overslept, something I never do, but I awoke in time to take STWD for her pawdicure and return home to water the gardens of the palatial estate. Everything went well for STWD. However, her weight is up slightly, so we have to monitor her treat intake. She is an accomplished beggar, so it is up to us, well really me, to watch what she eats. Mary, Adam, Steph, and everyone who knows me, also know that I spoil the intrepid one relentlessly. My bad. I'll have to do better.

I made it to the dentist in the early afternoon, 25 minutes start to finish as we talked about Corvettes, which the dentist owns, and cars and driving in general. Then I was on my bike and off to home to assist Mary with the index that she was working on. We stopped for lunch and a light dinner, for both us and for Sugar, and that was about it. We finished about 8:30 p.m. Since Mary had spent so much time in her chair, she wanted to walk, so we walked to the Post to listen to listen to some music and have a couple of baking yak remedies. We got back home around 11:00 p.m. I was tired, so I was off to bed. Mary followed shortly thereafter.

In sports, it was definitely a mixed bag of results. The boys in blue fell to the D'Backs, 4 - 5. The Tigers triumphed over the Astros, 6 - 2. My beloved Red Sox were thoroughly drubbed by the Angels, 5 - 12. The Caps slipped by the Dayton Dragons, 3 - 2.

In a tangential sports report, the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 auto race will get the checkered flag at 12:15 p.m. Sunday. Before the race, Florence Henderson. yes that Florence Henderson, will sing America the Beautiful. She will be followed by Straight, No Chaser, singing Back Home Again in Indiana. This will be the first time in many years that Jim Nabors will be unable to make the race and sing the song. He sang for the last time in 2014. The National Anthem, will be sung by Jordin Sparks just before the race begins.

Later today, we may return to the Post at a more reasonable hour to hear more music and watch the judging of the annual Battle of the Bones. That's the official title of the Rib Fest that the Post holds each year. Several local and state celebrities will be judging this year.

That looks like enough. The sun will set at 9:09 p.m. at the end of a beautiful day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just after 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

In sports, the boys in blue are for real. They traveled to the West Coast on a road trip and have taken two out of three from the Padres. The latest win was 3 - 0, on the strength of a two run homer by Kris Bryant, a solo shot by Addison Russell and a strong pitching performance from Kyle Hendricks.
The Tigers eked out a win over the Astros, 6 - 5. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Texas Rangers 1 - 3. The Caps once again triumphed over the Hot Rods, 6 - 3. Unfortunately that luck on the West Coast didn't extend to the Hawks, as they lost to the Anaheim Ducks, 1 - 2.

Don't forget, the "Greatest Spectacle in Motor Car Racing" happens Sunday in Speedway, IN. The 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 is once again faced with a rain-out possibility, but here's hoping. Adam, I know that Indy Car racing is just one step above Taxi Cab racing, but it is still a great racing event. Even Formula 1 racing has seemingly succumbed to the one size fits all philosophy that seems to be pervasive in NASCAR, Indy Car, and many forms of racing.

Yesterday, I accomplished all the things that I had set out to do earlier in the day. I walked with STWD, I made it to the local health food store. I found time to play the girls for about 1//2 hour. I rode my bike to the doctor's appointment,  And finally, I made it to the library, before I arrived home safely. That's a good day in my book.

I learned something later in the afternoon. Manuals for computers and their related peripherals are written by computer geeks for other computer geeks. Unfortunately, I am not one of the privileged few. Oh well, the range extender arrived and between Mary, our IT department in CA, and myself, we got it up and running.

Today I have to walk with STWD to her doctor's appointment to get the second of her pawdicures. Her nails had gotten too long, so they need to be carefully trimmed back to the correct length. One more visit after this should do it. This afternoon, I have an appointment at the dentist. Barring any unforeseen issues, that should take just under one hour from the time I leave home until the time I am back. I have to put on my editor's hat and work with Mary on the completion of her current index when I return.

This is now the unofficial beginning of tourist season here in GH. For the next .few months, we'll be a very busy little city. That's the trade off. Tourism pays the bills for the businesses in GH for the balance of the year, while the rest of us just grin and bear it.

Other than that, not much is happening, The sun will rise at 6:14 a.m.on a sunny day, with a high temperature of 61°. That's after we fall to the expected overnight low of 41°. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are forecast to be in the 70° range. Unfortunately, the rains are expected Sunday night and may continue into Monday and Tuesday. STWD and I should make it to her doctor without a problem, and I should make it to the dentist too. The sun will set at 9:08 p.m. Ciao.

A quick update at 4:30 a.m. Locomotive 2057 went by towing 20 CHCs and eight of those DBTCs.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is fast closing on 5:00 a.m. in "The City."

I missed all the train activity last night and earlier this morning, so no trainspotting report.

The view out the WW is the same as yesterday, dark.

STWD is sleeping downstairs on her couch, so an imminent threat of a significant weather event is highly unlikely.

Yesterday, my day was filled with highlighting and walking with STWD. Mary had gone out earlier to go to the library to pick up a cookbook that was on hold. She likes this cookbook so much, that she ordered one for her personal collection at the local independent bookseller..

I found some music that I liked while surfing the net yesterday afternoon. I'll be going back to that site often.

I mowed the lawns of the palatial estate after I got back with STWD. It took about 45 minutes start to finish.

I watered the vegetable plants as I emptied the dehumidifier. I figured that the water was as good as any that comes out of a hose, maybe better, because it is somewhat distilled. by the dehumidifying process. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

In sports, the boys in blue slipped past the Padres, 3 - 2. The Tigers, on the strength of Miguel Cabrera's 400th home run dropped the Brewers 5 - 2. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Rangetrs, 1 - 2. The Caps were drubbed by the Hot Rods, 2 - 9. Such are the vagaries of life in the A levels of baseball. It's not called a developmental league for nothing. The Blackhawks go again tonight, after defeating the Anaheim Ducks 3 - 2 in a lengthy overtime on Tuesday. That turned out to be a long game.

Today, I am going to the doctor for a regular check. Nothing of import, so that's all good.

Mary has more work to do, so I'll be going on my own. That's okay, because I think I can find my way without any assistance by now.

The sun will rise at 6:15 a.m. on a mostly sunny day. No precipitation is in the forecast for a day that is currently 43°, but which will rise to 63° by the time I'm off to the doctor. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be. It is just past 12:45 a.m. in "The City." It is early or late, and I am still awake, I thought I'd take this opportunity to blog without any interruptions. STWD is downstairs and I am not being "talked to" about her desires for a treat. That's all good.

Yesterday was an interesting day. STWD, Mary, and I went for the morning walk. We didn't get far in the face of a hurricane-like west wind. I tried again later while Mary was working, but I didn't fare much better. Sugar and I returned home quickly. That's spring in MI. By the weekend, the temperatures should improve to the lower 70s. Right now, the view out the WW is dark with a side of dark. The current temperature is 43° as we drop to the overnight low of 37°. We'll rebound tomorrow to a high of 57°. In addition, the sun will rise at 6:15 a.m. and set at 9:03 p.m.

I have yet to hear or see the southbound run of the train. That's okay. After last night, I've seen enough of those DBTCs and their cargo.

I got some additional music transcribed yesterday. I have to stop. So many songs, so little time.

I found time to convert our $1.00 bag of onions and some celery we bought on Monday into some broth. I added some cloves of garlic and a few bay leaves and the broth turned out rich and aromatic. I also chopped most of the balance of those onions into freezer size pieces. Plus, I saved a few whole onions for general use. Mary and I like to think that the aroma from the broth is our own version of potpourri. The smell of onions and garlic is our version of sweet smelling.

Last night I highlighted for Mary's next index. I am about 56% finished. I'm enjoying the subject, so it is a labor of love, not a chore. I'll finish today. Mary will continue to work. STWD and I will once again try that morning walk. Hopefully the winds will have died down. No precipitation is in the forecast.

I hope to continue my personal reading and play with the girls. I just have so many things to keep me busy. I should mow the lawns of the palatial estate, but they can wait for a warmer day. Sugar and I have an appointment at her doctor on Friday morning. Then I have to return and put on my editor's hat. Busy, busy, busy.

In sports, the boys in blue are in San Diego, and behind the Padres 2 - 4 in the top of the 9th. The Tigers fell to the Brewers, 1 - 8. My beloved Red Sox defeated the Rangers 4 - 3. They are being maddeningly inconsistent. The Caps lost to the Hot Rods of Bowling Green, 7 - 8. The Blackhawks are in OT in Anaheim, tied at 2 - 2, having completed one overtime period

In auto racing, the "Greatest Spectacle in Motor Car Racing is scheduled for Sunday. That leaves a rain date on Monday, if necessary, which has all too often been the case. Scott Dixon won the pole for the 99th running of the race, driving the Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

That's enough for one blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City." I've been busy for a few days, more on that in a moment, so I haven't' blogged for a couple of days. Did you miss me?

But I digress. At 3:03 a.m., the northbound run of the local train rumbled through. Engines 2013 and 2057 had the lead. Judging by the overly zealous use of the horn, the "Horn Happy" engineer was at the throttle again. It may be a reaction to the recent Amtrak tragedy, but at 3:00 a.m., the chance of running into something in GH is relatively small. Following the twin locomotives, were 10 DBTCs, 13 CHCs, one lone box car, and then five more DBTCs. Those DBTCs look ominous as they rumble past in the darkness outside the WW.

I had a great time the other day at the Irish Jam. About 10 players came due to the wonderful weather we were enjoying. That's not unusual at this time of year. I took Ivy, my 12-string guitar, this time. I decided to live on the edge and take her in my soft-sided traveling case instead of her regular home of a hard-shell case.

I had suggested that we try a tune called Gary Owen, the marching song of Custer's 7th cavalry and a great Irish jig. It sounded good and we've decided to keep it in our repertoire. For those of you who remember, there was an Erroll Flynn movie, They Died with Their Boots On, that featured this song. With a good mix of fifes and drums, it sounds great. Here's a link to one version of that song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQIml1MpxfQ

To get back to the reason I've been unable to blog, I was actively engaged in aiding Mary on her latest project. The final index turned out to be 75 pages of detailed information, accompanied by 12 pages of a table that was part of the index. My part at this time was small, checking for spelling, grammar, and whether the page numbers were located in the right place and sequence. Mary's part was more involved, but that's the price you pay for fame.

I think I have today off, at least from heavy work. Mary doesn't have time to take a day off, yet. To paraphrase Humphrey Bogart's character, Rick, from the movie Casablanca, "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon."

I do have another book to highlight sitting my desk, but this one is only 176 pages. That's a walk in the park after 1,000 plus pages. The last index and table were almost that long.

Today, I should do some basic household chores that have been piling up. Strangely, while I did many of them while Mary was working and I was foraging, they seem to keep coming back. Go figure.

STWD and I will take the morning walk today after the sun rises at 6:17 a.m. on a partly cloudy day. Our current temperature of 48° will be dropping to 37° before it climbs back to 51°. We'll be in the 50s and lower 60s through Friday.

In sports, the boys in blue lost on Sunday to the Pirates, 0 - 3. They begin a series in San Diego tonight after having Monday off. The Tigers should have taken Monday off, as they lost to the Brewers, 2 - 3. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Mariners on Sunday, 0 - 5. They start a new series tonight against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park in Boston. The Caps played yesterday and beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods 3 - 0. Alas, the Blackhawks lost Sunday afternoon to the Ducks, 1 - 4.

That looks like enough for one morning. The sun will be setting at 9:05 p.m. tonight. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just nearing 5:00 a.m. in "The City." I slept in this morning. The sun will rise @ 6:20 a.m. and set at 9:02 p.m. later tonight. In between, Mary will be working and I'll be jamming. Oops, an unintentional homage to the late Bob Marley.

Our weather today is expected to be warm, but cloudy. A high temperature of 74° will be pleasant enough, but the day may also yield some showers in the early afternoon. That's just in time for my walk to the library for the jam session. Fortunately, that's all of a block and one half, so I should make it without incident.

Yesterday, I was the consummate "House Husband." While Mary was busy working, I put on my apron and baked a pie, vacuumed the house, and did the laundry. All of that after the morning walk with STWD. Retirement can be exhausting.

I returned from the morning safari to make my own lunch. It was the latest in the forage series of eating experiences. Mary did make dinner, hot dogs and corn. My veggie dogs were on a hamburger buns, because the last hot dog bun went to Mary. We then set out to go to the local bread store that was supposed to be open until 7:30 p.m. At 7:20 p.m., they were closed. So, we stopped at the Post to see Sally and the regular cast of characters, good people all.

Worthy of note, is that my scratch made apple pie turned out great. Next time I need to add a little four to tighten up my filling, but overall, it tastes great and Mary liked it too.

In sports, the boys in blue pulled out an overtime win over the Pirates, in the bottom of the 12th. With the bases loaded, the Pirates right fielder tripped on a simple pop fly, and that allowed the winning run to score. The boys are now sporting a record of 20 - 15 and they are in second place. The Tigers defeated the Cardinals in St. Louis last night, 10 - 4. They now have a record of 22 - 14 and are also n second place. My beloved Red Sox succumbed to the Mariners, 1 - 2, the reverse of the score from the previous game. With a record of 17 - 19, they are languishing in third place in the A.L. East. The Caps are on a roll, three wins in a row, defeating the Lansing Lug Nuts, 11 - 5. They remain four games back in the Midwest League Eastern Division, with a record of 17 - 18.

Today, I'll be jammin', reading, and foraging after the morning walk with STWD. Hopefully, the showers won't morph into T-storms and make Sugar's day miserable. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 7:30 a.m. in "The City." Outside the WW, the sun rose at 6:23 a.m., which allowed me to see a cloudy day with the street outside in front of the palatial estate showing evidence of light rain. STWD is asleep on the couch, because the forecast that is calling for T-storms hasn't come true, yet. We have a current temperature of 55° as we rise to today's high of 65°.

Yesterday, I was in charge of the kitchen for forage Thursday. Given the amount of work that Mary still has to accomplish, I know that we are now into forage Friday. That's okay, because I created a good stir-fry yesterday, so I know that I can do some form of an encore today. To her credit, Mary crafted some great BLT sandwiches for our morning repast.

Today, I'm thinking about baking an apple pie. The basic plan is similar to making applesauce at the beginning. However, I then have to turn those peeled apples into a filling and make a crust for the pie. With the able assistance of STSD, I know I can do it. I am going to overfill the pie though, because the last time I baked one, it came out too flat as the apples cooked down. Live and learn I say.

I have to add that I got a missive from the Facebook™ computer that I had been mentioned in a comment from a former colleague and long time friend, Ellen. A long ago picture of yours truly, Ellen, Angie, Dick, and Mary, along with celebrities John Landecker and Catherine Johns that was taken in 1998. Is that possible? The picture was taken at an activity that we had planned. It surfaced in the archives of one of those celebrities who joined us that day. My only comments were that we were all younger then and that while it seemed like only yesterday, it was so long ago. Still, it was a great stroll down memory lane. I miss those folks and those times.

My Mary often futzes in her kitchen at night, but since I was being helpful yesterday, I left her nothing to do. I cooked, I cleaned up, and I washed all the dishes. Since she had/has work to do, that 's the least I can do. I also found time to futz in the man-cave and in the back forty of the palatial estate along with reading and walking with STWD.

Late last night, after Mary and I finished editing the Table of Cases that she had indexed and I had highlighted, we got hungry and traveled over to our favorite watering hole. A bean burrito and some adult libations rounded out the day nicely. It is weird to see the world at that hour of the day/night.

In sports, the boys in blue won their series against the Mets with a 6 - 5 victory yesterday afternoon. The Tigers routed the Twins, 13 - 1. My beloved Red Sox slipped past the Mariners, 2 - 1. The Caps also participated in a rout, winning 11 - 0 over the Hot Rods. Alas, the Bulls are done for the year, losing to the Cavaliers 73 - 94.

Today, other than a few household chores to accompany my baking and the possible morning walk with STWD, I have no plans.

Tomorrow is the monthly Irish Jam session. Last month, we played on the deck at the library due to the blue skies and balmy temperatures. This Saturday, the temperature will be a very nice 73°, but the forecast calls for a partly sunny day. I've always wondered what is the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny. A matter of degrees I guess.

The sun will set this evening, at 9:02 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City." I have a feeling that this will be a short effort on my part. Just a hunch at this time, but many times, that's all I have to go on.

I heard the southbound train before I saw it last night. I was watching the boys in blue win their game against the Mets, 2 - 1 in nine innings. The commentators had already named the Mets' pitcher the player of the game, because he had pitched very well. However, the boys had gotten a yeoman's effort from their own starting pitcher on a night when the temperatures were in the 40s.

In spite of having only thrown 100 pitches, the manager of the Mets replaced the starting pitcher with a reliever who gave up the tying run in the eighth inning. The Mets failed to score in the top of the ninth, so when the boys loaded the bases in the bottom of that inning, all it took was a walk to force in the winning run. Voila, another win, making it three in a row.

As long as I'm here, the Tigers fell to the Twins, 2 - 6, on a night in Detroit that was  not unlike that in Chicago. My beloved Red Sox were warm enough in Oakland, and they won over the As, 2- 0. The Caps hammered the Hot Rods, 10 - 2. The Bulls have their backs against the wall, down 2 - 3 to the Cavaliers. They play tonight.

But I've digressed long enough. We have a current temperature of 42° as we approach sunrise at 6:22 a.m. Later today, the partly cloudy day, with a purported high of 67°, will give way to a 100% chance of showers after midnight.

Oh oh, I forgot. I started out with trainspotting, The southbound train rolled through at 10:20 p. m. last night. The regular cast of locomotives, #s 2057 and 2013, went by towing five CHCs and four of those DBTCs. I am fairly certain that the northbound run hasn't happened yet.

My entertainment as I edited yesterday was watching the city crew remove the fallen branch from the tree in the parkway. My thanks to them.

I spent last evening watching baseball and reruns of NCIS, along with coverage of that tragic train crash in Philadelphia. Earlier in the day, I was free foraging for food after walking with STWD. I didn't get a newspaper because she and I went out too early. Later I played with the girls, read some of my latest book, and did some things in the man-cave. I also took time from my busy day to do some editing for Mary, who was hard at work. She will be likewise engaged today.

I hear that we are now up to forage Thursday. If the apple I spotted on the kitchen counter earlier this morning is any indicator, foraging will start with breakfast. Mary did some batch cooking of rice and corn last night in between watching the news, so I should be able to forage the balance of the day just fine as she works. STWD and I will be soloing again  this morning.

Not much els on tap for today. The sun will set at 9:00 p.m. this evening. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

I'll say this for my plans to sleep through the night, I didn't. However, it gave me the chance to ruminate on the day just gone by.

STWD and I took the morning walk before 10:00 a.m. That meant that the newspaper wasn't out yet. But that's okay, because since Mary was hard at work on Forage Tuesday, I was given the task of going to the grocery store solo. Since I don't drive much anymore, the drive in itself was an adventure. I was given the "Privilege" of stopping for gas, something that apparently I am uniquely qualified to do. Then I negotiated my way to the grocery store and got just what was on the list. I even got to return the cans and bottles, another task that I am apparently uniquely qualified to accomplish.

But I digress. I stopped at the Ace Hardware™ in Spring Lake on the way back, and a trip to the hardware store is always a nice little diversion for me. Once again, I got what was on my list and then safely made it home.

Although it was raining lightly as I passed across the bridge from Spring Lake, when  I got home, the lawns of the palatial estate were dry, so I decided it was time time to mow. I am making progress on the encroaching dandelion population here too, so I only had a few to pull a few after mowing.

Once again, the day got away from me. I did get my desk permanently repaired where it was cracked and I got my music indexes updated. A little time with the girls also ensued. Mostly though I lost track of time. Hopefully today will go better.

I have an edit to do for Mary and if I get out late enough with STWD, I may get today's newspaper. I never got to any book reading, but that was part of my lost day.

In sports, the boys in blue defeated the Mets, 6 - 1, to run their season record to 17 - 15. The Tigers took 10 innings, but defeated the Twins 2 - 1. Their record is now 20 -1 5. My beloved Red Sox took it on the chin again from the As, 2 - 9. That leaves them with a record of 15 - 18. The Caps fell to the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 1 - 5. I don't want to discuss their record. The Bulls were defeated by the Cavaliers 96 - 101. They are now 2 - 3 in their best of seven playoff series. The Blackhawks are still on layoff, but open against their next opponent, the Anaheim Ducks, Sunday afternoon.

In the wacky world of weather, Mary wanted to let the heater stay off now that we are in spring. I made an executive decision late yesterday to turn it on for the next couple of days. Right now, it is 41 chilly degrees. Today we are expecting a high of 57° under sunny skies. We're supposed to get back into the 70s by Saturday, as the T-storms return.

No trainspotting. I heard one late last night, but that's all.

The sun will rise today at 6:23 a.m., and set at 8:59 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. I hadn't planned to get up early this a.m, and it is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City." However, as has been said by better men than I, "The best laid plan of etc., etc., etc."

The sun will be rising at 6:24 a.m., that's less time than I'll spend writing this blog. It will also set at 8:58 p.m. on what is expected to be cloudy day in the mid-50s with no rain in the forecast. STWD and I will be taking our morning walk in the face of a stiff wind. We, at least I, don't plan to be out for long.

Mary has much work to finish. I finished my portion of the latest project, so I have been given the day off. Yesterday became Forage Monday in lieu of Forage Friday, and I have heard from my boss, that yesterday will be followed by Forage Tuesday as she continues working. 1,000 plus pages just takes time.

I have things to keep me busy. Wow, I can't believe that I just wrote that. I sound like my mother-in-law as she described being "So busy!" in retirement. But there are things that I have been planning to get to. Some work in the man-cave, some reading, playing with the girls, being a nuisance. Those things take time.

In sports, the boys in blue defeated the Mets, 4 - 3. The Tigers had the day off before beginning a series with the Twins tonight. My beloved Red Sox slipped past the As 5 - 4. The Caps returned to action against the Bowling Hot Rods and won, 3 - 1.The Bulls also return to action tonight, tied with the Cavaliers at 2 - 2. I should mention that the Blackhawks still await their next round opponent in their playoff series, after going 4 - 0 against Minnesota. No comment on "Deflategate."

So that looks like enough. I may have just beaten or tied the sun rise. Oops, the old clock on my computer says I hit the publish button at 6:28 a.m. Ciao.

Good evening GH. I thought that since it was still Mother's Day, that I'd like to dedicate this blog to Mary, my wife of nearly 42 years and Adam's mother of nearly 41 years.

I also thought that it would be nice to add in some lyrics from an old song written and performed by Glen Campbell, Dreams of the Everyday Housewife. Not that Mary is the everyday housewife, far from it, but because in many ways, I am thankful that just about 42 years ago, she made a choice, and it was me.

So let me add in those lyrics that I mentioned.

She looks in the mirror and stares at the wrinkles, that weren't there yesterday. And thinks of the young man that she almost married, what would he think if he saw her this way. She picks up her apron, in little girl fashion, as something comes into her mind, slowly starts dancing, remembering her girlhood, and all of the boys she had waiting in line. 

Oh, such are the dreams of the everyday housewife, you see anywhere anytime of the day. An everyday housewife, who gave up the good life, for me. 

If you are interested in the entire song, here is the link to YouTube™ for the original Glen Campbell recording on his album Wichita Lineman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LonUQ5o-vLc

Elsewhere, the aforementioned everyday housewife is in her kitchen, cooking something that smells very good. I may find out later that it was "Nothing Special", according to Mary, but it sure smells good up here in the Weather Center/Music Room/my office.

In sports, the boys in blue took it on the chin, losing to the Brewers, 2 - 3. The Tigers are still playing, and they were tied with the Royals at 1 - 1 in the bottom of the fifth in Detroit. My beloved Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays, 6 - 3 earlier today. The Caps had the day off. The Bulls are now tied in their playoff series with the Cavaliers 2 - 2, after losing by a buzzer beater, 84 - 86 earlier today.

I was hard at work all day on some full contact highlighting. The book is interesting, so it has been a labor of love. I also found time to transcribe some music for my travelling book.

The weather today was as predicted, rainy. We found a window earlier this morning to take STWD for her morning constitutional, We got back just in time as the skies opened up shortly after we got home. We seem to have missed the T-storms, but tomorrow looks like a clone of today's forecast, with the possibility of severe storms.

It looks like I'll have time for more highlighting tomorrow. Mary will continue her efforts on the other book of over 1,000 pages that I highlighted previously. That book was interesting too, but it was a lot of highlighting. I think I went through three or four highlighters in the process.

Not much else on tap for me. With another break in the weather, I may get STWD out for her regular morning walk.

The sun will rise at 6:25 a.m. and set at 8:57 p.m tomorrow. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

Here in the Weather Center, the view out the WW is a typical street scene from a typical spring in GH, nothing is happening. No rain, no cars, and no people.

It's Mother's Day, 2015. While it will be cooler here today, it will be a good day for most people to enjoy time with family and friends, mothers and fathers. The real joy in life is found with those most dear to you. The Beatles said it best, "Money can't buy me love!"

Yesterday afternoon, we set out to find a new grocery store near Holland. It turned out that it was the old store we had shopped at before. Oh well, they had what we wanted, so it was all good. I must have imagined seeing another store there.

In sports, the news was all bad. All of my teams lost. Nuff said.

Yesterday, Mary and I went to the just opened GH Farmer's Market. We got some potatoes. Since we were out, we also picked up some vegetable plants from another source, along with some paper Mary needed, and some bread that she wanted.

We ended up with more vegetable plants than we wanted or needed, but since the entire cost was a tad over $3.00, we decided it was a wise buy. The extra plants are now residing in Mary's new cold frame. What will be will be. Along with pulling some additional dandelions, planting those vegetables was the extent of my outdoor activities yesterday.

Today, even though it's Mother's Day, Mary will have to work and so will I. My part is easy. I'll walk with STWD and that will be the extent of my outdoor activities today. Then I'll settle in for some highlighting.

So there you have it. The sun will rise on Mother's Day at 6:27 a.m. We expect a high of 66° with showers early and cloudy skies that produce sporadic showers all day. The sun will set at 8:55 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City." STWD is sleeping next to the bed, probably as a result of a disturbance in the force as we like to call it. It is trying to rain outside the WW, and that is often all the impetus that our "Fur Baby" needs to join us at night.

Speaking of the weather, the forecast is for a rainy day today. That's okay, I won't have to water the lawns on the palatial estate and I can justify staying in and doing my highlighting work.

Rain seems to part of the forecast for the next few days, which allows me to comment on the walk that STWD and I took early in the day yesterday and also the one that Mary and I took later in the day. Sugar enjoyed her walk through the neighborhood. I had spent too much time sitting earlier, so I was a bit stiff in my baking yak. It got better as time passed.

I got the new capo for my 12 string guitar, Ivy, and it works perfectly. Much better than the last capo that I had to send back.

Mary told me that she was going out for a walk to enjoy the day. I thought she was going to get some copies, but she did those at home. Turns out, her walk became our walk, which ended at the waterfront on a restaurant deck overlooking the channel. We split a great black bean burrito and some adult beverages. Then we journeyed to the Post to see Sally, before finally heading home to the front porch to watch the world go by. STWD stayed in, because she can't handle being on the porch when people and other dogs go by.

In the world of sports, the boys in blue got past the Brewers, 7 - 6. The Tigers also got past their opponent, the K.C. Royals, 6 - 5. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Blue Jays 0 - 7. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, so to speak. Maybe it never was. The Caps slipped past the Dayton Dragons, 4 - 3. I also noticed the Bulls nailed a buzzer beater to defeat the Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs™, 99- 96.

That looks like enough for one day. I'll be taking that morning walk with STWD if she will go. She gets reluctant when it rains. Then I'll settle in for some full contact highlighting.

The sun will rise at 6:28 a.m., and set at 8:54 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 12:00 a.m. in "The City."

Yesterday could not have been any nicer from a weather perspective. The temperature topped out in the mid 80s and the skies were not cloudy all day. Tomorrow, the high will be in the lower 70s with only a 20% chance of precipitation, Saturday, we are expecting T-storms. STWD will not be happy. Since the chance of showers will only be 20%, tomorrow, I'll have to go out to the back forty and water my grass seeds. No grass yet, but the seeds normally germinate in 10 days or so. That makes it later next week.

STWD and I made it to her doctor's appointment this morning. The young ladies there just love her, and in spite of her skittish nature, she doesn't mind going with them. When I got home, I rode my bike for a few miles and then came home for lunch.

After lunch, I was drafted into making vegetable broth with the vegetables in the refrigerator that would have gone over if I hadn't. I was able to use some of those onions we got the previous week too, so all was good on that front.

Once I was done making broth, STWD and I adjourned to the deck and I read and played Abaigael as the intrepid weather dog chewed happily away. What's not to like?

Last evening, Mary and I journeyed to the library for a presentation by a representative from the Sierra Club of Western, MI on Fracking in MI. While the presenter was optimistic, Mary and I are not so sure. However, if there is anything like a silver lining, another petition drive is beginning later this month. With 250,000 valid signatures of registered voters, a measure to ban Fracking in MI can be placed on a future ballot. The last time out, only 70,000 signatures were obtained. It is a tough hill to climb, but worth the effort. If we don't do something in MI, and across the nation, there won't be a viable legacy to leave to our children, grandchildren, or later generations. We won't destroy the planet, just humanity.

Trainspotting was, spotty again for the southbound run. Locomotive 2057 towing two box cars and four CHCs, went by at 11:15 p.m.

In sports, the boys in blue lost to St. Louis, 1 - 5. On to Milwaukee to face the Brewers. The Tigers beat that other team from Chicago, 4 - 1. My beloved Red Sox mercifully had the day off. They fired their pitching coach in an attempt to get better. Here's hoping. The Caps beat the Dragons of Dayton, 5 - 3.

Today I'll read more, work for Mary if she gets her latest project printed out, and walk with STWD. That's enough for one day. Oh, I have to do that watering too. The sun will rise at 6:28 a.m. and set at 8:54 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

Not surprisingly, the view out the WW is dark. No rain is falling at the moment, and the expectation for later today is sporadic showers under partly cloudy skies. Our high today is expected to be 79°, which means that we could get into the 80s for the first time this year. However, we are expecting several rainy days through early next week, with temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s.

I heard the mournful moan of the train whistle as it was heading north at 2:20 a.m. I was prepared for my usual trainspotting report, but this one will be short, My spot was one EMD GP 38 locomotive, #2057. No cars of any type. I had heard the southbound run earlier, and from the sound, it too was short, but not that short.

Earlier yesterday, I went for the morning walk with STWD. We headed south for a change of pace. Mary went along to stop off at the local health grocery, but STWD and I kept on walking. When we started out, Mary thought I was under dressed in my summer uniform of shorts and a T-shirt. I thought she was over dressed in a pair of long jeans and a fleece jacket. Once she poked her head out, she agreed that the fleece was unnecessary. The day just kept getting better. She returned home before STWD and I.

Once home, I repaired to the back forty of the palatial estate to transplant some ferns into our shade garden and to pull some of those pesky dandelions. Most of my efforts were spent in my neighbor's yard, as I am trying to grow some additional grass in the back forty and I don't want it to succumb to the yellow plague.

I received  the new capo for my 12 string guitar, Ivy. It went right back into the package, because I couldn't achieve a clear tone with that one. I've since reordered a different style, and we'll see if the next one is any better. Apparently, I am not alone in this result. It appears to be trial and error.

Later in the day, when Mary was dunworkin, we journeyed to the Post to see Sally and drop off the returning capo at the UPS™ store. Here's hoping that the next capo that arrives on Friday will work better.

Today, STWD and I will be walking to her doctor for her 10:30 a.m. appointment. Sugar will be happy when she leaves, but when she arrives at the doctor, she won't be so excited. When we get back, she and I may spend some time in the "Bone Zone." That should mollify her.

Sports was a very mixed bag. The boys in blue eked out a win over the Cardinals, 6 - 5. The Tigers fell to that other team in Chicago, 6 - 7. My beloved Red Sox returned to their old ways, losing to the Rays, 3 - 5. The Caps also fell, 2 - 6, to the Lansing Lug Nuts. Alas the Bulls fell too, 91 - 106 to the Cavs.

The sun will be rising at 6:30 a.m later this morning at 6:30 a.m. Later, it will set at 8:52 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. At 5:00 a.m in "The City" it is probably closer to sunrise than I would like, but them's the breaks.

Speaking of the sun, it will be rising at 6:32 a.m., on what promises to be a 71° day, with clearing skies and scattered showers possible. Tomorrow looks about the same. The weekend is still iffy, with the forecast for more showers, but warm temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s.

Looks like I missed the trains, as did the boys in blue. They fell to the Cardinals again, this time 4 - 7. Their $50,000,000 reliever came in with the game tied and left with the boys losing 4 - 6.  The Tigers also fell, in their case to that other team from Chicago, 2 - 5. My beloved Red Sox righted the ship for one day as they defeated the Rays, 2 - 0. The Caps got rained out.

Elsewhere in the news, Mary and I finished her last project yesterday afternoon. Well, I edited some and she did most of the work. She is now on to that 1,000 page tome which is due next.

In other local news, the proposal to raise taxes to repair the roads in MI went down in flames, with three of four voters giving it a resounding, No! Now the state and its Republican dominated government, with the worst roads in the nation, will either have to cut spending elsewhere or come up with a tax proposal that people will accept. Yeah right.

So that looks like enough for one day. I have no firm plans as of yet. Reading, walking with STWD, and general household duties. Looks like a full day before the sun sets at 8:51 p.m. Ciao

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

This time of day reminds me of long ago, when Adam and I would get up and listen to the stereo and watch the color organ that I had made. Some of you may remember that a color organ was as popular item in the psychedelic 70s, that flashed colored lights in time with the music. I had found the plans for one in a popular electronics magazine and built mine. Adam and I would sit in the rocking chair in our first condo and listen to Styx or The Steve Miller Band on the stereo and watch the lights flash.

When I asked Mary why Adam kept getting up at night, she calmly replied, "Did it occur to you that, he get's up to spend time with his father and rock back and forth in the rocking chair", or words to that effect. I'd never thought much about it, I just knew that I wasn't home in the morning when he got up, so the chance to spend time with me was probably a factor. I wouldn't have missed it for the world, any more than I would have missed the Wednesday outings he and I used to take to allow Mary the chance to sleep. I can be so dumb sometimes. Mary would probably say something like, "Sometimes?"

But I digress. I had planned to watch the boys in blue play the Cardinals last night so that I could get to know the newest players. I sat down in the media room to watch and flip back and forth to the Velocity Channel to watch car shows. The boys jumped out to a five run lead in-the top of the first and I was overjoyed. That is until the Cardinals came back in the bottom of the inning and hit a grand slam home run. The boys scored a few more, but in the bottom of the seventh, the game was broken open by the Cardinals who went on to win, 10 - 9. The Cards are off to their best start since 1899. Accordion to a sports item on the internet, changes are coming to the boys bullpen. Ya think!? My beloved Red Sox fell once again, 1 - 5. Ouch! x 2. The first place Tigers had the day off before they open a series in Chicago tonight against that other team. The Caps, slipped by the Lansing Lug Nuts, 2 - 0.

Trainspotting yields this. A heavily laden southbound train with one locomotive, 13 CHCs and three of those DBTCs went by at 10:41 p.m. last night. I was just awake enough after I returned to bed, for Mary to point out that I had not missed the northbound run. At 4:39 a.m., the same locomotive, #2057, without a partner, came through with the same horn-happy engineer. However, this edition of the train was 47 CHCs, two box cars, three of  those DBTCs, and one white tank car. Amazing that the trains no longer seem to need two locomotives.

Today, I have nothing much to do except edit for Mary, a total of about 15 or 16 pages I hear. I may get in some reading too along with playtime with the girls.

Today the sun will rise at 6:33 a.m. on cloudy skies and a temperature that will peak at 60° Showers are expected off and on all day. At 8:50 p.m. the sun will set for the day. Ciao

Good morning GH. Since it is now well past 5:00 a.m. in "The City", it is more appropriate to just say good morning rather than my usual opening line. In fact, the sun will be rising in a little over one hour at 6:34 a.m., on the start of what will be several rainy days.

Speaking of those rainy days, STWD is in her upstairs hide-e-hole, so there must be a disturbance in the force outside the WW. I looked out, and there is a branch lying on the sidewalk. I think that it was the one that was already loose from the big tree in the parkway. I guess that since public works has been unable to make it over to remedy the problem, the winds have taken care of it for them. I just have to place the branch at the curb to get it picked up.

I took the inaugural bike ride yesterday afternoon. I didn't go far, as I told Mary I would take it easy my first time out. I hate to admit it, but she is right, I always tend to overdo. I also was wearing my official summer uniform when I rode, the same uniform I wore during the morning safari with STWD. Shorts, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap to cover my somewhat thinning hair. except that I replaced the baseball cap with a bike helmet. I'll probably have to eschew that outfit for a few days, but the National Weather Service is promising 80° on Thursday.

Speaking of Thursday, since it looks like it will be the first all nice day this week, I have to make an appointment for STWD to get her Bordetella booster and her pawdicure. Fortunately, she forgives me those transgressions on her personal space. I'm just hoping that she doesn't tip the scales at too high of a weight. In her old age, she isn't as eager to exercise as much, but she is more than happy to get treats. Good thing we got those low-cal ones at the store.

In sports, the boys in blue fell to the Brewers 3 - 5, a team that seems to always have their number, despite an inferior won-lost record. The boys are still in second place with a record of 13 - 10. The Tigers slid back into first place by one-half game, with a victory over the Royals, 6 - 4. My beloved Red Sox, after a 5 - 8 loss to those darn Yankees, have a sub-500 record and have slid into fourth place. Ouch. The Caps fell once again to the Lake County Captains, 1 - 4. Ouch again.

Not much on tap for today. I'll do the morning walk with STWD as Mary works. I have to go to the local grocery store to pick up some "Swiss" style cheese for Mary's famous sauerkraut and Swiss cheese sandwiches.

No trains on Sunday, surely one come Monday.

The sun will set at 8:49 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

Yesterday was interesting, to say the least. After listening to Auto Talk on one of our local radio stations, and then lying in bed to hear part of the Pet Files Show and the Flower Land Show, I got up for breakfast and the morning walk with Mary and STWD.

As I was lying about and then walking, I formulated a plan for the day that included: bringing the bicycles and front porch furniture up from the man-cave, top seeding the lawn on the palatial estate, and then adding some replacement seeds to Mary's vegetable garden, I knew that while Mary worked, I'd be busy.

Since it was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the upper sixties, it was a perfect day for being outdoors. I'm almost certain that Adam would say, "Give me some excitement, give me some positives", but I would counter that for me, those things are exciting and very positive. I got to be outside and doing some value-added activities on the palatial estate. At my advanced age, I believe that any day I get up and accomplish just about anything, that those are all positive activities.

Interestingly, when we got back from our walk, STWD was acting like she does when she is fearful of a T-storm. That was about 12:23 p.m. While I was out in the back forty of the palatial estate, Mary came out to tell me that there had been an earthquake of 4.2 magnitude in Southern MI, that occurred near Kalamazoo, MI. Mary and I never felt it, but STWD must have sensed a disturbance in the force through her paws, and that's why she was cowering in one corner of the kitchen, similar to what she does during fireworks or a T-storm. Clearly, dogs are far more sensitive to those seismic disturbances than humans. While not of the devastating nature of the recent quake in Nepal, for STWD, it was still frightening.

I got all of my self-assigned chores done and then it was time to kick back. Mary came down to join me for lunch and we watched some TV. Later, we watched all of the horses that Steph, Adam, Mary, and I had chosen in the KY Derby fade from contention. Alas, that has been my luck lately.

However, I could have been like the boys in blue, my beloved Red Sox, and Manny Pacquiao, all who have had better days. The Tigers won as did the Caps.

So, in spite of my lousy horse sense, and the luck of several of my teams, it was indeed a great day. I accomplished a lot, I added value to the palatial estate, and I got to enjoy the sunny skies of the greatest little city in the Midwest. To use one of my favorite phrases, "What's not to like?"

Today, is a day to just do as little as possible. Reading, crossword puzzle solving, and maybe, just maybe, riding my bike and sitting on the front porch. I do have to water my just planted grass seeds, but that is part of every day for the foreseeable future. It takes about two weeks to get the seedlings up and prospering. I should be okay for a few days early this week if the predicted rains come.

The sun will rise at 6;35 a.m. on a partly sunny/partly cloudy day, depending on whether you are a glass half empty or half full kind of person, with a high temperature of 73°. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, have showers/T-storms predicted at this time. STWD will not be happy. The sun will set at 8:47 p.m. By Thursday, I should be able to walk the intrepid weather dog over to her doctor for her semi-annual Bordetella treatment and a pawdicure. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

I had a great day on Friday. I am starting to feel better, so STWD, Mary and I took the morning walk downtown to pick up the Grand Haven Tribune at the box in front of their office. The crossword was interesting to say the least, but that came later. Since I was already dressed for the outdoors, I decided it was time for some work in the vast gardens of the palatial estate. Mary's newest plant is now in the ground. However, I don't think she has given him a name yet. I say him, because this plant will definitely be taller than it is wide as it climbs the trellis that we "inherited" from Steph and Adam..

I also took time to move some plants around in the shade garden to new locations. They were getting crowded and they were also in the way of her newest addition. While I was out there, I discovered that when our neighbor took down his wall, he had "donated" some plants to our right field area. We don't know what they are, but it will be fun to find out. and they are green.

Naturally, while I was out, I had to dig up some dandelions. Mary says that I get a perverse joy from that activity. She's right, I do.

Finally, since I had decided to go down to the man-cave and do some cleaning, I took time to change the filter on the furnace. By the time I was done, I had a loaded vacuum and a clogged filter in the vacuum. All good though, because none of that pesky dust was able to return to the air in the man-cave. Mary gets a laugh each time she visualizes me the last time I used the vacuum down there. I put more dust into the air than should have been possible. Oh well, live and learn.

While I was out in the back forty of the estate, Mary was hard at work in her office on her latest project on this latest edition of foraging Friday. I found some things in the refrigerator that were tasty to me and I was more than happy to do my own thing.

Since I was tired of working by early afternoon, I sat down to do that crossword that I mentioned earlier, and then read more of my latest non-fiction book about the life and times of Robert E. Lee. This one is 600 plus pages, but I am enjoying it. Since it seemed nice when I was out in the gardens, I thought it would be great to go out to the "Bone Zone" with the intrepid weather dog. I read more of the book and listened to the oldies station out of GR, and Sugar chewed away happily. It was all good.

However it was colder out there than I had anticipated. So when Sugar was dome with her chewing, I came in to get warm.

Speaking of STWD, as we were returning from our morning sojourn, we met the substitute letter carrier. STWD is always suspicious of any letter carrier who isn't Dave, our regular carrier, so she was eyeing him with wary eyes. However, since he had a large sized dog treat in his bag, he quickly became her friend. She can be so cheap sometimes.

Sports was a mixed bag. The boys in blue triumphed over the Brewers, 1 - 0. They remain two games back of the Cardinals. The Tigers fell to the Royals, 1 - 4 and also fell into second place. My beloved Red Sox fell to those darn Yankees, 2 - 3 and into third place. The Caps, fell to the Lake County Captains 5 - 6. They are till mired in the nether regions.

Later today, the 141st running of the KY Derby takes place. For me, it is an anniversary of sorts, as three years ago, I found out that I was allergic to sesame seeds. Life has never been the same since. For those are into the sweet science, the much hyped "Fight of the Century", between Floyd Mayweather Jr.and Manny Pacquiao takes place tonight. I guess that Earnest Hemingway would have liked it, since to him, sports required the risk of death.

Lots more happened, but I am going back to bed.

As for that warm weather, today we anticipate a high of 65° under sunny skies. A warmer version of Friday. The sun will rise at 6:37 a.m. and set at 8:46 p.m. Ciao.