Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
I spent about one-half hour when I first got up, around 2:00 a.m., reading some things that Mary had forwarded to me regarding recent events and happenings. Oh well, at least I got to read undisturbed.

Yesterday morning, I wanted to get an early start with STWD for her morning safari. Mary wanted to take our time. I was proved right a bit later when the intrepid one wanted to go back in when she felt the first rain drops falling. We made it as far as the Post Office, where we picked up the newspaper. We got home before the skies opened up and a genuine "Gully Washer" came down. That happened at about 2:00 p.m. Our sidewalks were flooded, the street was flooded, and the rainfall total was considerable. So much for my watering the day before. I should have taken my own advice and waited for the forecast from STWD. The National Weather Service forecast had called for showers later in the day with a 40% chance.

In trainspotting news, the southbound run of #s 2057 and 2019 occurred at 9:04 a.m. Three CHCs, three DBTCs and one box car were headed south with them. At 12:54 p.m., the same locomotives headed north just before the big storm. 11 DBTCs, a single box car, one white tank car and one gray tank car accompanied 10 CHCs. A good day for trainspotters.

I finished my novel instead of getting down to the man-cave to work. At any rate, I like this authors writing, so I have ordered copies of some other books she has written.

I have to check the man-cave for water seepage that always accompanies a big rain event. The dehumidifier is probably full again too. Nope, my paranoia made me go check. The seepage was minimal and the dehumidifier was only partially full and not running. Phew!

In spite of Mary's misgivings about a half full dishwasher, I decided to run it while I was in the kitchen. I have to ask her how she gets the spare tea cups off of the top shelf. I am a foot taller and I have to struggle to put them up there.

In weather news, not much is happening nor is anything on the horizon for at least a few hours, according to the N.W.S. STWD was asleep on her couch, so she has no prediction at this time.

Today, I hope to get to the man-cave after waiting out the N.W.S. forecast rain event before the morning walk. We have to clean for the carpet cleaning people before they arrive somewhere between 11:00 a.m., and 2:00 p.m. I won't get much chance to play with the girls because of that scheduling. If all goes as planned, STWD and I will go for a long walk while the carpet cleaners are here.

That looks like enough for today. the sun will rise at 6:08 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

Here's a refresher about why I call our little part of the world "The City." Years ago, the producer/director/actor, Jack Webb, created, produced, acted in, and often directed his radio and later TV show, Dragnet. He always referred to his city. Los Angeles, CA, as "The City." So, I decided that if it was good enough for Jack, it was good enough for me. I might also mention that my mostly usual opening; "Good morning or good evening, wherever  you may be", is borrowed from Geoege Noory and his radio program, Coast to Coast A.M. As before, if it's good enough for George etc.

But I've digressed long enough. Yesterday afternoon, Mary and I decided that it was a good day for gathering signatures to place on the 2016 MI ballot, an initiative regarding the practice of Fracking. People need not have an opinion at this time, just a desire to place an initiative on the ballot so that regular people get an opportunity to vote on the issue, either pro or con.

We gathered many signatures, but we also talked to people who didn't want to commit to anything, people who were too busy, and people who are all too happy to let others decide for them. If you know Mary, you know that she doesn't suffer fools very well. After about one hour of canvassing, she had had enough and we repaired to our favorite watering hole.

There we came in to a Tigers game in which Jeff Samardzija, the pitcher for that other team from Chicago, was cruising along with a four run lead, 4 - 0. But in the bottom of the eighth inning, he imploded, loaded the bases, hit a battier and surrendered a bases clearing triple to the Tigers. His relief in the bottom of the ninth, surrendered a walk off home run to the Tigers and the sad saga of Jeff Samardzija continued.

Elsewhere in sports, the boys in blue fell to the Cardinals in a sweep of their series, 1 - 4. My beloved Red Sox took another game from the Rays, 5 - 3. The Caps fell to the Lug Nuts, 5 - 7.

I ended up watering yesterday, not trusting on the forecast for rain today, which has been downgraded to a 40% chance of showers later. I suspect that STWD will be fine with no rain or thunder.

Otherwise, my new novel reading is going well. I like this author's style. She is from England, but her book could take place anywhere in the world, not just a suburb of London, England.

I hope to get in more time with the girls today and also get to the man-cave for those wind chimes. Along with painting on Mary's door, refinishing the cabinets in the upstairs bathroom. and the sundry other things that make running the PE a time consumer, I have plenty of projects to keep me busy.

In any event, the sun will rise at 6:08 a.m.and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is nearing 2:00 a.m. in "The City." Outside the WW, the night is mostly quiet and the temperature is currently 61°, our forecast overnight low. Today, the temperature is expected to rise to 77° under sunny skies. The next chance of precipitation is Monday during the p.m. hours.

Yesterday, the day got away from us. By the time that STWD and I walked to the newspaper box and most of the way back the morning was nearly gone. Mary had already begun her morning walk to the downtown to check out the annual Art Walk. Sugar and I met her on the way back. I did some reading, while Mary did some work after lunch, and I made a plan to ride my bike over to East town to procure some supplies for the wind chimes I am making.

Mary thought that if I was willing to walk, she would go along. It turned out that she was prescient, as the traffic on the main highway that bisects our little city was very heavy. Like most weekends during the season, the drivers were erratic and it would have been far too dangerous on a bike. The total distance to and from is about two miles, so the walk was easy.

On sports, the boys in blue lost to the Cardinals 1 - 8. The Tigers were postponed due to rain. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Rays, 1 - 4. The Caps lost to the Lug Nuts, 1 - 5. As is often the case, the weather across the state is very different. Her in GH, the sun was shining. In Detroit, the rain fell. Two Great Lakes, two different sets of weather conditions.

Mary and I spent some time on the front porch watching the traffic go by last evening. We saw a truck going the wrong way on the street, and several near miss accidents at the nearby intersection.  I guess people come to a tourist town on vacation and leave their brains at home.

Today, I hope to get my day of nothing to do off to a slow start and wind down from there. More reading, possibly some work in the man-cave. I think I can avoid watering until tomorrow. If the forecast changes, I have to water on Monday for sure. I'll try to fit in some time with the girls too, and that should make my day complete.

The sun will rise at 6:07 a.m., ans set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. Here in "The City", at 5:25 a.m., life is good. I am going to keep this short, because I've just spent 40 minutes watching the eulogy delivered by President Obama at the funeral service for Reverend Clementa Pinckney in Charleston, SC. I am too tired to do much more than make a list and to think about things that he evoked in my mind.

In sports, boys in blue, 2 - 3 losers to the Cardinals in 10 innings. The Tigers eked out a win over that other team from Chicago, 5 - 4. My beloved Red Sox tipped the Rays, 4 - 3, and the Caps nipped the Lansing Lug Nuts 2 - 1.

Today, not much is on tap. A walk with STWD, a trip downtown for some signatures on our petitions. The goal is to place an initiative on the November 2016 ballot to ban fracking in M, and also a viewing of the annual Art Walk in GH. Plus, a pause for reflection on how fortunate we all are to have friends and family when we need them most.

The sun will rise at 6:07 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. At 12:00 a.m. in "The City", I am awake after a short nap.

Yesterday morning we safaried into the downtown area to mail a letter and give STWD a nice walk. Mary decided to go farther than Sugar or I, but that was a choice of hers. I wanted to get home and finish my highlighting, among other tasks. Now, Mary has to wait for the publisher to get back to her with responses to some questions she has before starting on her part of the task.

No trainspotting yesterday. Why? Probably because I just missed their passage.

In sports, the boys in blue fell to the Dodgers 0 - 4. Once again, the ace of the staff, Jon Lester, has rust on his armor. He has a personal won/lost record of 4 - 6. The Tigers fell to that other team from Chicago in 10 innings, 7 - 8. When you are in the top of the 10th inning and the opposing team has the bases loaded, you can't surrender a bases clearing triple and win too many games. The Tigers tried to get the game even in the bottom of the frame, but they came up looking for answers, and a win. My beloved Red Sox also had a rough day, losing to the Orioles, 6 - 8. The Caps, post All Star Game, edged the Lansing Lug Nuts, 6 - 5.

Today I have another day off. It is time to do a bit of watering on the PE, as the gardens are looking a bit parched due to the lack of recent rainfall. I need to be sure that my recent transplants are well watered so that they thrive.

I plan to get together with the girls today too, after the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog. Since Mary's work is on hold, I hope that she'll join us. Otherwise, no plans for this guy. Perhaps some trainspotting, but that's always a hit or miss proposition.

In weather news, the day was mostly sunny in spite of the cloudy start. A few drops of rain fell, and I do mean a few. Today, the forecast is for a high of 78° under partly cloudy skies, after an overnight low of 57°. That is according to the National Weather Service, not the more reliable STWD. The sun will rise at 6:06 a.m., and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City." I'm going to keep this short.

Trainspotting yesterday was fantastic. At 10:36 a.m., the southbound run rolled by. EMD GP 38 locomotives 2057 and 2019 were freshly washed and towing a single box car, 10 CHCs six DBTCs, and two gray or dirty white tank cars. The gray or white cars are generally filled with anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. At 3:00 p.m., the same locomotives rolled back north, towing only three CHCs, four DBTCs, and one gray tank car. In witness of their passage were myself and several of the neighborhood children.

In sports, the boys in blue were never in the game. The Dodgers outscored them 5 - 2. The Tigers were overwhelmed by the Indians, 2 - 8. My beloved Red Sox slipped past the Orioles, 5 - 1. A solid score, but given their overall record, the Sox are not having a good season. The Caps are still enjoying a break for the All Star game. They'll get back to work, if you can call playing baseball work, later today.

Mary and I took the day off and took a nice long walk to the local salad bar purveyor, North Ottawas Community Hospital. Round trip that's about two miles. We returned to finish the gardening on the PE for another day, as STWD chewed happily on a bone in the zone. We then set out to get some things from the local resale stores to make a few wind chimes to hang in our gardens. Mary found some great plans on the internet that I have to transfer into physical reality. I still have to get some fishing line to hang everything.

Later today, I have to put my highlighting hat on, again. A short effort, but another of those books that is probably not of great interest to yours truly, but we'll see. That will consume most of my day.

The weather forecast from the National Weather Service calls for a 25% chance of showers at midday, and a high of 78° under partly to fully cloudy skies. No great threat, but I'll await the forecast from STWD, as always.

The sun will rise at 6:06 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City." Things are quiet this morning. Outside the WW, nothing is happening. A stray automobile, went by, but that was a while ago. No trains, no rain, no thunder, no pedestrians, nothing. What's not to like?

Yesterday, we didn't do much. We went to the local garden center, the City Farmer™, and to the grocery store. STWD quietly went on the morning walk, until she found herself at the groomer. We returned for her after lunch. She is now softer and less of a hair ball. While she was out, I vacuumed the house and washed her couch cover to make the house more like her, less hair covered.

Prior to that, I mowed the lawn on the PE. That took a bit of effort after the rains of Monday.

Not much else was happening and that's a good thing. Today, I plan to do very little other than play with the girls. Mary's latest project hadn't come in as of bedtime, so I am free for at least one more day.

I'd like to get to the driving range soon and try to hit a bucket of range golf balls to see how my yak reacts. But, I have to avoid walking or working around the PE too much for a few days, to allow my yak a chance to rest.

A walk with STWD, a few meals, and that should be a complete day, just the way I like it.

No trains were spotted.

The boys in blue are now nine games over .500 after their 1 - 0 win over the Dodgers Monday night. The Tigers once again beat the Indians, this time by a score of 7 - 3. Unfortunately, my beloved Red Sox weren't so lucky, losing to the Orioles, 4 - 6. The Caps were off due to their league All Star game.

The sun will rise at 6:06 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. In between, a partly cloudy day is the expectation. Thursday the rains may return, based on the forecast from the National Weather Service, not the more reliable STWD forecast.

Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is nearing 8:30 a.m. in "The City." I can say for certain that the view out the WW is beautiful. The sky is blue, the sun is shining after having risen at 6:05 a.m. During the day, the high of 73° will be welcome after the storms of yesterday afternoon. We had to put STWD in her Thunder Shirt™, so that she would stop shaking. She still spent a great deal of the day in her hide-e-hole even with the shirt.

Yesterday morning was very nice, if a bit on the humid side. When I took the morning stroll with the intrepid one, we had an uneventful walk. However, she was anxious to get home, so she was already sensing a disturbance in the force. At about 12:45 p.m., her worst fears were confirmed. The skies got dark, the thunder crashed, and the rain fell in torrents. I guess I won't have to water for a few days.

Prior to that, at 9:45 a.m., I heard the southbound train pass by, but I didn't see it. However, since it traversed quickly, it didn't seem like a long one. The storms held the northbound run off until 2:00 p.m., when both locomotives, 2019 and 2057, led the parade of cars. One box car, 13 CHCs, seven DBTCs and three gray or white tank cars. The kids had their umbrellas, and they were there to count the cars and watch their passage.

Otherwise, I found time to go to Rock  n' Road™ our local bike store, to seek help for the attachment of our bike carrier. We bought the carrier for our old car and hadn't attached it to the new one previously. They helped us the last time and they were also helpful this time. I had succeeded in getting it on the back of the car, but the settings were mostly wrong. A bit of assistance and I was on my way home once again. Mary had continued to work while I was gone and reading. Later I had to join the party until about 9:00 p.m. in my job as the company editor.

Our local branch of the USPS delivered my Father's Day card from Adam and Steph yesterday. It plays a nice version of Brahms Lullaby. A dog in a La-Z-Boy relaxing was the perfect card. Thanks to my children for making my day brighter.

Today, no editing, no household chores, no work. Naturally, the girls will figure into my day, but that is a given most days. I can take time to walk with STWD, and return a book that I finished to the library, but that's my limit. Mary may want to go to the grocery store and that means that I'll have to go along and take back the cans that I avoided in a "Freudian Slip" the last rime.

So without further ado, I'll await the setting of the sun at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past sunrise here in "The City." That happened at 6:05 a.m. on this second day of summer. In actuality, it is 7:23 a.m. Later this evening, the sun will set at 9:28 p.m. under a waxing crescent moon. In between, we are still expecting to have those strong storms beginning at about 2:00 p.m. and continuing throughout the evening. I'll wait for the forecast from STWD. A high of 83° and humidity of 90% will make it the most uncomfortable day so far this summer.

I did get to play the girls yesterday. Not long, but I'll take it. Mary was working, but if she closes her door, I don't bother her. Sugar never seems bothered by the soothing sounds of my playing and singing.

I got a very nice message from Adam for Father's Day. I don't need much at this stage in my life, and so his message meant more than any card or other expression could have achieved. Again, thanks A.J.

I also got outside for Father's Day and did that work that I wanted to accomplish. Strangely, when you do that which you want to do, it is more rewarding than going out to lunch or dinner at a restaurant. That's just one father's opinion, but I like to think that mine is the one that matters.

I started a new novel yesterday. I'm about 1/3 of the way through. I inadvertently ordered it from the library in the large type format and I find that I like it. A concession to age? Maybe, but it just may be something that everyone could appreciate.

In sports, the boys in blue took their second of three on the trip to MN, by a score of 8 - 0. Jake Arrieta, the pitcher, was on top of his game, and Dexter Fowler hit a Grand Slam in support. The Tigers reversed their lopsided loss to the Yankees the day before by winning 12 - 4. My beloved Red Sox also won in a lopsided victory over the Royals, 13 - 2. The Caps unfortunately fell to the South Bend Cubs, 1 - 5. a 75% day is better than 25% like we saw on Saturday.

Today, I have to put on my editor's hat and assist Mary with the index that is due today. The book that I highlighted was not all that interesting to me, but that's probably because it was written for grad students and professors, not the average reader.

I'll take the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog as Mary finishes her final chapter in that book. Then I/we can edit, and send it on its way.

That looks like a complete day for me. Sunrise, sunset, possible T-storms, and editing. Maybe some time with the girls too. What's not to like? I was thinking that we haven't had any T-storms so far this year, at least none worthy of note. I can't recall if that's normal. I'm certain that STWD hasn't missed them. Any loud noise, e.g., thunder, a backfire from a car or motorcycle, fireworks, or a vacuum sends her scurrying.

Ciao.

Good afternoon GH. Admittedly, I am a tad late, but that is the result of a good night's sleep and more work on the PE. It is nearing 2:00 p.m. in "The City." It is now a lazy kind of day, at least for me. We took a collective walk this morning, and when we got back, I worked outdoors while Mary continued her work indoors.

We took some pictures while we were out, and I'll include those in a moment.

Yesterday's Irish Jam session was a success. We had maybe 10 - 12 players, but that made the session more intimate.

Today I accomplished a great deal during my outdoor activities. I cut some fresh trellises for the cucumbers and washed the front porch and its furniture for use later today. While I was watering, I noticed that the green bean plants are beginning to produce beans and the zucchini is flowering. That means that it won't be long until the zucchini is producing fruit. The cucumbers are beginning to produce fruit too, so in about two weeks, we should have more cucumbers than we know what to do with. I'm certain that Mary can get Adam's advice on how to pickle them in the style that he has developed. The tomatoes are flowering, but no fruit yet. The beets, horseradish, and Swiss Chard are doing nicely.

No storms are in the forecast until tomorrow afternoon, and then the National Weather Service is predicting dangerous storms. I'll wait for the forecast from STWD.

In sports, the boys in blue took 10 innings in Minnesota, but they defeated the Twins, 4 - 1 yesterday. The Tigers were crushed by the Yankees, 3 - 14. My beloved Red Sox dropped one to the Royals, 4 - 7. The Caps fell 2 - 3 to the South Bend Cubs. One out of four isn't bad, don't you think?

While we were out this morning, Mary managed to get the phone take some pictures of something other than her beautiful visage. I had to delete a few of her selfies in order to get to the pictures I wanted to include in this blog.  I needed to get rid of more than a few pictures from previous photo sessions. The sun rose at 6:05 a.m. and it will set at 9:28 p.m., on this first day of summer.

Now for those pictures.

The Chnook Pier restrooms, shortly after the fire this spring.

We are getting closer, to being rebuilt, now that the insurance company has settled.

A freighter proceeding down the channel in the early morning fog.

This is another shot of the St. Mary's Challenger after unloading.

Part of the traveling art exhibit from the Detroit Institute of Art that is visiting GH, located just outside our library.

Another picture from the same exhibit, outside the Community Center. 

Enjoy. Ciao.

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

I am beginning to regain my personal equilibrium following the recent events in S.C., so I plan to return to a regularly scheduled blog format.

It seems logical to start with trainspotting, since I had the chance to watch two runs on Friday. Perhaps the greatest thing about daytime trains, is that the neighborhood children get to gather under the tree in the parkway and watch as each train slowly rumbles through. Friday was no exception. At 9:46 a.m., engine # 2019 rolled by heading south. In its wake, were four box cars, one CHC, and five of the DBTCs that were bringing up the rear. The kids were thrilled, just as I would have been when I was that age.

Let me digress, my mother had a fascination with train wrecks when I was a wee lad. We used to get to go to school late in order to allow her to enjoy her macabre fascination. In those days, the local train line was the Chicago and Northwestern that ran between downtown Chicago and Lake Geneva, WI. It seemed that there was always a train split open in one of the towns on the line that spewed its contents of corn or other items on the rails, tying up automobile traffic and providing entertainment for my mother, my brothers, and me. Today, the C N & W is employee owned and transports people, not freight, down that line.

In my early days, I actually saw steam locomotives pulling cars. Not a museum exhibit, Adam, but live steam trains that soon succumbed to the diesel locomotives of today. Even when the diesels no longer needed stokers, they still had firemen to act as backups to the engineer. Someone decided that the firemen were "featherbedding" and they all lost their jobs. Today, we rely on dead-man switches and electronics for safety. Just saying.

But enough digression. The same locomotive, #2019, returned at 1:07 p.m., towing only five of the DBTCs heading north. A short lived thrill for me and the kids, but that's okay, when the trains return on Monday, so will we.

In sports, the boys in blue fell to the Twins, 2 - 7. According to some in attendance, Starlin Castro had one of his now famous lapses that resulted in a two run error. Sigh. The Tigers fell to the Yankees by that same score. My beloved Red Sox won their second in a row, this one over the Royals 7 - 3. They are moving up in their division, where they are in fifth place with a record of 30 - 39. The Caps defeated the South Bend Cubs, 8 - 4.

Our new utility sink is now installed after some fits and starts. In addition, the tech was able to bring the bathroom vent and lighting fixture in the downstairs bathroom back to life, by plugging in a plug in the fixture. A simple fix as compared to the sink. Did I mention that I got the screens installed in the windows downstairs, including the one in the downstairs bedroom. Great cross ventilation now.

Today, not much is happening except the Irish Jam session at the library this afternoon. Mary has to work while I get to play. What's not to like?

The sun will rise at at 6:05 a.m. and set at 9:27 p.m. In between, we'll have sunny skies and no precipitation. I guess that means that I'll be out in the back forty of the PE watering the vast gardens. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City."

Normally, I eschew the politics of daily life because they are too often more than I can bear. I am not going to change that course this morning. Instead, I am going to recap some of the places and times that are part and parcel to the lives of myself and my small family, and also the lives of so many others.

Naturally, the upcoming Father's Day wouldn't be possible without Mary, and by extension, Adam. Nearly 41 years ago, I was in a hospital waiting room about 6:00 a. m., when a Lutheran minister came in and said my name. My heart jumped into my throat, but when he said that your wife and your son are fine, I was able to swallow and our new lives began with the birth of a 9 lb. 9 and 3/4 oz. baby boy who was 23 inches long. Mary and I had decided to name him Adam if he was a boy. Fortunately for him, had he been a girl, Mary and I had talked about naming her Sunshine, Sunny for short. Hey, we were children of the 1960s.

Mary still smiles when she remembers that it was a decision left to her when the nurse asked what his name would be. Instead of Adam, he could have been an entirely different person. Somehow, Adam seems to have suited him well. His middle name, Joshua, when coupled with his first name, would have been good initials on a sports jersey. A. J. W.

But I digress. I was prompted to go in this direction by the horrific events of Wednesday evening in a church in Charleston, S.C. There, so many lives were altered by the events that occurred in a place of history and worship.

The lives of both the living and the victims were altered in ways that should never have happened. Why? There are many factors already cited and many more that will be cited and speculated about over the next days, weeks, and months. So many lives were changed, so many events that will never be experienced or which will bring bittersweet memories. Births, graduations, marriages, vacations, and the sheer joy of living that will never take place.

Early in Adam's life, he and I used to travel about while Mary was sleeping due to her overnight hours. Unlike Charles Dickens, there were no worst of times for us. To borrow from a Ronnie Milsap song, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." During his formative years, we traveled to Graue Mill in Oakbrook, IL, because it was a free destination. We made a trip to La Crosse, WI to see the "World's Largest Six-Pack." It belonged to the then independent G. Heileman Brewing Co. It was in fact a series of storage tanks that the brewery had painted for advertising. Adam was dwarfed by their size, but he looked great in the pictures. Somewhere in his youth, we also visited the now closed Opryland theme park and rode the roller coasters and saw the Grand Ole Opry at the auditorium there.

We took more than a few trips to Dixon, IL to see the sights of Lowell Park and the nearby John Deere historic site in Grand Detour, IL. One again, there was no charge for admission. We took time to go to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI too. Adam has since visited there himself. I guess he liked it.

When Adam was about 12 or so, we took a trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL on the occasion of it's 25th anniversary. We stopped in Daytona Beach too, to see a professional, no holds barred, $25,000.00 cage wrestling match. Strangely, one of the wrestlers was disqualified for an illegal hold. There are many more memories in our lives, but this truncated list is my way of saying that all of the things that are often considered mundane and trivial, are very important to all families. First birthday parties, graduations at all levels, marriages, family gatherings, and trips with G'ma are part and parcel to the fabric of life.

Some of the people who were killed yesterday had already experienced those mundane and trivial things we call life. Some were parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. All were family. However, some will never get to experience the firsts, seconds, thirds or whatever number comes with the daily passage of time. That's why I believe that it is important to enjoy and to experience while you can.

Mary and I would never have had the pleasure to know Stephany. We would never have had the chance to know Barb. There are so many people, places, and things that I could list, but that would be belaboring the point.

No trainspotting, no sports report, no weather forecast today, just whimsy and memories. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. I hope to get this blog finished in record time. It is just passing 3:00 a. m. in "The City", where outside the WW, the current temperature is 60°, the overnight low. Today, after the sun rises at 6:04 a.m. and long before it sets at 9:26 p.m., the high is expected to get to 77° under mostly sunny skies. No rain is forecast until tomorrow. Once again, I"ll rely on STWD.

No trainspotting today/tonight.

Mary and I did walk to the salad bar at the hospital. We know it seems odd, but it is a good destination that is about two miles round trip and the salad bar is very reasonable. STWD got in a morning walk before we left. In between, Mary went to the local independent book seller and found a couple of books that should be both useful and interesting.

We returned and I got down to doing my outdoor chores. I still have a few to accomplish, but they are  of the light variety. I did that while Mary worked at her desk. I don't know if she participated in her twice weekly chat session, as I forgot to ask.

Once I was done for the afternoon, Sugar and I retired to the "Bone Zone" and she chewed while I did crosswords and more reading. I had already played with the girls in the early morning hours, they called to me. Oops, another song lyric snuck in there. My thanks to John Henry Deutschendorf Jr., you know him better as Johns Denver, for his efforts on Take Me Home Country Roads. . Sadly, he has been gone for nearly 10 years.

Oops, in my zealous rush to get done quickly, I almost forgot to update the sports report. The boys in blue fell to the Indians 0 - 6. The Tigers also lost 2 -  5 to the Reds. My beloved Red Sox actually won over the braves, 9 - 4. That makes it one n a row. It is worthy of note that the Sox had a player, Brock Holt, hit for the cycle. For those who don't know, that's a single, a double, a triple, and ahome run in the same game.The Caps are unknown at this time due to site maintenance. The Warriors are the new NBA champs. Their first in 40 years as they won over the Caves, 102 - 97. I guess that LeBron wasn't enough to put the Cavs over the top. How many more next years does he have?

Today, a few outdoor chores after a morning walk with STWD, and then more interplay with the girls. That should be a full day as Mary works indoors.

Ciao.

Good morning or good evening,wherever you may be. It is just passing 2:00 a.m. in "The City." I'm going to keep this as short as possible.

Trainspotting yesterday was an interesting experience. At 10:02 a.m., I saw the southbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 as they towed 10 CHCs and one DBTC, all seemingly unloaded. I missed the northbound run that was probably more heavily laden, as we were on the other side of the bridge. However, I did see the maintenance truck head southbound too, about one hour after the train.

In sports, the B'hawks won Lord Stanley's cup with a 2 - 0 win over the Lightning. It was their first Cup victory at home in 77 years. The boys in blue were rained out. The Tigers beat the Reds, 6 - 0. My beloved Red Sox are really in free fall, losing again 2 - 4, this time to the Braves. The Caps too succumbed to the rain and were also postponed.

The weather yesterday seemed to be a mystery to STWD as much as it was to the National Weather Service. Sugar spent time in her hide-e-hole, but her radar must need a tune-up, because the light rains never became T-storms of the type that rained out the Cubs and the Caps. A nice bit of alliteration there, don't you think?

I had to skip my outdoor chores, other than harvesting the kale for my soup, because the lawns of the PE were too wet. Maybe later today.

I made my soup from the kale as Mary baked bread. My soup tasted great, but Mary is still experiencing problems with the resultant loaves from her bread machine. It may be going back if that is all that can be achieved. I sent her an article that may contain the answer to her concerns.

Back to my soup. Mary loves chopping and gets great pleasure from the activity, I find the chopping process tedious. So, making the soup was more work than pleasure for me. Oh well, that's my idiosyncrasy.

The sun will rise at 6:0 4 a.m. today on a partly cloudy day that has a 0% forecast for rain. That means that it will probably pour.  Temperatures will be in the mid 70° range. Later tonight, the sun will set at 9:26 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. I hadn't planned to be up at 2:00 a.m. in "The City", but that's how things go sometimes.

The boys in blue had to take their time to get a win, but they did, winning 2 - 1 over the Reds. They are now seven games over .500 for the first time this season. However, they still find themselves in third place in the Central Division of the National League. The Tigers also won, beating the Indians, 8 - 1. My beloved Red Sox fell to the still surging Blue Jays, 5 - 13. The Caps also lost, 1 - 6, to the Burlington, IA Bees.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 104 - 91. They need to win only one of two remaining games to grab the NBA title. The B'hawks play again tonight against Tampa Bay. One more win and Lord Stanley's cup is theirs.

I didn't feel like going out earlier yesterday, so I stayed in while restless Mary went out solo. Her comment was that the conditions on the waterfront were less than ideal. Too much fog, too much humidity. We did go out later, and by then the humidity had dropped and the temperatures were comfortable. However, the fog was rolling in.

Today I have nothing special to do. Some basic indoor and outdoor chores, including cooking some soup, and that's about it. I get to use the kale that we grew in the gardens of the PE. Our gardens are responding nicely to the warming temperatures and the Goldilocks like precipitation, that appears to be just right.

I am still working on my highlighting for Mary's latest index. I just learned yesterday that another book is due in soon. I was probably told before, but I likely blocked the information in an attempt to avoid more work.

The weather in GH is muggy right now, with a current temperature of 63° and foggy skies. Later today, we will have a high of 74° and a 40% chance of T-storms in the afternoon. That's according to the National Weather Service, not the more reliable STWD. Her track record is much better than the weather service when it comes to T-storms.

The sun will rise at 6:04 a.m. and set at 9:26 p.m. No hurricanes are forecast for our area. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, to all of my many loyal readers. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City." I know that I missed last night, but when the muse fails to inspire, well you get the idea.

However, waiting for another opportunity allows me to report a tiny bit of positive sports news. As the immortal Harry Caray often said, "Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!" Yes my friends, last night after a two hour rain delay, the boys in blue won the game on a ninth inning single by Starlin Castro, that drove in the winning run, for a 4 - 3 victory. They now have an overall record of 33 - 27, but they are in third place in their division. The Tigers behind Justin Verlander's inaugural 2015 debut, lost to the Indians, 4 - 5. Same sad score for my beloved Red Sox, as they also lost to the Bluejays. The Caps were postponed due to the rain that never made it here. More on that in a minute. The B'hawks defeated the Lightning 2 - 1, to take a 3 - 2 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. One more win nets them their third of Lord Stanley's cup in six years.

As I was saying, yesterday's weather looked ominous on paper and in my email, but the rain never fell and the T-storms never happened. That's what it's often like here in GH. I knew that I should trust STWD's forecast. She never once went to her hide-e-hole yesterday. Today we may make our way over to the Feast of the Strawberry Moon on Harbor Island. The dire forecast for yesterday deterred us from our plans. Right now, there is no rain falling and the forecast from the National Weather Service is calling for scattered T-storms with a 60% chance to begin at 3:00 a.m. We're currently at 71° as we drop to the overnight low of 61°.

The T-storms are expected to peak at 100% by 7:00 a.m., and then go down to 60% most of the day, including during the afternoon activities on Harbor Island. I am certain that STWD will either confirm or deny that forecast very quickly.

Mary and I did walk to the Post to see Sally yesterday afternoon, The weather was beautiful.

We had a great lunch of tacos made by Mary. She did this while attempting to use her new bread machine. Her first effort was tasty, but oddly shaped. I am certain that the next loaf will be much better. If not, Mary says the machine goes back. This machine has a learning curve I guess.

Speaking of learning curves, Adam bequeathed unto me his digital scanner for police, fire, and other emergency calls. I am still trying to figure it out. I can get the local sheriff's police, but I'd like to clear the playlists and start over. Like most things computer/electronic, the directions are written for computer programmers, not for the average user. I'll beat it yet.

We did spend some time on the front porch last evening watching the world go by. Our new to us outdoor speaker, also bequeathed by Adam and Steph, works great.

I have the next book on my desk awaiting highlighting. Mary feels that this one won't cause me to comment much, so it should go quickly. Many of the latest books have been on subjects about which I have strong opinions that "demand" commentary. Otherwise, I have no plans except to beat that scanner and to go to the Celtic music activity at the Feast of the Strawberry Moon.

The sun will rise at 6:04 a.m. and sete at 9:25 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. We've just passed 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

Just outside the WW of the Weather Center. located on the grounds of the of the vast PE, the skies are menacingly dark and threatening. Well they are dark, but STWD is sleeping next to the bed that I'm not in, so I know that not much is happening on the weather scene. Theoretically, it is raining and the current temperature of 64° will drop to an overnight low of 55°. Since the street and the sidewalk aren't wet, yet, I can't vouch for the precipitation. I can feel the warm air moving out the raised WW, so I know that the temperature outdoors is cooler than indoors.

Theoretically by 4:00 a.m., we'll be seeing rain and T-storms. If STWD moves to her hide-e-hole at that time, I'll know for sure. If you accept the forecast proffered by the National Weather Service, which I generally don't, there will be heavy rain at 7:00 a.m., and at 9:00 a.m. heavy T-storms begin. The heaviest storms are supposed to begin at 4:00 a.m. Confused yet? I sure am. I'll go with the forecast of the intrepid weather dog.

I did get out on my bike yesterday to go to the small box hardware and home center and then to the medium box grocery store across town. By the time I was heading home, I felt the first drops of the storms that never materialized yesterday. That's just one of the reasons I find any weather forecast for our area suspect. We are in an area that the severe weather often passes by.

But I digress. STWD and I walked to the newspaper box to pick up the news paper before I headed out. Mary left a shopping list that was way too long. I had to remind her that I was on a bike, not driving a delivery van. I was reminded of the chore lists that she used to leave for Adam to accomplish when he got home from school each day. He finally had to tell her that the lists were way too long for three kids, let alone one.

During the course of the day, trainspotting was interesting. Both southbound and northbound runs happened before 2:00 p.m., with the southbound run happening at 9:23 a.m. Both locomotives, #s 2019 and 2057, were employed moving box cars, CHCs, and DBTCs. The southbound run was lightly laden, while the northbound run was more heavily loaded and the CHCs that directly followed the locomotives were from an earlier era in railroading. I say that because the first 11 CHCs were rusty to the point of looking like they were at least 50 years old. Probably not, but they weren't the youngest cars that the railroad has ever deployed.

Mary was hard at work most of the day, and I even had to put on my editor's hat in the early afternoon. Today is the final edit after Mary finishes the entire project. She anticipates about 20 pages for editing. She will continue her work while I theoretically walk with STWD. But if that forecast comes to pass, then the morning walk won't be happening.

I will get in more time with the girls if the T-storms drive STWD to her hide-e-hole.

In sports, the boys in blue defeated the Reds last night, 6 - 3. The Tigers appear to have been off yesterday. Too bad that my beloved Red Sox weren't off, because they lost again to the Orioles, 5 - 6. The Caps also should have taken the day off, as they lost to Peoria, 5 - 8. It appears that Lebron James is human after all, because his scoring was all too human when compared to his previous efforts against the Warriors. The Cave lost by 21 points.

That looks like enough for one or two days. The sun will rise in a few hours at 6:04 a.m. and set later at 9:24 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:45 a.m. in "The City." Outside the WW, it is a dark and stormy night. Well not really, but I wanted to use that line so that I could sound more like a hack writer than I usually do.

Yesterday morning, we had just enough rain to make no discernible difference. I awoke to the sound of raindrops hitting the side of the PE. However, by the time I got around to being fully aware, the rain was over. I think we got an accumulation of about 0.00000001 inches. Suffice it to say, that after the morning safari with STWD t pick up the newspaper and get a treat for Sugar from her most favorite person,, I had to water the gardens on the PE.

That activity required a subsequent trip to the big-box home center to get a repair part for the watering hose. I had planned to just tighten the coupling at the spigot, but the hose snapped off in my hand right where the coupling attached to the spigot. I like to use the word spigot instead of faucet. All told, the problem was fixed in about 30 minutes. start to finish.

Then Mary made lunch. Her plans were nearly thwarted by her lack of a viable onion, a lack of viable buns for the "burgers" that she had previously formed, and a tomato that wasn't up to her standards. All in all she persevered, and lunch was fine. Sadly, she had gone to the farmer's market earlier to get a few veggies, She didn't know that the onion she had counted on was going to be bad, so she didn't buy one while at the market.

I spent the afternoon reading, listening to the oldies, and doing the crossword from the Grand Haven Tribune. Did I mention that I also got in some time with the girls?

Mary left me on my own for dinner. It was tough, but I survived. I used one of the hamburger buns she waved off at lunch, to make a sandwich and then reheated some of the asparagus soup she had previously made.

Following dinner, I repaired to the front porch with my radio and my book. Mary encouraged me to replace my radio with the speaker that we inherited from Steph and Adam. She visiting from her work station upstairs. I did fetch the speaker and then I changed over to the station that was playing the baseball game. The speaker sounded great.

I finally came inside to watch the boys in blue thoroughly atone for their poor showing against the Tigers the night before. The boys won the game, 12 - 3. What is it the ephemeral they say about payback? Naturally, the Tigers lost that same game, 3 - 12. My beloved Red Sox didn't fare so well, losing to the Orioles, 2 - 5. Sigh. The Caps beat Peoria 5 - 2. The B'Hawks found a way to even the Stanley Cup Finals at 2 - 2, following a 2 - 1 victory over Tampa Bay in a  hard fought game. Next game in two days.

The weather was mentioned previously, but I wanted to close by saying that the forecast once again calls for rain/T-storms, both later this afternoon and evening. That's a 50% chance. Friday's forecast also calls for T-storms with an 80% chance. We'll see. Right now we have hit our low temperature of 61°, before we rise to the predicted high for today of 81°, that's our highest temperature this YTD.

Today I really have no plans. More interplay with the girls, finish my current reading, after a walk with the intrepid one to pick up the newspaper, and then, nothing.

The sun will rise at 6:05 a.m. and set at 9:24 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. Whether you are in "The City" or anywhere else, I hope you all had a great day on Tuesday and that today also brings good fortune. We are fast closing on 4:00 a.m.

I have an odd bit of news regarding trainspotting. While I didn't personally witness any trains yesterday nor early this morning, Tuesday's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune had a story regarding the southbound run of Monday's train. Apparently south of here, near West Olive, MI, the train was travelling at 23 mph and struck a pick up truck that had stopped on the tracks. No one was injured, but the train was delayed for 45 minutes. Fortunately, the trains along this short line route never get up to a high rate of speed.

In other news, I got all of my chores done, so I have  nothing that has to be done today. Mary says that I overdo, and she is probably right, but I like to get things done.

We did walk to the Post in the late afternoon/early evening. I had plans to watch the baseball game, a real twofer, and I did see some at the Post. I'd have been better off to skip that match-up. One good thing, if the boys in blue can win game two of this short series, I get to have a draw for my two favorite teams. If not?

Speaking further of sports, the boys in blue faced off against the Tigers. The boys ace pitcher, Jon Lester, looked less like an ace and more like a guy just going through the motions. The boys lost 0 - 6 and the Tigers won 6 - 0. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Orioles, 0 - 1. The Caps had the day off.

Today I may work in the kitchen on a snack dish that I like to make, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, roasted in hot sauce. STWD likes them too. Go figure. The beans themselves are all ready to go, since I soaked them and Mary finished their cooking. The roasting part will be easy.

Otherwise, I plan to do as little as possible, The weather report is calling for showers early today, but around these parts, that's always a guess more than a forecast. We have a current temperature of 71° as we head down to the overnight low of 57°. That's my way of saying that I'll be taking the morning safari with STWD, and that's about it. Reading. playing with the girls, and that aforementioned work in the kitchen should be about it.

The sun will rise at 6:05 a.m., and set at 9:23 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is closer to morning than evening @ 5:47 a. m., so I'll just leave it at that.

Here in "The City", the trainspotting was interesting yesterday. At 9:53 a.m. the southbound run of locomotive #2019 rolled through "The City." Following the loco were six CHCs and then, empty track. An empty train based on the lack of ground shaking. At 3:08 p.m., the northbound run made its appearance. The same loco followed by five CHCs, a lone box car, a single DBTC, then five more CHCs, with two more of the DBTCs bringing up the rear. This train was loaded as Mary noted, as the entire earth shook for miles around. Well maybe not miles, but we felt it here in the PE. Why this change in schedule? Darned if we know.

Otherwise, we made it to the big box everything and grocery store after a walk with STWD, a stop at the bank, and watering. Mary tried out a new recipe and that too was delicious. This vegan thing is really not too hard with a little imagination and a willingness to experiment. That filled my day nicely. When you get up late, that seems to happen.

I did get in some time with the girls too. As I said to Mary, they call out like the Sirens of old and I must heed their call, just as Jason and his Argonauts did. Their call actually happened twice yesterday. After some wrestling with my computer, STWD and I repaired to the deck to work out in the "Bone Zone." My radio, the oldies, and a book by Ret. General Anthony Zinni were all that I needed. Sugar of course only needed a tasty bone. I don't know why, but I am reading another book that confirms my belief that we are in for a long ride.

Oh well, I digress. In sports, the boys in blue were off as were the Tigers, whom the boys play tis evening, Guess where I"ll be, My beloved Red Sox also had the day off. The Caps wish they had. They lost to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 2 - 4. Likewise for the B'hawks. In a game tied at 1 - 1, they scored the go ahead goal only to give up the lead a scant few seconds later. Late in the third period, they gave up the winning goal to the Lightning, losing 2 - 3.

On the the weather front, a nice play on words I think, we are currently experiencing a temperature of 52° with fog just before the sun rises at 6:05 a.m. We did get a "Spitch" of rain, as Mary has named this phenomenon, last evening, but nothing of significance. Today, no rain in the forecast and a high of 74° is the expectation, We are awaiting rain/T-storms tomorrow.

Today just the mundane chores of life await me. No "Bone Zone", no time for the girls, well maybe, and reading in between the chores. Mary has to get to work in between her time in the chat room. Sugar will be happy to get in a morning walk in the fog. I refuse to give up my summer uniform.

The sun will set at 9:23 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:45 a.m. in "The City." A nice breeze is wafting in the WW and the skies are dark.The temperature is expected to drop to 55° overnight, and then rise to 76° as the day wears on. The skies will be partly to mostly cloudy, but the chance of rain gets no higher than 20%. In short, it looks like I'll have to water the gardens on the PE. That threat of T-storms and other precipitation for yesterday, never materialized. It looks like the next chance is Wednesday.

Yesterday, the boys in blue pulled off a three out of four series victory in Washington, D.C., by defeating the Nats 6 - 3. It looks like the boys are for real. Is next year here? They open a two game series in Detroit on Tuesday evening. Speaking of the Tigers, they also won, 6 - 4 over that other team from Chicago. That makes it two in a row. Time for them to lose again. My beloved Red Sox also won their third in a row over the As, 7 - 4. The Caps won, 6 - 2, over the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

I didn't accomplish much yesterday. Mary and I walked over to the grocery store in East Town to get some bones for STWD, but the weather wasn't conducive to any "Bone Zone" activity. Maybe today, time permitting. We have to get to the big box everything store/grocery later today. Mary doesn't like it there, but they have some things that she can't get at the smaller stores.

My ant traps seem to be working, but that is a long process.

Mary did a good job for breakfast, and lunch was also excellent. Dinner was a sandwich that I made for myself. That's fine, because I didn't want to work any harder and neither did she.

Today, some chores, that watering I mentioned, and playing with the girls. That should round out my day as Mary works on her index, either before or after we go to the big box store.

No trains to spot.

The sun will rise at 6:05 a.m. and set at 9:22 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 3:45 a.m. in "The City."

In sports, the boys in blue took one from the Nats, 4 - 2. They have a record of 29 - 25, which finds them in third place in their division. Today's game is the rubber game, an so it will be a good raod trip if the boys win. They have not yet shown evidence of the famous June Swoon.

The Tigers finally broke their losing streak against that other team from Chicago, 7 - 1. Sadly, their record of 29 - 28 also finds them in third place in their division. Justin Verlander is due back from rehab soon, but he can only pitch every four or five days. My beloved Red Sox, with a record of 26 - 31 have fallen to fourth place in their division. They did however beat the As for the second game in a row, 4 -2. The Caps have a record of 28 - 28, after beating the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 8 - 7. The B'hawks lost to the Tampa Bay Lighting, affectionately known to their fans as the Bolts, 4 - 3. And as expected, American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown going away in the Belmont Stakes. It took 37 years to get the 12th Triple Crown winner, but American Pharaoh did it. It also took his trainer, Bob Baffert, a long time too.

Wow, I didn't think a sports update could take that long.

Yesterday, after we walked to the farmers market and I walked solo to the aforementioned big-box home center. Mary made scrambled tofu and potatoes for breakfast after we returned. When you get up at 7:45 a.m., you can get a lot done before 10:00 a.m. We worked on the latest index. I finished my part of the project, for now, and so the rest is up to Mary until I get the call to put on my editor's hat. I think I can find time for the girls tomorrow, since the National Weather Service is predicting rain and T-storms. The rain is forecast to begin by 9:00 a.m. at 30%, and the T-storms are supposed to begin in earnest, at 2:00 p.m.with a 90% chance of certainty. STWD will let us know for sure.

Mary made her famous sauerkraut and Swiss cheeses sandwiches for lunch. She also took time to craft a cucumber salad as the perfect side. Later we went downtown in the afternoon to gather some signatures for the petitions we volunteered to do. Many people were approached and some of the reasons for being unable to sign were interesting. It is s learning process for everyone.

We stopped into see Sally on the way back before getting home. Mary crafted a down and dirty spaghetti. We were hungry, but it tasted great to me.

The sun will rise at 6:15 a.m. and set at 9:21 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 3:30 a.m. in "The City."

Yesterday was one of those days where what you knew to be true, is no longe true. Sounds ominous, right? Actually, I'm referring to my daily trainspotting report. At 9:52 a.m. yesterday, the southbound run of locomotive 2019 rolled through town. Seven CHCs of various hues rolled through following 2019. Bringing up the rear were six of the DBTCs. That tied up traffic for about one minute. Later, 2019 passed through again, at 2:40 p.m., with one CHC and three DBTCs. That train took even less time to transition the crossing. Midday is now the new midnight I guess.

We collectively went for the morning safari with STWD and stopped off to get some bread downtown. Sugar bore up well during the trek, so the temperature was not too much for her.

Later, we visited our favorite watering hole and then stopped in at the Post to see Sally. Home, feeding time for STWD, some front porch sitting for me, accompanied by some adult beverages. Then it was time for a long spring nap. Well a bit more than a nap, but you get the idea.

I spent much of the day yesterday highlighting, but I am not yet done. I'm almost 80% finished, and I should be able to get that final part done later this morning after we get back from the farmer's market, and my run to the big box store.

Part of the afternoon was spent listening to an interview with Brian Wilson, the Beach Boy. He has a new album out that sounds promising. In addition, the new movie that chronicles a portion of his life is out now. It too sounds interesting, but it hasn't come to our area, yet. Both the movie and the album were highly lauded by the interviewer, John Fugelsang.

In sports, the boys in blue fell to the Nats, 5 - 7. The Tigers fell yet again, this time to that other team from Chicago, 3 - 4. That makes it eight straight losses for the Tigers. My beloved Red Sox got a win, 4 - 2 over the As, but one fan was seriously injured by a broken bat that flew into the stands. According to early reports, she was seriously hurt. Major League Baseball has made changes to the bats to reduce injuries from flying pieces, and that has reduced those by 50%. The Caps lost to the River Bandits, 3 - 4. This evening is the third leg of the Triple Crown. If American Pharaoh can get the victory, he will become the first Triple Crown winner since 1977, when Affirmed won the crown.

Today not much to do, and that's good. Finish highlighting, play more with the girls, and walk with STWD. The weather should be good for walking and sitting. Partly sunny, a high of 75° and that means possible time in the "Bone Zone." That's a maybe, so don't tell the intrepid one.

As noted earlier, I also have to get on my bike first thing and ride over to the big box home center and get some ant traps for indoors and out. The traps are on the list for our shopping trip on Monday, but I don't think they can wait. Apparently the cool weather has produced an abundance of ants this spring. When I emptied the dishwasher a few moments ago, they were seen in the downstairs bathroom in significant numbers (less than six), but Ewwww! They don't cause harm, but they should stay outdoors.

The sun will rise at 6:06 a.m. and set at 9:21 p.m. No rain is in the forecast until tomorrow afternoon. when there is a 60% chance of T-storms, some maybe severe. STWD will let us know. Ciao.

Good evening GH. It is fast approaching 11:00 p.m. in "The City. A current temperature of 70° will give way to an overnight low of 55°. In short, good sleeping weather. Tomorrow, there is slight chance of showers in the evening, but that's only 20%. It still looks like Sunday is the next real chance of rain.

I got the lawns mowed on the PE today after we walked with STWD. Then I came in and converted some cauliflower into a base for Mary's magic sauce. She has learned how to make gravy, cream sauce, and even cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese from the base ingredient. I am like that girl in the old Shake and Bake commercials who always said, "And I helped."

I also finished some electrical work in the man-cave so that all of the lights come on when I flip the upstairs switch. I hung Adam's Ford Racing banner at the east end of the man-cave. I like how it looks, but he is free to change it when he comes over.

In sports, the boys in blue are still playing in Washington D.C. in a rain delayed game. They are leading 2 - 0. The Tigers lost another one to the As, 5 - 7. That's seven losses in a row. Free fall doesn't seem a strong enough phrase to cover it anymore. My beloved Red Sox also fell, in their case to the Twins, 4 - 8. Free fall isn't strong enough to cover their activities lately either. The Caps slipped past the Quad Cities River Bandits, 3 - 2.

No trainspotting again tonight.

Tomorrow, I plan to do nothing but highlighting. I am currently 56% of the way through a 254 page book. It is interesting, so I should be able to finish it in the morning or early afternoon.

That looks like enough for one night/day. The sun wil rise at 6:07 a.m. and set at 9:20 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is nearing 6:15 a.m. in "The City." Outside the WW, the dark is beginning to lift like a thick London fog, as we approach sunrise at 6:06 a.m. Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 76°. It looks like the next possibility of precipitation is now Sunday. Good thing I decided to water the vegetables in our vast gardens.

Yesterday was a fun day. We got up late, and since my boss had given me the day off, I decided to go north to the big box tool store and get a couple of small items along with my free tape measure. I never fail to get the free gift when I am there. Of course, these days you have to buy something, you don't get a truly free gift. But if you also take in a 20% off coupon for one of the items you do buy, the cost of a small item is negligible and you might as well get a free gift. I think I have cornered the market on screwdrivers, tape measures, and digital meters.

Since it was such a gorgeous day, and since Mary's boss had also given her the day off, she wanted to know what else we could do while we were going in that direction. I remembered that there was a small museum/lighthouse located in Whitehall, so that became our second destination. I'll include some pictures from there shortly. As I was perusing the museum website, I came across the word picnic, so that was all Mary had to hear and she bought in. She created a couple of sandwiches, some potato salad and included a jar of pickles. Thankfully, she also packed place mats, eating utensils, napkins and plates too.

A lighthouse much like many others found on the sores of the "Big Lake", tall.

While Mary chose to stay down, I just had to climb to the top and take a couple of pictures.

Looking west across Lake Michigan. In both cases, a beautiful vista.

As a guitarist/singer, I had to get a picture of this life ring from the Edmund Fitzgerald, the ore carrier that sank in a storm on Lake Superior. Many theories have been proffered, but no one will ever know exactly what happened on that fateful night in November, 1975. To quote Gordon Lightfoot, the writer and performer of the song, "The Captain wired in, he had water coming in, and the good ship and crew were in peril." Then, silence.

This is a visual representation of the lighthouse surrounding Lake Michigan. Pictured on the lower right next to the lake, are the lighthouses located in GH.

What's a visit to the lake with out a picture taken through the shore grasses?

As a man, I might have made the sandwiches and included the jar of pickles, but the eating utensils, plates, and potato salad probably wouldn't have happened. I can cook, but I can also be lazy, so it is likely, that I would chosen the shortest/easiest path. We ended up at Duck Lake State Park for lunch after visiting the museum, and there was great scenery. However, since Mary just had to take pictures of the lunch spread to send to Adam and to memorialize her efforts, I had to wait for lunch. I was hungry, and when I am hungry, I get grumpy.

Before we left, STWD and I took the morning walk as Mary worked in the kitchen. Sugar being a dog, just had to sniff her way through the city. We finally got out the door around 12:30 p.m.

I was able to do a tad of trainspotting yesterday at 9:35 a.m. Locomotive 2019 was heading south towing one boxcar and 11 of those DBTCs. I never heard the northbound run, but we were probably up north when it passed through GH.

In sports, the boys in blue were decisively beaten by the Marlins, 3 - 7. The Tigers continued their losing ways, falling to the visiting Oakland As, 1 - 6. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Twins, 0 - 2. Not as crushing a defeat, but still a loss. The Caps were crushed by the Quad Cities River Bandits, 1 - 8. The B'hawks surprised the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2 - 1. Hockey shouldn't be played in June, and certainly not in Florida.

Today looks like another lazy day for me. Highlighting, playing with the girls, and a little work in the man-cave. Perhaps some household chores, but that is a game time decision.

The sun will set at 9:19 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City." Outside the WW, it is dark and no precipitation is visible. Today promises to be mostly sunny with a high in the mid 70s, much the same for tomorrow. Yes ladies and gentlemen, summer may have finally arrived here in W. MI.

No trains to spot this morning or last evening. I either slept through their passage, or there were none.

Yesterday, I got started on my highlighting for Mary. In between rising and resting, Mary and I walked with STWD, I made a killer stir fry, and Mary worked and chatted. I never got to the girls, but there is always today. We also made it to the store and refilled out larders with the essentials of life.

I have been having a problem with the external monitor attached to my notebook. It blinks out and then comes back on. I first woke it up at 3:49 a.m. and it just blinked out, twice, at 4:18 and 4:19 am. respectively. More to come? I don't know. So far, not another blink.

In sports, the boys in blue may have started their annual "June Swoon." They lost to the Marlins, 2 - 5. The Tigers are in free fall, as they have now lost five in a row, the latest to the Angels, 3 - 5. My beloved Red Sox were modestly triumphant, defeating the Twins, not very decisively, 1 - 0. I'll take it, The Caps had the day off. The Blackhawks open their playoff series tonight.

Today, I have to continue highlighting, possibly mow the lawns of the PE, and walk with TIWD. She likes to walk, but in her own middle-aged way, not as far as she used to go. That is of course unless a treat lady, a letter carrier, or another dog appears, and then she is re-energized.

That looks like enough for one morning. The sun will rise at 6:09 a.m. and set at 9:19 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is nearly 2:00 a.m. in "The City." Yesterday was a mixed bag weather wise. Temperatures felt warmer early in the day and then seemed to fall as the day wore on. Fortunately, no rain was falling on the heads of yours truly and STWD as we walked to the waterfront and back. We stopped at the newspaper office to see STWD's favorite lady, she is the purveyor of all things dog treat, and she had a couple ready and waiting for the intrepid one. We then we picked up the paper and headed home.

I decided that in spite of the fact that my yak had been aching the day before, that I'd spend a few moments raking up those seed pods from the big tree in the parkway. Even with the many I left on the lawns, I got about one half full and heavy bag. I also spent some time transplanting the cucumbers into several new locations. A little water and they look just fine in their new homes.

By then it was time for lunch and Mary and I had salads. I like them, so it worked fine for me.

Lunch was followed by time with the girls, editing for Mary and then TV viewing.

While I was in final edit mode, Mary went off to the library for a walk and picked up a book she had ordered and also one for me too that I had ordered.

I forgot to mention, that the trains seem to be on a new schedule. At about 10:30 a.m. yesterday, the southbound train went through. Locomotive 2019 was towing one box car, 11 CHCs, with two DBTCs bringing up the rear. At 2:05 p.m., the same locomotive headed back north, with five CHCs, two DBTCs and one lone gray tank car. I don't know if this is the harbinger of all things train in GH train schedules, or just an anomaly. Both trains seemed heavily laden.

In sports, the boys in blue sailed past the Marlins, 5 - 1. The Tigers mercifully had the day off to regroup. My beloved Red Sox also had the day off before beginning a series against the Twins. The Caps were triumphant over the Ft. Wayne TinCaps 7 - 2. Oh, the Bulls got their new coach.

Today, I have no plans. Nada, zip, nil. A walk with STWD to pick up today's paper, read that along with yesterday's paper, and play with the girls. Yep, that looks like a full day.

The sun will rise at 6:07 a.m. and set at 9:18 p.m. after a sunny high of 69° with clear skies and no precipitation in the forecast for a few days. Temperatures should be in the mid 70s. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just passing 6:20 a.m. in "The City." The sun will have risen at 6:08 a.m. by the time I hit the publish button, so I'll just mention that we will have a high of 68 on a mostly cloudy day.

I wasn't going to get up early, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

I couldn't let the day pass without mentioning the passing of Beau Biden from brain cancer. As someone who has been down a parallel path, albeit one with a more fortuitous outcome, I wanted to let Vice President Biden and his family know that I am saddened by their loss.

In sports, the boys in blue triumphed over the Royals in 11 innings 2 - 1. The Tigers fell 2 - 4 to the Angels, to make it four losses in a row on their road trip. My beloved Red Sox also fell flat 3 - 4 to the TX Rangers. The Caps also didn't fare too well, losing to Ft. Wayne, 1 - 2. In auto racing, the rain shortened IndyCar race in Detroit was won by Carlos Munoz. Apparently, too much rain and thunder was in the area, causing officials to call off the race. I'm certain that STWD would have agreed with them. Here in GH, the day was dry.

I finished my latest non-fiction book yesterday. It just made me more certain that we need to get out the vote for any election to ensure that the people we support are put into office and the ideas that we like get enacted without the courts getting into the act.

Today I plan to help Mary edit her latest effort and spend time walking with the intrepid WD. Mostly I plan to sit in my La-Z-Boy and watch the world go by and give my yak a chance to feel better.

The sun will set at 9:17 p.m. Ciao.